Is IB Environmental Systems & Societies Hard?

Wondering if IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS) is a hard option for your IB subject choices? Here's what you need to know.

Maybe you’ve heard it’s an easy option, or maybe you’ve been told it’s a science subject for students who don’t like science.

But what’s the truth?

As a former teacher and Head of Department for ESS, I’ve supported many students through this course. Some found it difficult at first, but with the right approach, they gained confidence and went on to achieve strong results.

In this article, I’ll break down any tricky aspects of IB ESS, how you can overcome those challenges, and whether it’s the right subject for you.

To provide even more expert guidance, we reached out to ESS teacher and textbook co-author, Joe Cazabon, for his thoughts. Keep an eye out for his insights throughout the article.

So, Is IB Environmental Systems & Societies Hard?

It depends on your strengths, interests, and expectations.

IB ESS is designed to be accessible to a wide range of students, especially those who enjoy interdisciplinary learning (this means combining ideas and methods from different subjects to understand a topic more fully).

The Standard Level (SL) ESS course is manageable with consistent effort and a solid revision strategy. In May 2024, over 21,000 students sat the ESS SL exam, with a mean grade of 4.2 (opens in a new tab)—indicating that most students pass comfortably.

However, ESS still challenges students in unique ways. It combines scientific and social thinking, requires extended written responses, and includes data analysis and practical work.

According to Joe Cazabon, ESS can be challenging because students have to apply scientific concepts to real world concepts, and be aware of socio-economic, political and cultural contexts and limitations, which can make finding the ‘right’ answer to ESS questions quite challenging.

He uses a comparison between an ESS and Chemistry student to help explain this: "a Chemistry student might say, for instance, that we ‘just’ need to stop burning fossil fuels to prevent climate change, but an ESS student will recognise that shutting down an industry, and eliminating a key energy source, have socio-economic and political consequences, which must be mitigated.The ESS candidate, using their understanding of system dynamics, will also recognise that we must also remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which isn’t achieved by simply switching to renewable energy!”​

With the introduction of the Higher Level (HL) ESS course for first assessment in May 2026, there is now a more challenging, in-depth version of the course for students who want to study environmental issues in greater detail.

As Joe Cazabon describes it: “the new Higher Level course goes even further, digging deeper into the fields of philosophy, ethics, economics and law (while also including more foundational ‘scientific’ content from Physics, Chemistry and Biology).”

Want to know exactly what’s in the new syllabus? Check out our breakdown: IB Environmental Systems & Societies Topics: Full List

What Makes IB Environmental Systems & Societies Difficult?

ESS combines science with social studies

ESS is interdisciplinary, which means you need to think like a scientist AND a social scientist. This dual focus can be difficult for students who prefer one approach over the other. 

You might move from discussing biogeochemical cycles in one lesson to evaluating climate change policies in the next.

This mix can be a challenge at first, but don’t worry—with the right techniques (which we’ll explore later), it’s absolutely manageable.

ESS includes practical investigations and data analysis

Although some students choose ESS because they don’t consider themselves "science people," you’ll still be expected to:

• Analyse real data

• Perform environmental calculations

• Complete a practical Internal Assessment (IA)

• Participate in the IB Group 4 project

As an ESS teacher that has guided hundreds students through the course, Joe Cazabon finds that regarding practical work, an ESS student will probably spend more time in the field than in the lab.

He told us: “This brings different challenges, but doesn’t make it easier. In fact, conceptually, fieldwork is often more difficult than lab work, since it’s harder to control variables, and therefore harder to interpret data and draw firm conclusions.”​

If this feels outside your comfort zone, don’t panic—we’ll share simple ways to build these skills later in the article.

ESS requires strong writing and evaluation skills

Unlike some science subjects, ESS demands:

• Extended written responses

• Balanced arguments

• Use of case studies and examples

For example, there is a 9-mark essay-style question in Paper 2.

According to Joe Cazabon: “In terms of skills, while maths and lab work may be somewhat reduced, ESS makes far greater use of essay-writing, critical thinking, and synthesis of ideas, compared to the other sciences. The ability to argue from different perspectives, and come to valid judgements is essential in ESS exams and IAs.”

This might sound intimidating, but it’s something you can improve with practice. We’ll show you how.

ESS is not the "easy option” for a Group 4 subject

As an ESS teacher, I often heard students or colleagues describe ESS this way. While it may be more accessible than Physics or Chemistry for some learners, that doesn’t make it easy. 

Students who choose it expecting a lightweight subject can be surprised when they encounter extended writing, systems thinking, and the complexity of the IA.

Speaking from personal experience, Joe Cazabon told us that candidates in the IB Diploma Programme sometimes opt for ESS in preference to the so-called ‘hard’ sciences like Biology, Physics or Chemistry, based on the assumption that ESS is ‘easy’, or at least ‘easier’. 

However, in his view this assumption is false: “In my experience, those candidates are usually surprised by the challenges of ESS. They see this most directly when they start seeing exam questions and mark schemes, and they’re shocked by how detailed and precise their answers need to be!”

The good news? With the right mindset and support, you’ll rise to the challenge.

My advice? Choose ESS because you find the content genuinely interesting. That way, you’ll stay motivated and engaged when things get challenging.

How to Overcome the Challenges of IB Environmental Systems & Societies

Build your systems thinking

One of the most important skills for an interdisciplinary subject like ESS is being able to link ideas together. ESS is all about understanding relationships.

You can use diagrams and mind maps to connect topics like energy flow, climate change, and sustainability. This helps you see the bigger picture and makes your answers more sophisticated.

As stated by Joe Cazabon: “ESS students develop the ability to see and think in systems, and to understand how interactions between systems’ components, such as negative and positive feedback, can bring about stability or change in a variety of contexts.”

He thinks that perhaps the greatest challenge in ESS is to apply these skills to real-world situations.

Practise interpreting data

For your ESS exams, you’ll be expected to interpret real data, not just memorise information. Paper 1, paper 2 and the IA all involve analysing environmental data.

To get comfortable with this, review past paper questions or our original ESS exam questions that involve maps, tables, graphs, and models.

Master the command terms

IB questions use specific command terms like "explain," "evaluate," and "discuss." These tell you exactly what kind of answer is expected. Understanding what each term requires is essential for scoring well.

Practise writing answers that match these instructions.The full list can be found on page 125 of the ESS Guide, or you can just ask your teacher for them.

Use real-world examples

Strong answers often include relevant case studies or examples of environmental strategies in action. As you progress through the ESS course, it’s a good idea to build your own bank of case studies that you can reuse in different contexts. Your teacher can help you with this.

In ESS lessons, Joe Cazabon says that he and his students tend to focus on ‘big picture’, more ‘real-world’ ideas.

As he pointed out to us though, that’s not to say that the science isn’t needed: “an ESS student still needs to know about the evolution of life, ecosystem dynamics, the chemistry of soil, water and air, and the physics of radiation, energy conversions, and the movements of air and water. But ESS focuses on applying these basic sciences to real world problems such as conservation of biodiversity, sustainable food production, and mitigating and adapting to climate change.”

Don’t underestimate the IA

Start planning your Internal Assessment early. Choose a topic that genuinely interests you, and give yourself time to gather and reflect on your data.

A strong IA can make a big difference to your final grade. Again, don’t worry too much about this yet. Your teacher will give you plenty of notice and help with this.

A final word from IB ESS Expert Joe Cazabon

“The challenges of ESS are what makes this subject worthwhile! ESS students emerge from the course with a broader, deeper understanding of the global challenges facing humanity. Through the course they learn to think systemically—to understand the dynamic nature of all processes, and the interconnections between different issues. They move from thinking in single-discipline ‘silos’ to more ‘joined-up’ thinking, seeing the world holistically. In the process they also learn to appreciate the importance of different perspectives and value systems, and to recognise that collaboration and coordination between people who see things differently is a powerful tool in solving our common problems.  

All in all, ESS isn’t necessarily easier than the other sciences. Indeed, in some ways, and for some people, it can be much harder! It is, however, certainly different – in valuable exciting, challenging, and meaningful ways!”—Joe Cazabon 18/04/25

Frequently Asked Questions

How Hard Is It to Get a 7 in IB Environmental Systems & Societies?

Getting a 7 in any IB subject takes consistent effort, a deep understanding of the content, and strong exam technique.

In ESS, you’ll need to write sophisticated answers, back up your ideas with examples, and score highly on your IA and exams. It’s achievable, but only with thorough preparation.

Is IB Environmental Systems & Societies Hard to Pass?

Not particularly. With students attaining a mean grade of 4.2 at SL in last year’s exams, most of you will have no problem passing. If you stay organised, revise regularly, and practise past paper questions, you’ll give yourself a solid chance of success.

The HL course will be more of a challenge. So only choose this option if you feel confident the subject will keep you motivated and engaged.

Is Environmental Systems & Societies a Good Option for IB?

ESS is a great option if you:

• Enjoy environmental topics

• Like a mix of science and humanities

• Feel confident with extended writing and discussion

However, if you're aiming for a science-heavy university course (like medicine or engineering), you may be better off taking Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.

Final Thoughts

IB ESS isn’t the hardest IB subject, but it isn’t the easiest either.

Like all IB courses, it demands hard work, curiosity, and commitment. But if you’re genuinely interested in the environment and enjoy thinking about complex systems, you’ll likely find it both engaging and rewarding.

And remember: with the right revision strategies, even the trickiest topics become manageable.

For a step-by-step guide on how to revise effectively for IB ESS, read our companion article: How to Revise for IB Environmental Systems & Societies

Boost Your Confidence With Save My Exams

At Save My Exams, we create revision resources that make studying simpler. Our expert notes, exam-style questions, and model answers help you understand difficult concepts, improve your writing, and build exam confidence.

Join over 1.5 million students using our platform to improve their grades. On average, our users improve by two grades—and you can too.

Explore Our IB Environmental Systems & Societies Revision Resources

References

• IB Environmental Systems & Societies Guide (first assessment 2026)

• IB Diploma Programme Results, May 2024 (opens in a new tab)

• IB Environmental Systems & Societies Topics: Full List

• How to Revise for IB Environmental Systems & Societies

About IB ESS Expert Joe Cazabon

Joe Cazabon has over 25 years of experience teaching Biology, Environmental Science, and ESS in both Trinidad and Tobago and the UK.

He holds a BSc in Zoology (University of the West Indies), an MSc in Environmental Impact Assessment (Aberystwyth University), and a second MSc in Education for Sustainability (London South Bank University).

Joe is the co-author of the Caribbean Integrated Science textbook series and the 2024 ESS textbook published by Hodder. His approach to education is rooted in helping students think systemically, understand real-world contexts, and develop interdisciplinary insight—making him a respected voice in the IB ESS teaching community.