All English Language & Literature guides

English Language & Literature EE Criteria Guide

Turn a focused text or corpus question into sustained language-and-literature analysis.

For assessment in 2027. Submit a single RPF reflective statement of up to 500 words. Use this guide to keep your research question precise, your corpus manageable, and your analysis grounded in language, context, audience, and purpose.

Assessment criteria

What each criterion measures, how many marks it carries, and what stronger evidence usually looks like.

Criterion names, marks and mark bands follow the IB subject guide. The band descriptions are our own summaries, so check your subject guide for the exact wording.

Criterion A: Framework for the essay (6 marks)

Use a clear question, suitable research methods and an effective essay structure.

Stronger evidence
A precise, relevant question is supported by well-chosen methods and a structure that makes the research easy to follow.
Early-stage evidence
The question lacks focus or relevance, the methods fit poorly, and the structure does little to help the reader.

Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding (6 marks)

Show subject knowledge through relevant sources, concepts and accurate terminology.

Stronger evidence
A well-chosen body of sources supports strong knowledge, with accurate terminology and effective use of relevant concepts.
Early-stage evidence
The chosen material is weakly relevant, concepts receive shallow treatment, and terminology is sparse or inaccurate.

Criterion C: Analysis and line of argument (6 marks)

Analyse the research and connect the question, findings and conclusions.

Stronger evidence
Effective analysis produces relevant findings, and a sustained argument connects these findings to the question and conclusions.
Early-stage evidence
The essay mainly describes its material and the argument is incomplete.

Criterion D: Discussion and evaluation (8 marks)

Weigh the findings and assess the strengths and limits of the research.

Stronger evidence
A balanced discussion is supported throughout. Relevant strengths and limits are explained when judging the research.
Early-stage evidence
The importance of the findings is described without supporting evidence. Evaluation is incomplete and does not identify strengths or limits.

Criterion E: Reflection (4 marks)

Evaluate what the essay taught you and how that learning transfers to other situations.

Stronger evidence
The reflection evaluates the experience throughout, using examples that consistently show growth and transfer.
Early-stage evidence
The reflection recounts the process without showing how learning could transfer.

Mark bands

Want to know where your EE sits in these bands? Upload your draft and get a mark for each criterion.

Grade my EE

How to build it

Most weak drafts fail on order, not on ideas.

  1. 1

    Choose the research approach

    Choose a focused question and justify the texts and research approach you will use. The 2027 language A essay does not use the former category system.

  2. 2

    Define the corpus

    Set clear boundaries for the text, campaign, media sample, or body of material you will analyze.

  3. 3

    Build an analytical lens

    Connect textual choices to audience, purpose, culture, context, and meaning rather than describing content.

  4. 4

    Audit argument flow

    Check that each section advances the research question and does not drift into general commentary.

Before you submit

  • Research question is narrow enough for 4,000 words.
  • Corpus or primary text selection is explicit and justified.
  • Analysis focuses on language, form, context, audience, and purpose.
  • The RPF statement evaluates growth with specific examples and explains how learning transfers.

Quick wins

  • Replace broad social-issue claims with evidence from specific textual choices.
  • Add one sentence per section explaining why this material belongs in the corpus.
  • Use terminology only when it helps analysis, then explain its effect.

Get Rubric Feedback Before You Submit Your EE

Upload your English A Language & Literature EE draft to Marksy and get criterion-level feedback on the research question, textual analysis, argument and reflection. The result includes a mark for every criterion, evidence from your draft, and the changes to make first.

Grade My EE DraftSee Pricing
  1. 1

    Upload your EE draft as a PDF

  2. 2

    Get a mark and feedback for every EE criterion

  3. 3

    Revise and grade the new version

A mark for every criterion
A mark for every criterionSee where the draft is now, criterion by criterion.
Comments on your sentences
Comments on your sentencesEach comment points at the passage it is about.
What to fix first
What to fix firstConcrete next edits instead of "improve your analysis".