Many students say that writing IB essays is one of the hardest parts of the Diploma Programme. You need to conduct extensive research and also be able to organize data, think critically, and polish your work—all at the same time.
But as someone who has written, graded, and helped with a huge number of essays, I can say that following a few simple rules is what separates an average paper from a top-notch one.
In this post, I’ll give you seven secrets that, in my experience, have the most impact on writing a top-scoring IB essay. I’ve witnessed students effectively use them to raise their grades from a 5 to a 7. 🧑🎓
- 1️⃣ Break Down the IB Essay Criteria
- 2️⃣ Formulate a Strong Research Question
- 3️⃣ Master Your Essay Structure and Flow
- Need Help with Your IB Extended Essay?
- 4️⃣Use Evidence Like a Pro
- 5️⃣ Develop Your Voice in Critical Thinking
- 6️⃣ Keep It Academic, but Still Readable
- 7️⃣ Review, Edit, and Refine
- Why Apply to Buy TOK Essay Service?
- Final Words
1️⃣ Break Down the IB Essay Criteria
Some students get good grades on their essays even though they aren’t “perfect.” The answer is usually easy to see: they wrote with the IB essay standards in mind.
From my own experience, I can tell you that examiners are instructed to give grades based on clear standards, not on their own preferences. It means that your essay will be graded on how well you answer the question, how well you organize your case, and how well you use evidence to back up your claims.
IB standards say that you should be able to think critically, consider different points of view, and link every part of your essay to the research question.
To help you understand better, here is a list of the things that examiners usually look for in IB essays:
| CRITERION | WHAT IS MEANS | HOW TO APPLY IT |
|---|---|---|
| Focus & Method | Is the research question clear and focused? | Start with a precise, narrow question and keep referring back to it throughout the essay. |
| Knowledge & Understanding | Do you show subject-specific knowledge? | Use accurate terms, relevant sources, and show you understand the context of your subject. |
| Critical Thinking | Do you analyze rather than just describe? | Evaluate evidence, compare perspectives, and explain the significance of your findings. |
| Presentation | Is your essay structured and formatted correctly? | Use a clear introduction, logical body paragraphs, and a conclusion that ties everything together. |
| Formal Requirements | Did you follow IB formatting and citation rules? | Include a proper bibliography, word count, and stick to the required academic style. |
You can stop writing in the dark and start writing with purpose when you use the IB rubric as a plan. All of your sentences, paragraphs, and pieces of proof work together to answer the research question and make your case stronger.
2️⃣ Formulate a Strong Research Question
A clear, focused research question is what I think every great IB essay should start with. If you don’t have it, your essay will quickly become unclear and repetitive.
You could ask something like, ✅ “How did the trauma of World War II shape the themes of absurdity in Samuel Beckett’s plays?” instead of ❌ “How did the trauma of World War II affect literature?”
Compare the two. The first one is more specific, easier to research, and gives you a path right away.
I’ve found that students who take the time to refine their questions ultimately save hours. A compelling question helps you stay on course and guarantees that each paragraph advances your point rather than detracts from it.
Additionally, when a student has a clear research topic, examiners can see right away—it helps your essay stand out from the first page.
3️⃣ Master Your Essay Structure and Flow
Even with a strong point, a poorly organized essay may be confusing and hard to read. In my experience, exceptional students have been penalized for writing essays that lack a cohesive thesis and instead seem like jumbled notes.
To ensure you never have to guess what will happen next, I always advise making an outline before writing. This will help you organize your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
A well-structured essay leads the reader through each phase, much like a conversation. The logical arrangement of your paragraphs makes it easier for examiners to comprehend your thesis, which in and of itself strengthens the persuasiveness of your work.
Additionally, a well-organized essay demonstrates your comprehension of both your topic and the academic requirements for IB essays.
This is a simple way I often use to help students think about essay structure:
- Introduction – Present your research question and thesis. Set the stage.
- Body part 1 – Support your first main point with evidence and analysis.
- Body part 2 – Present a second argument while tying it to the research question.
- Body part 3 – Provide depth via counterarguments or alternate views.
- Conclusion – Connect all of the dots, directly answer the research question, and leave a lasting impression.
Following this framework will help your essay automatically find its flow. The reader is guided toward your conclusion by each paragraph, which serves as a stepping stone.
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4️⃣Use Evidence Like a Pro
I believe that depending on generalizations without supporting facts is one of the easiest ways to make your IB essays weaker. Although they don’t want a list of quotes, examiners want evidence of your research.
Balance is everything. That’s why you must combine primary sources (like a novel, historical record, or experiment) with secondary sources (such as academic articles or reliable commentary).
In a Literature essay, for example, you can combine a straight passage from the text with an academic interpretation that supports your argument. At the same time, statistics and numbers have no significance in history unless you examine their meaning.
The best essays, in my opinion, do more than just provide evidence; they evaluate it, relate it to the research question, and explain its significance.
5️⃣ Develop Your Voice in Critical Thinking
Another big reason students lose points is that they describe things instead of analyzing them.
❌ From what I’ve seen, the description looks like this: “Beckett’s plays have silly themes.”
✅ The analysis, on the other hand, would be: “Beckett’s absurd themes show how human expectations and reality don’t match up, which is a reflection of post-war disappointment.”
Do you see the difference? The second version says what’s there and why it matters.
Making connections, comparing perspectives, and evaluating strengths and weaknesses are all parts of critical thinking. IB standards say that your voice should be clear in both what you say and how you understand what is being said.
And when you find your critical voice, your IB essay goes from being just another school assignment to something academically impressive.
Asking yourself “so what?” after writing a sentence is, in my view, the simplest method to practice analysis. For instance, if you assert that a past policy had an impact, describe its causes, the people it impacted, and the outcomes. That little practice may immediately improve your IB essay’s depth.
6️⃣ Keep It Academic, but Still Readable
Often, I see students struggling to be both “smart” and “clear.” The truth is that the best IB essays do both.
Your writing should be academic, which means it should be serious, clear, and well-organized, but it should also be easy to read. It might look good to use long, hard-to-understand words, but they will hurt your grade if they confuse the reader.
A good rule of thumb that I’ve learned is to say something in fewer words if you can. Also, don’t use jargon that isn’t needed unless the subject calls for it.
Remember that examiners like things that are clear rather than ones that are too complicated. A clear essay shows confidence, while one with lots of words that don’t make sense usually shows nervousness.
7️⃣ Review, Edit, and Refine
You can get your thoughts down on paper in a first draft, but editing is what turns them into a strong, powerful argument.
There were many rounds of careful editing that went into the best IB essays I’ve read. They didn’t look “perfect” at first. With each draft, the points were made more clearly, the changes were better, and there were fewer mistakes.
I often suggest the following method to my students:
- Write your first draft without obsessing over perfection. Focus on getting your ideas onto the page.
- Step away from it for at least a day. Distance helps you see flaws that were invisible when the writing was fresh.
- Return with fresh eyes and check for weak arguments, unclear transitions, and grammar mistakes. Pay attention to whether each paragraph links back to the research question.
- Proofread carefully before submission. Read slowly, or even read aloud. Small mistakes can make an otherwise strong essay feel sloppy.
Examiners can tell right away when they read a well-written essay because of its smooth flow, clear organization, and strong points. Often, that last step is what makes the difference between a good essay and a great one.
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Final Words
Writing a top-scoring IB essay requires strategy rather than talent. By keeping these seven secrets, you’re developing your abilities as a self-assured academic writer in addition to fulfilling IB standards. Keep in mind that analysis, organization, and clarity are always superior.
Therefore, have these strategies in mind the next time you sit down to write your IB essay. Apply them constantly, hone them, and practice them. I’ve seen students improve their grades just by making little, regular changes. You can succeed if they can. 😎
