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ESS cross-disciplinary vocabulary: terminology for IB Diploma 5s to 6s
Succession, trophic level and natural capital mean something narrower in ESS than in biology or geography. The terms Paper 2 marks for precision.
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IB3 min read
IB ESS IA: 2026 criteria and fieldwork planning
For first assessment in 2026, the ESS investigation is marked out of 30 across six criteria. It contributes 25% at SL and 20% at HL, with a report limit of 3,000 words.
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IB ESS Paper 1 and 2: why reading strategy beats content knowledge
Question stems before the stimulus: 90 seconds that tell you which variables matter. How to trace axes and command terms in Section A before you write.
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IB ESS: the 4 statistical tools that separate 5s from 6s and 7s
IB ESS quantitative skills gaps cost candidates marks in Paper 1 Section B and the IA. Discover the 4 statistical tools ESS examiners test directly and how to build them with ESS data.
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ESS scale shifts: the pre-reading habit that separates 6s from 7s
ESS examiners test scale calibration in nearly every Paper 2 question. This guide shows how to identify the targeted scale before you write, why answers at the wrong scale drop below Level 5, and the…
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How ESS Paper 2 Evaluation Rewards Stakeholder Trade-Offs
IB ESS Paper 2 Section B rewards candidates who identify trade-offs between stakeholder values, not just list them.
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3 Systems Drawing Conventions That IB ESS Examiners Check First
Photosynthesis is a flow, not a stock - the box-and-arrow error that caps marks. How to label stocks, flows and feedback loops on an ESS diagram.
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Describe vs Explain in IB ESS: The Level 5 Threshold
Describe asks what a system contains; explain asks why it behaves that way. Six confused ESS command terms, with phosphorus cycle and trophic web examples.
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IB History Paper 2: evaluation framework for top marks
A four-part routine for sources inside an essay: claim, provenance, effect on reliability, use in argument. Two essays in 90 minutes leaves no slack.
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