IB Extended Essay Word Count
The 4,000-word limit, what counts towards it, and a counter for your draft.
Checked against official sources on 17 October 2026.
Extended essay counter — 4,000-word maximum
The IB Extended Essay word limit
The extended essay has an upper limit of 4,000 words. The IB is explicit that examiners do not read or assess anything beyond the 4,000th word, so an over-length essay is judged on its first 4,000 words only — usually losing the conclusion. Separately, you write a reflective statement of up to 500 words on your research process, which is assessed by criterion E (reflection).
The IB published a new extended essay guide in February 2025 for students taking their exams from May 2027. The essay is marked out of 30 across five criteria, A to E, worth 6, 6, 6, 8 and 4 marks. The IB recommends spending about 40 hours on the extended essay in total.
What counts towards the 4,000 words
| Counted | Not counted |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Title page and contents page |
| Main body | Maps, charts, diagrams, annotated illustrations and tables |
| Conclusion | Equations, formulas and calculations |
| Quotations | Citations and references (in-text or footnotes) and the bibliography |
| Footnotes and endnotes that are not references | Appendices, and the separate reflection |
Paste only the counted parts into the counter above. Our citation generator formats the references, which do not count.
Planning 4,000 words
Use the essay planner to divide 4,000 words into sections; in the sciences you may prefer headings for method, results and discussion. Aim to finish your full draft well under the limit and spend the remaining words on analysis rather than description.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Checked against official sources on 17 October 2026. Rules and limits change: always confirm in the latest instructions for your course or application.