All History guides

History EE Criteria Guide

Use a focused question, strong context, and disciplined evidence to build a defensible line of argument.

This guide follows the EE criteria for history: focus and method, knowledge and understanding, and critical thinking. It keeps the essay narrow enough to support real historical analysis rather than broad narrative.

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: Focus and Method (6 marks)

How clearly the History essay introduces its topic, states a focused research question, and uses a suitable method.

Stronger evidence
The topic is explained accurately, the research question is clear and focused, and the method is complete, with sources or methods chosen for good reasons.
Early-stage evidence
The topic is unclear or incomplete, the research question is vague or too broad, and the method is limited.

Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 marks)

How accurately the essay uses History knowledge, concepts, terminology, and sources.

Stronger evidence
Subject knowledge is excellent, and terminology and concepts are used accurately and consistently.
Early-stage evidence
Subject knowledge is limited, and terminology and concepts are used unclearly.

Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 marks)

How well the essay researches, analyses, and evaluates its material to build a reasoned argument that answers the question.

Stronger evidence
Research and analysis are excellent, evaluation is critical, and the argument is coherent and well supported.
Early-stage evidence
Research, analysis, and evaluation are limited, and the argument is unclear.

Criterion D: Presentation (4 marks)

How well the essay's structure and layout (title page, contents, headings, figures, references) support the reader.

Stronger evidence
The structure clearly suits the subject and argument, and layout elements are used well enough to help the reader.
Early-stage evidence
The structure is broadly suitable, but some layout elements are missing or used incorrectly; these weaknesses do not seriously affect reading.

Criterion E: Engagement (6 marks)

How your RPPF reflections show decision-making, responses to setbacks, and personal engagement with the research.

Stronger evidence
The reflections evaluate decisions, show how you responded to setbacks, and show clear intellectual initiative and personal voice.
Early-stage evidence
The reflections mostly describe what happened and show little personal engagement.

Mark bands

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

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How to build it

Most weak drafts fail on order, not on ideas.

  1. 1

    Stress-test the question

    Check that the question is historical, focused, and answerable with the evidence you can realistically access.

  2. 2

    Gather contrasting evidence

    Use sources that support more than one perspective so the argument can move beyond summary.

  3. 3

    Draft analytically

    Let each section make a claim, support it with evidence, and connect it back to the question.

  4. 4

    Revise for consistency

    Make sure the conclusion follows the argument you actually built, not just the topic you chose.

Before you submit

  • The question is precise and clearly historical.
  • Evidence from a range of sources is integrated, not dropped in.
  • Different perspectives are weighed where they matter.
  • The conclusion follows the argument, not just the topic.

Quick wins

  • Write a one-sentence scope statement before the first draft.
  • Use source evidence to support claims, not replace analysis.
  • End each section with a sentence that links back to the research question.

Turn EE Criteria Into A Stronger Draft

Upload your history EE draft to Marksy and get focused feedback on scope, evidence use, and the quality of your historical argument. The result includes an estimated mark for every criterion, evidence from your draft, and the changes to make first. Your final mark may differ after teacher assessment or external moderation.

Grade My EE DraftSee Pricing
  1. 1

    Upload your EE draft as a PDF

  2. 2

    Get an estimated 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".