Is the RPF marked separately from the essay?

No — it feeds Criterion E: Reflection, 4 of the 30 marks for the Extended Essay under the May 2027 rubric.

How long should the EE RPF be?

Up to 500 words — a ceiling, not a target. A focused 400-word statement with real decisions beats 500 words of timeline.

Do November 2026 students write an RPF?

No. Sessions through November 2026 follow the 34-mark rubric with the RPPF. The RPF applies from May 2027.

The EE Reflective Statement (RPF) — What Replaces the RPPF in 2027

From the May 2027 session the Extended Essay RPPF is replaced by the RPF — a single reflective statement of up to 500 words, assessed under Criterion E: Reflection, worth 4 of the essay's 30 marks (about 13%). Students who began the DP in 2025 submit the RPF; sessions through November 2026 keep the RPPF under the 34-mark rubric.

What a strong reflective statement shows

Decisions with reasons: where the investigation could have gone another way and why you chose as you did.
Turning points: the moment evidence pushed back — a surprising result, a counter-argument that forced a rethink.
Honesty about limits: what you would do differently and what the essay still cannot claim.

What to avoid

A timeline ("first I chose a topic, then I found sources") — describes what every student does.
Generic struggle ("time management was hard") — says nothing about this investigation.
Summarising your findings — the essay presents the research; the RPF reflects on the researching.

Checklist: under 500 words; two concrete decisions with reasoning; one genuine turning point; one honest limitation; no timeline padding. Reflection is 4 of 30 marks — the heaviest criterion in the 2027 rubric is Discussion and evaluation (8). Check your EE draft against the 2027 criteria · The full 2027 rubric