EE: Second Reflection (interim)

As part of your engagement mark (Criterion E), you will be required to fulfil 3 reflection sessions with your supervisor. Your reflection will be recorded in the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) and submitted along with your extended essay proper.

In this article we look into what is expected in the second (interim) reflection session and how you can best prepare for it:

What is expected in the Interim session?

In this session you must demonstrate to your supervisor the progress you have made in your research. You must also be able to discuss any challenges you have encountered, offer your own potential solutions and seek advice as necessary.


During this session your supervisor might discuss

• your understanding of the academic writing requirements, including referencing formats

• whether an appropriate range of sources has been accessed and how you are critically evaluating the origin of those sources

• what you now have to do in order to produce the full draft of your essay

By the end of the interim reflection you should both feel satisfied that there is

• a clear and refined research question 
• a viable argument on which to base the essay 
• a sufficient range of appropriate sources 
• a clear vision for the final steps in the writing process. 

How shall I prepare for this session?

By the time you meet with your supervisor, you should have

• refined your topic into a focused and appropriate research question

• significantly deepened your research and recorded pertinent evidence, information or data in the Researcher’s reflection space

• reviewed and consolidated the methodologies you are using

• formulated arguments based on the evidence that you have collected

• added to the working bibliography for your research.