IB ESS · 2021 to 2026
4.2 Water access, use and security
38 past paper questions from 19 papers across 13 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
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SL archive · 2017 to 2026
4.2 Water access, use and security
Latest exam session: May 2026
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Micro-topics in 4.2 Water access, use and security
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of papers each appears in. 2 of them have no matching questions in this archive.
- No matches in this archiveRevise it
- Occasional
last Nov 24 P1 TZ2
- Due
last May 24 P1 TZ2
- Rising
last May 26 P2 TZ1
- Due
last Nov 23 P2 TZ1
- Occasional
last May 24 P1 TZ2
- Less common
last May 17 P2
4.2.8
Tackling water scarcity in a named country
No question tagged to this topic in the 50 ESS papers analysed
No matches in this archiveRevise it
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 6 micro-topics for the next sitting. Numbers are questions per year.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ·Increasing water supplies, 2017: 0 questions | 1Increasing water supplies, 2018: 1 question | ·Increasing water supplies, 2019: 0 questions | ·Increasing water supplies, 2020: 0 questions | 1Increasing water supplies, 2021: 1 question | ·Increasing water supplies, 2022: 0 questions | 2Increasing water supplies, 2023: 2 questions | 2Increasing water supplies, 2024: 2 questions | 3Increasing water supplies, 2025: 3 questions | 2Increasing water supplies, 2026: 2 questions | |
| 1Water scarcity, 2017: 1 question | 2Water scarcity, 2018: 2 questions | ·Water scarcity, 2019: 0 questions | 1Water scarcity, 2020: 1 question | 2Water scarcity, 2021: 2 questions | 1Water scarcity, 2022: 1 question | 2Water scarcity, 2023: 2 questions | ·Water scarcity, 2024: 0 questions | ·Water scarcity, 2025: 0 questions | ·Water scarcity, 2026: 0 questions | |
| 1Growing demand for water, 2017: 1 question | ·Growing demand for water, 2018: 0 questions | ·Growing demand for water, 2019: 0 questions | ·Growing demand for water, 2020: 0 questions | 1Growing demand for water, 2021: 1 question | 3Growing demand for water, 2022: 3 questions | 1Growing demand for water, 2023: 1 question | 2Growing demand for water, 2024: 2 questions | ·Growing demand for water, 2025: 0 questions | ·Growing demand for water, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·Saving water at home, 2017: 0 questions | ·Saving water at home, 2018: 0 questions | ·Saving water at home, 2019: 0 questions | ·Saving water at home, 2020: 0 questions | ·Saving water at home, 2021: 0 questions | 1Saving water at home, 2022: 1 question | 2Saving water at home, 2023: 2 questions | 2Saving water at home, 2024: 2 questions | ·Saving water at home, 2025: 0 questions | ·Saving water at home, 2026: 0 questions |
2 more micro-topics with a free account
- Risingappearing more often in the last two years than before
- Dueusually examined, but missing from the last two exam sessions
- Occasionalin about one paper in ten
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Questions on 4.2 Water access, use and security, by exam session
Which papers asked about 4.2 Water access, use and security, and which question numbers. Open a paper to see them highlighted.
May 2026
2 questions across 2 papers
May 2025
3 questions across 3 papers
November 2024
1 question across 1 paper
May 2024
2 questions across 2 papers
November 2023
3 questions across 3 papers
May 2023
1 question across 1 paper
November 2022
1 question across 1 paper
May 2022
1 question across 1 paper
November 2021
1 question across 1 paper
May 2021
1 question across 1 paper
November 2020
1 question across 1 paper
November 2018
1 question across 1 paper
May 2017
1 question across 1 paper
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which ESS exam sessions are covered for 4.2 Water access, use and security?
18 exam sessions from 2017 to 2026, the latest May 2026. Every Paper 1 and 2 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 19 papers in this archive.
Which 4.2 Water access, use and security topic comes up most?
Increasing water supplies (4.2.4): in 20% of papers, last seen May 26 P2 TZ1. Usually "Evaluate", worth about 4.2 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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