A key skill the students master during the process is how to develop a strong research question; one that will lead to analytical writing rather than narrative prose. There must also be resources available in Cambodia that will allow the question to be fully addressed within the word limit.
Each year when the Grade 12 students turn in their final reports, an Extended Essay Exhibition is held to celebrate the accomplishment and give the Grade 11 students a better idea of what strategies work best. Each year the Grade 12s pass down the same information to the Grade 11s: work on your time management.
The consistency of this message, year after year, speaks to the perseverance and dedication necessary to manage the requirements of this task effectively. For many students this is the first time they are independently following their curiosity and building personal knowledge for themselves and by themselves.