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Paper 2 is the second examination you'll face in your IB ESS assessments. In this post, we’ll provide a thorough breakdown of IB ESS Paper 2, ensuring you are familiarised with the structure of the exam and know what type of questions to expect.
IB ESS Paper 2
- For both SL and HL, Paper 2 contributes to 50% of the student's final grade.
- SL students have 2 hours, while HL students are given 2 hours 30 minutes to complete Paper 2.
- Paper 2 is made up of two sections – Section A and Section B.
- Section A
- Section A is made up of short-answer and data-based questions.
- Section B requires students to answer structured essay questions. Students must answer 2 out of 4 questions.
A typical ESS Paper 2 Section A question may look the following way:
1)The UNEP have suggested the following hierarchy for waste management strategies:
a) Outline two reasons why the UNEP prefers reduction over recycling as a waste management strategy. [2]
b) Describe two ways in which government policy makers can promote the more preferred methods of waste management. [2]
c) State one advantage and one disadvantage of a named method of disposal in the management of urban waste. [2]
A typical ESS Paper 2 Section B question may look the following way:
1) a) Outline the role of ocean circulation in the distribution of heat around the world. [4]
b) Explain how climate affects the productivity of ecosystems around the world. [7]
c) To what extent have human societies contributed both to the problem and the solution of water scarcity around the world. Justify your response with the help of named examples. [9]
To do well in Section A:
- focus on providing clear and concise answers to the short-response questions, which often test your understanding of fundamental concepts and application skills.
- make sure to use precise, subject-specific language and key terms and aim to directly address what the question is asking, avoiding unnecessary details, especially that these questions are not worth many marks and hence do not require an extended response and it is important to leave a sufficient amount of time for Section B.
- nevertheless, where possible, include specific examples or data to strengthen your answers.
To do well in Section B:
- focus on writing detailed, well-organized answers that fully address the question.
- start by reading all the questions and pick the ones you feel most confident about.
- make sure to pay attention to command terms like "evaluate," "discuss," or "analyze," as they show how much detail and what kind of response is needed. In your introduction, explain any key terms from the question and outline the main points you’ll cover.
- organize your answer into clear paragraphs, using specific examples and case studies to support your claims.
- practicing past papers can also help you get better at writing strong answers in the time available.
We hope you found this post helpful. For more useful materials associated with the IB check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify.
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