IB Environmental Systems and Societies HL - 2026
IB Environmental Systems and Societies HL is an interdisciplinary course about the structure and function of the environment, and how humanity can make use of natural resources in a sustainable fashion. The practical component of the course builds skills in experimental design and analysis. Graduates of IB ESS HL will be able to make informed decisions on sustainable approaches in personal and professional matters and are well-prepared for further environmental studies.
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Practice Exams
Choose your revision tool! Contains topic quizzes for focused study, Revision Village mock exams covering the whole syllabus, and the revision ladder to precisely target your learning.
Course Structure and Content
Starting in August 2024, IB Environmental Systems and Societies students will follow a new syllabus for first examinations in 2026. The most important change is the introduction of the ESS HL course, a long-awaited addition! Furthermore, the syllabus has been updated for both levels to reflect changes in this quickly-expanding field.
HL ESS students examine the following topics about humans and nature:: Foundations, Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation, Water, Land, Atmosphere and Climate Change, Natural Resources and Human Populations and Urban Systems. They also study three HL Lenses: Environmental Law, Environmental Economics, and Environmental Ethics. These lenses consider the legal, economic, and ethical aspects of the environmental issues that are at the core of the courses, thus laying a sound foundation for further studies at the university level.
Exams at the end of the course consist of two papers. Paper 1 is a case study of an hour in which As students build a theoretical grounding, they also engage in practical investigations followed by a larger individual practical investigation that is 20% of the final grade. The external exams at the end of the course make up the rest.
There are two exams. Paper 1 is a case study of two hours about a geographical area. Students answer questions that ask them to interpret the information in the case study and apply knowledge from the course. ESS Paper 1 is 30% of the final grade. ESS Paper 2 is two and a half hours and consists of data interpretation questions, short answer questions and extended response questions and is 50% of the final grade.
An Interdisciplinary Course
IB Environmental Systems and Societies is interdisciplinary, with knowledge and skills from both IB Group 3 (Individuals and Societies) and IB Group 4 (Sciences). It can count as a subject in either group or even as both, allowing students to study tailor their programme to their interests.
Tips for Success
- Keep your eye on the Foundation topics and the HL lenses. Draw systems diagrams, assess the sustainability, think about the approach from the different perspectives, and consider the legal, economic and ethical implications of each environmental issue.
- Understand the command terms. They indicate how to structure your answer and how much detail to include. Use RV markschemes to see sample answers and watch videos that further explain the best approach to answering different question types.
- Examples are important. You will need examples of human impact, strategies for sustainability, and named species, areas or societies that illustrate the issues or the solutions. RV Case Studies and data-based questions contain a wealth of examples.
Revision Village Environmental Systems and Societies has a range of tools to help you practice what you need, when you need. The exam-style questions were written by a team of expert IB Environmental Systems and Societies teachers from around the globe. The markschemes, sample answers and explanation videos will help you successfully complete the IB ESS HL course.