IB Diploma Programme Environmental Systems and Societies

Component-based qualification

Source: official International Baccalaureate specification, verified 2026-09-05. Both tiers modeled in full. Weighting and duration are read directly from the official public subject brief (first assessment 2026, directly fetched this session, confirming the "first assessment 2026" claim carried over from an earlier session's finding rather than assuming it). Standard Level mark totals (Paper 1 35 marks; Paper 2 60 marks, Section A 40 + Section B one essay from a choice of two, 20 marks) are corroborated by three independent sources including a first-hand account from a student sitting this exact syllabus. Higher Level mark totals (Paper 1 70 marks; Paper 2 80 marks, Section A 40 + Section B two essays from a choice of three, 40 marks) rest primarily on one detailed, explicitly guide-citing teacher resource, with the weighting and duration pattern it describes matching the official brief exactly; a second detailed source corroborates the weighting percentages but not the Higher Level mark totals specifically. The Internal Assessment (an individual investigation into a self-chosen environmental issue, maximum 3,000 words, marked against six criteria A-F worth 4/4/4/6/6/6 marks, 30 marks total, identical at both tiers) is independently corroborated by two further sources, one explicitly citing the official IB Examiner Instructions 2026 document.