IB Environmental Systems and Societies HL - 2026
Questionbank
The IB Environmental Systems and Societies HL (Higher Level) 2026 Questionbank is a great source of practice questions, coming from the entire syllabus! Each question comes with a clear markscheme and solution video, with an experienced IB teacher going through the question step-by-step. The questions are organized by topic and arranged by difficulty, making it the perfect resource for studying a particular concept.
Topic 1
Foundation
1.2 - Systems
System Diagrams, Open & Closed Systems, Gaia, Feedback Loops, Equilibrium, Tipping Point, Model, Emergent, Resilience
1.3 - Sustainability
Development, Justice, Inequalities, Indicators, Footprint, Biocapacity, SDGs, Planetary Boundaries, Doughnut, Circular
Topic 2
Ecology
Topic 2 All
All Questions in Topic 2 Ecology
RV Free
2.1 - Species to Ecosystems
Classification, (A)biotic, Carrying Capacity, Limiting Factors, Population Growth, Sampling, Lincoln, Niche, Life Cycles
RV Free
2.2 - Energy & Biomass
Photosynthesis, Respiration, Thermodynamics, Food Webs, Trophic Level, Productivity, Pyramids, Non-Biodegradeable, Yield
RV Free
2.3 - Biogeochemical Cycles
Sinks, Carbon & Nitrogen Cycle, C-Sequestration, Fossil Fuels, Ocean Acidification, Lithosphere, Corals, Methane, Haber
RV Free
2.5 - Zonation & Succession
Transects, Environmental Gradient, Sere, Pioneer & Climax Communities, r- & K-Strategists, Plagioclimax
RV Free
2.4 - Climate & Biomes
Weather, Tricellular Model, Ocean Currents, Global Warming, Biome Shift, El Niño, Cyclones, Hurricanes, Typhoons
RV Free
Topic 3
Biodiversity & Conservation
Topic 3 All
All Questions in Topic 3 Biodiversity & Conservation
RV Gold
3.1 - Biodiversity & Evolution
Natural Selection, Habitat, Species and Genetic Diversity, Richness & Evenness, Simpson's, Extinctions, Anthropocene
RV Gold
3.2 - Human Impact on Biodiversity
Direct & Indirect Threats, IUCN Red List, Tragedy of the Commons, Biodiversity Hotspots, KBAs, Indigenous Approaches
RV Gold
3.3 - Conservation & Regeneration
Species- & Habitat-based, ex & in situ, CITES, CBD, Flagship & Keystone, Edge Effect, Corridor, Rewilding, Ecotourism
RV Gold
Topic 4
Water
Topic 4 All
All Questions in Topic 4 Water
RV Gold
4.1 - Water Systems
Hydrological Cycle, Glaciers, Groundwater, Run-off, Ocean Acidification, Stratification, Upwelling, Thermohaline
RV Gold
4.2 - Water Access & Use
Hydrological Cycle, Glaciers, Groundwater, Run-off, Ocean Acidification, Stratification, Upwelling, Thermohaline
RV Gold
4.3 - Aquatic Food Systems
Phytoplankton, Macrophytes, Trawling, Ghost Fishing, Max. Sust. Yield, Collapse, MPA, Aquaculture, UNCLOS, Seals, Whales
RV Gold
4.4 - Water Pollution
Sewage, Run-off, Oil, Plastic, BOD, Eutrophication, Algal Bloom, Anoxic & Hypoxic, Indicator Species, Biotic Index, WQI
RV Gold
Topic 5
Land
Topic 5 All
All Questions in Topic 5 Land
RV Gold
5.1 - Soil
Soil Profile, Horizon, Texture, Weathering, Leaching, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sand, Silt, Clay, Humus, Geology
RV Gold
5.2 - Agriculture & Food
Farming, Crops, Livestock, Food Waste, Distribution and Security, Green Revolution, Fertilisers, Soil Conservation, Diet
RV Gold
Topic 6
Atmosphere & Climate Change
Topic 6 All
All Questions in Topic 6 Atmosphere & Climate Change
RV Gold
6.1 - The Atmosphere
Tricellular Model, Greenhouse Effect, GHG, Radiation, Milankovitch Cycles, Glacial-Interglacial, Quaternary, Composition
RV Gold
6.2 - Climate Change - Causes & Impacts
Carbon, Enhanced, Global Warming, Biome Shift, Resilience, Albedo, Methane, Planetary Boundary, Tipping Point, Models
RV Gold
6.3 - Climate Change - Mitigation & Adaptation
Global Action, Decarbonisation, NAPAs, UN, IPCC, Geoengineering, Perspectives, Tragedy of the Commons
RV Gold
6.4 - Stratospheric Ozone
UV Radiation, Mutation, Sunburn, Cataracts, ODS, CFC, HFC, Halogens, Ozone Holes, Montreal Protocol, Planetary Boundary
RV Gold
Topic 7
Natural Resources
Topic 7 All
All Questions in Topic 7 Natural Resources
RV Gold
7.1 - Natural Resources
Natural Capital & Income, Goods, Services, Ecosystem Services, Renewable, Value, Dynamic, Resource Security, SDGs, EIAs
RV Gold
7.2 - Energy Sources
Renewable, Fossil Fuels, Nuclear, Intermittency, Storage, Consumption, Choices, Conservation, Efficiency, Security
RV Gold
7.3 - Solid Waste
SDW, E-Waste, Food, Biohazardous, Pollution, Prevent, Restore, Landfill, Incineration, Recycle, Export, Energy, Compost
RV Gold
Topic 8
Human Populations & Urban Systems
Topic 8 All
All Questions in Topic 8 Human Populations & Urban Systems
RV Gold
8.1 - Human Populations
Births, Deaths, Environmental Migration, TFR, DT, NIR, Life Expectancy, Momentum, Age-Sex Pyramid, Dependency Ratio, DTM
RV Gold
8.2 - Urban Systems & Urban Planning
(Sub)urbanisation, Population Density, Compactness, Infrastructure, Rural-Urban Migration, Green Architecture, Land Use
RV Gold
8.3 - Urban Air Pollution
Primary & Secondary Pollutant, Nitrogen Oxides, Sulfur Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, PM, Acid Rain, Smog, Tropospheric Ozone
RV Gold
Tools & Inquiry
All
All Questions in Tools & Inquiry
RV Gold
T1 - Experimental Techniques
Key, Quadrat, Transect, Lincoln, Abiotic Factors, Survey, Sampling, Population, Biomass, BOD, Productivity, Biotic Index
RV Gold
T3 - Mathematical Tools
Calculations, Interpretation of Data, Statistics, Simpson's, Lincoln, NIR, Doubling Time
RV Gold
T4 - Systems & Models
Systems Diagrams, Flow Diagrams, Models, Energy Transfer, Cladograms
RV Gold
I - Investigations
Designing Investigations, Processing Data, Concluding and Evaluating
RV Gold
HL Lenses
All
All Questions in HL Lenses
RV Gold
HL.a - Environmental Law
Justice, Lobbying, Constitution, Local, Transboundary, UN, Conventions, Protocols, Courts, Triibunals, Biorights
RV Gold
HL.b - Environmental Economics
Market Failure, Polluter Pays Principle, 'Green', Tragedy of the Commons, Value, GDP, Growth, Circular, Doughtnut
RV Gold
HL.c - Environmental Ethics
Moral, Values, Instrumental & Intrinsic Value, Moral Standing, Virtue, Consequentialist, Rights-Based, Appeal to Nature
RV Gold
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More IB Environmental Systems and Societies HL - 2026 Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IB Environmental Systems and Societies Higher Level Questionbank?
The Revision Village Questionbank for ESS HL is a comprehensive collection of IB exam-style questions from Paper 1 and Paper 2, designed to help you practice for your exams and tests. The questions are organised by subtopic and arranged by difficulty, allowing you to tailor your revision to your level and progressively tackle more challenging concepts. Each question includes a mark scheme and a sample answer, outlining possible marking points and showing how to construct an answer. Additionally, video solutions made by experienced ESS teachers help you understand the details.
Where should I start in the Questionbank for ESS HL?
The Questionbank for Environmental Systems and Societies is designed for maximum flexibility. The questions in each subtopic have been written specifically with that subtopic in mind, so you can practice the subtopics in any order. To provide a more comprehensive practice for the IB ESS exams we have, however, also included questions that require knowledge from multiple subtopics. The last subtopic in a topic will have some questions that require knowledge of the whole subtopic, and the most difficult questions in each subtopic may also need knowledge from other topics. Finally, all topics have questions that require knowledge from Topic 1: Foundation and the Higher Level Lenses.
What type of questions can I find in the Questionbank for ESS HL?
The Environmental Systems & Societies HL Questionbank includes almost all the question types you would find on an ESS HL Paper 1 or Paper 2, from short-answer questions and data-based questions to longer 9-mark essay questions. They have been constructed to provide practice with all the content and skills required for an IB ESS HL student. There are, however, two types of questions that you will also need to practice in an exam-style setting. Our ESS Case Studies provide holistic Paper 1-style practice, including the 6-mark questions. Our Practice Exams also include complete data-based practice questions such as those found in Section A of ESS Paper 2.