IB ESS · 2021 to 2026
ESS Paper 1
418 past paper questions from 24 papers across 18 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
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SL archive · 2017 to 2026
Paper 1
Latest exam session: May 2026
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Where Paper 1 marks go, by unit
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
Unit 1
Foundations of ESS
17% of marks · 41 questions
- RisingBiocapacity
Unit 2
Ecology
19% of marks · 99 questions
- DueFood webs
- DuePopulation interactions
Unit 3
Biodiversity and Conservation
22% of marks · 94 questions
- DueDesigning effective reserves
- RisingThreats to biodiversity
Unit 4
Water
9% of marks · 42 questions
- RisingSources and impacts of water pollution
Unit 5
Land
5% of marks · 23 questions
Unit 6
Atmosphere and Climate Change
7% of marks · 26 questions
Unit 7
Natural Resources
11% of marks · 51 questions
- RisingWhat shapes a country's energy choices
- RisingRenewable and non-renewable energy
Unit 8
Human Population and Urban Systems
8% of marks · 42 questions
- RisingMeasuring population change
- RisingThe demographic transition model
Exam pattern
How often each micro-topic has been examined, year by year. Each label is explained under the grid.
Does it repeat?
Top 4 of 130 micro-topics for the next sitting. Numbers are questions per year.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Measuring population change, 2017: 2 questions | ·Measuring population change, 2018: 0 questions | 1Measuring population change, 2019: 1 question | ·Measuring population change, 2020: 0 questions | ·Measuring population change, 2021: 0 questions | 2Measuring population change, 2022: 2 questions | 2Measuring population change, 2023: 2 questions | ·Measuring population change, 2024: 0 questions | 4Measuring population change, 2025: 4 questions | 3Measuring population change, 2026: 3 questions | |
1.3.1Sustainability | 1Sustainability, 2017: 1 question | 2Sustainability, 2018: 2 questions | 1Sustainability, 2019: 1 question | ·Sustainability, 2020: 0 questions | 1Sustainability, 2021: 1 question | 2Sustainability, 2022: 2 questions | 1Sustainability, 2023: 1 question | ·Sustainability, 2024: 0 questions | 2Sustainability, 2025: 2 questions | 2Sustainability, 2026: 2 questions |
| ·Threats to biodiversity, 2017: 0 questions | ·Threats to biodiversity, 2018: 0 questions | 2Threats to biodiversity, 2019: 2 questions | ·Threats to biodiversity, 2020: 0 questions | 1Threats to biodiversity, 2021: 1 question | 1Threats to biodiversity, 2022: 1 question | ·Threats to biodiversity, 2023: 0 questions | ·Threats to biodiversity, 2024: 0 questions | 2Threats to biodiversity, 2025: 2 questions | 5Threats to biodiversity, 2026: 5 questions | |
3.2.4The IUCN Red List | 1The IUCN Red List, 2017: 1 question | 2The IUCN Red List, 2018: 2 questions | 1The IUCN Red List, 2019: 1 question | ·The IUCN Red List, 2020: 0 questions | ·The IUCN Red List, 2021: 0 questions | 4The IUCN Red List, 2022: 4 questions | 1The IUCN Red List, 2023: 1 question | 2The IUCN Red List, 2024: 2 questions | 6The IUCN Red List, 2025: 6 questions | ·The IUCN Red List, 2026: 0 questions |
11 more micro-topics with a free account
- DueDesigning effective reserves· last May 24 P1 TZ2
- Risingappearing more often in the last two years than before
- Dueusually examined, but missing from the last two exam sessions
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Questions on Paper 1, by exam session
Which papers asked about Paper 1, and which question numbers. Open a paper to see them highlighted.
May 2026
3 papers
Specimen 2026
1 paper
May 2025
3 papers
November 2024
2 papers
May 2024
2 papers
November 2023
1 paper
May 2023
1 paper
November 2022
1 paper
May 2022
1 paper
November 2021
1 paper
May 2021
1 paper
November 2020
1 paper
November 2019
1 paper
May 2019
1 paper
November 2018
1 paper
May 2018
1 paper
November 2017
1 paper
May 2017
1 paper
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which ESS exam sessions are covered for Paper 1?
18 exam sessions from 2017 to 2026, the latest May 2026. Every Paper 1 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 24 papers in this archive.
Which Paper 1 topic comes up most?
Measuring population change (8.1.3): in 22% of papers, last seen May 26 P1 TZ3. Usually "Calculate", worth about 1.5 marks in a paper that includes it.
Can I see the original question and mark scheme?
No. The wording belongs to the IB. You get the citation, the marks, the command term and the skill tested, plus our own matched practice questions with worked answers and AI marking.
What do "banker", "due" and "rising" mean?
Banker: examined in at least one sitting in four and still appearing. Due: regular before, but absent for the last two exam sessions. Rising: clearly more common in the last two years. Our classification of real papers, not an IB statistic.
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Every question, by paper
What each ESS paper tests across all its sittings: the marks by unit and the micro-topics it keeps coming back to.
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What comes up most
Which ESS topics recur in this archive, and which have no matching questions in it.
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