IB ESS exam dates 2027: when are your Environmental Systems and Societies exams?
Last updated: 15 October 2026. Always confirm exact start times with your IB coordinator, since they depend on your school's time zone.
May 2027 ESS exam dates
| Paper | Date | SL duration | HL duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Friday 30 April 2027, afternoon | 1 hour | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 | Monday 3 May 2027, morning | 2 hours | 2 hours 30 minutes |
May 2027 results are released on 6 July 2027 at 12:00 GMT.
November 2027 ESS exam dates
The IB has not published the November 2027 timetable yet. For reference, in the November 2026 session ESS Paper 1 is on Friday 30 October 2026 and Paper 2 on Monday 2 November 2026, so expect the November 2027 papers around the end of October and start of November. We will update this page when the official schedule is out.
How IB ESS is assessed (2026 syllabus)
The new ESS course (first exams 2026) is offered at SL and HL.
Standard Level
| Component | Duration | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1 hour | 35 | 25% |
| Paper 2 | 2 hours | 60 | 50% |
| Internal Assessment | about 10 hours | 30 | 25% |
Higher Level
| Component | Duration | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 2 hours | 70 | 30% |
| Paper 2 | 2 hours 30 minutes | 80 | 50% |
| Internal Assessment | about 10 hours | 30 | 20% |
- Paper 1 is based on a case study and data you have not seen before. It tests whether you can interpret graphs, tables and maps and apply ESS ideas to a new context.
- Paper 2 has short and structured questions in Section A and essays in Section B (SL: one essay from a choice of two; HL: two from a choice of three).
- The IA is an individual investigation written up as a report of up to 3,000 words.
- HL goes deeper in every topic and adds three lenses: environmental law, environmental economics and environmental ethics.
A month-by-month revision plan for May 2027
| When | Focus |
|---|---|
| October to December 2026 | Learn or relearn the content topic by topic. Get your IA plan, research question and method sorted early. |
| January 2027 | Finish the content. Write and polish the IA (many schools set internal IA deadlines in winter). |
| February 2027 | Start timed long-answer practice. Build a short case study bank: one or two named examples per topic. |
| March 2027 | Full Paper 1 and Paper 2 practice under timed conditions. Mark them against markschemes and log where you lose marks. |
| April 2027 | Final review: flashcards, command terms, case studies, and redoing the questions you got wrong. |
For November 2027, shift everything by six months: learn content over winter and spring, IA in spring, practice papers from August.
Where students lose the most marks
- Long answers that describe instead of evaluate. "Evaluate", "discuss" and "to what extent" need strengths, limitations and a clear judgement.
- No named examples. Generic answers rarely reach the top markbands.
- Data questions. Not quoting figures with units, or describing a trend without the numbers.
- Practical skills maths. Lincoln index, Simpson's diversity index, percentage cover and interpreting r and R².
FAQ
When is IB ESS Paper 1 in May 2027? Friday 30 April 2027, in the afternoon session. SL is 1 hour and HL is 2 hours.
When is IB ESS Paper 2 in May 2027? Monday 3 May 2027, in the morning session. SL is 2 hours and HL is 2 hours 30 minutes.
When are May 2027 IB results released? 6 July 2027 from 12:00 GMT.
Is there an IB ESS Paper 3? No. The 2026 syllabus has Paper 1, Paper 2 and the Internal Assessment at both SL and HL.
Getting ready for May or November 2027? FirstHandIB has short video lessons, long-answer practice with markschemes, flashcards, case study summaries and IA support for the 2026 syllabus. All of subtopic 1.1 is free to try at firsthandib.com.
Sources: IB November 2026 examination schedule (ibo.org); May 2027 timetable as published to schools. FirstHandIB is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the IBO.