Unpacking Extended Response Questions: Criterion A – Focus on the Question

For many IB students, key to writing high scoring responses to Extended Response Questions (ERQs) is focusing appropriately on the question that has been asked. Too often students answer the question they want to or rely too heavily on describing and evaluating research studies regardless of what the question has asked for. This is because often it is what you feel most comfortable doing but it can see your mark for ERQs suffer severely. Properly unpacking the question is the best way you can overcome this. If you properly focus on the question, it can boost your marks in Criteria A, B, C and D.

Here is an approach you can take to unpacking ERQs:

1. Identify the instructional and content words in the ERQ.

Content Words: tell you what course content you need to include in your answer

Instructional Words: tell you how to answer the question

For example, Evaluate one or more research methods used to investigate the interaction between technology and cognitive processes.

Instructional words: evaluate (strengths and limitations)

Content words: one or more research methods, interaction, technology, cognitive processes

2. Ask yourself the question: 'What is the object of the verb?'

The verb is 'evaluate' (the instructional word), the object in this question is 'research methods'.

So you know your evaluation and main focus of your answer should be on evaluating the research methods. Not evaluating the studies, or theories or cognitive processes.

3. Break down and make your content words specific. You can write down as many content words as you can think of and then choose specific examples that you would like to use.

Research methods: experiments, surveys, observations, questionnaires, case studies, interviews

Technology: TV, smartphones, internet, video games

Cognitive processes: memory, attention, problem solving, decision making, thinking, biases in thinking, perception, concentration