Criterion A: Research question and inquiry
4 marksExplain the environmental issue behind a focused question.
IB ESS IA Grader
Grade your ESS IA before you submit. Upload your draft and get a mark for each criterion, comments tied to your sentences, and a list of what to fix first.
5 free gradings a month. No card. Private to you.
- of marks within one grade of the IB's final mark
- 92%
- marking score. ChatGPT 65, Claude 61, Gemini 57
- 74/100
- real IAs and TOK essays tested against the mark the IB gave
- 1,317
- Marks
- 30, from six criteria
- Length
- 3,000 words at most
- First assessed
- 2026
- SL and HL
- Same task, same criteria
See the mark, and the sentences behind it
Check the quality of your method, analysis, evaluation, communication and subject-specific reasoning. Find the weakest parts of the draft and see what to change first.
What Marksy checks for each ESS IA criterion
You get a mark for each IB assessment criterion below. The points under each one are what Marksy looks for in your draft. See the mark bands
Criterion B: Strategy
4 marks- The strategy must have a credible connection to the investigation's question.
Criterion C: Method
4 marksDescribe how someone could repeat the investigation and collect enough relevant evidence.
Criterion D: Treatment of data
6 marksPresent and process the evidence accurately using suitable techniques.
Criterion E: Analysis and conclusion
6 marksInterpret the evidence and explain what answer it supports.
Criterion F: Evaluation
6 marksJudge weaknesses, proposed changes and questions that remain unanswered.
Where ESS IAs usually lose marks
Marksy flags these in your draft and links each one to the sentences it is about.
- A question cut off from its issue"How does pH change along the river?" needs a reason to matter. Explain the local or global environmental issue behind it, using research or a model, and cite sources a reader could find.Criterion A
- A strategy with no real tensionName a real response to the issue, like a marine reserve or a plastic bag charge. Then explain whose goals clash over it, such as fishers' income against protecting fish stocks.Criterion B
- Sampling no one could repeatGive quadrat size, how many, and how you placed them, or your survey questions and how you chose who answered. A report that only reviews published work doesn't count as a repeatable method.Criterion C
- Processing that doesn't answer the questionA diversity index, a Lincoln index or a correlation test only helps if it answers your question. Show your raw data first, then process it with labelled units and consistent decimal places.Criterion D
- A conclusion that ignores how trustworthy the data isDiscuss bias, reliability, validity and uncertainty in your data. Who answered your survey? Would a second visit give the same counts? Then make a conclusion only as strong as that allows.Criterion E
- No unresolved questionsBeyond weaknesses and fixes, say what your investigation still can't answer, like whether one season of sampling shows the full pattern, and how that affects your conclusion.Criterion F
Before you upload
- Start with your title, IB candidate code, any group members' codes and your word count.
- Include a sample of raw data in the report and put large sets, like every survey response, in an appendix.
- Describe each site in words (location, date, time, conditions), not only on a map.
- If you used a survey or interview, include the questions you asked.
Your draft stays at the centre
Marksy reads the work you upload, points each comment back to your writing, and puts the most important changes first.
Can your research question be answered with the data you actually plan to collect?Read Environmental Systems and Societies IA Planning Guide
- 1
Upload your draft
A PDF of your ESS IA, finished or not. Every comment stays connected to your own writing.
- 2
Read the comments
Highlights show which passage each comment is about.
- 3
Fix the important parts first
Work down a short list instead of making scattered edits.
- 4
Keep the final say
Accept, adapt or ignore each suggestion. You stay the author.
What students wrote afterwards
From Trustpilot, as written.
marksyib has saved my ib diploma. thanks to it, my IA's were perfect and got the points i needed. really recommended.
Marksy ib allowed me to be able to finish my IAs much before allowing me to be able to relax better. 100% recommended
Your work stays your work
Marksy reads the draft you upload and comments on it. It doesn't rewrite your assessment, and your files are never used to train AI.
Read the safety answers- Private to youOnly you can see your work unless you choose to share it.
- Never used for trainingYour coursework is not added to any AI training data.
- Feedback, not ghostwritingUse the report to improve your own analysis and decisions.
- Delete it whenever you wantYou control the files stored in your account.
Questions before you upload
Still planning? The coursework guide covers the criteria and what to ask yourself while you write. Open the guide
Yes. Marksy grades against the criteria first assessed in 2026: six criteria, 30 marks, including the Strategy criterion. It doesn't use the older ESS criteria.
Your written text. Charts, diagrams, data tables, equations and calculations, citations, the bibliography and headers don't count.
Yes. Data can be primary or secondary, and numbers or words. Social science methods are allowed. Your method still has to be repeatable and collect enough data to answer your question.
No. The strategy in criterion B can deal with a different issue, but it needs a clear, believable link to your research question. Say what that link is.
No. SL and HL students do the same investigation and are marked against the same six criteria.
We tested Marksy on 1,317 real IAs and TOK essays with the mark the IB gave them. 92% of Marksy's marks landed within one grade. On a set with as many weak as strong essays, it scored 74/100 on our marking score, against 65 for ChatGPT, 61 for Claude and 57 for Gemini. Every number, and how we tested, is on the grading accuracy page.
Yes. Marksy checks your Environmental Systems and Societies IA against the IB assessment criteria for it and returns marks, comments and fixes instead of generic essay advice.
Yes. Early drafts are useful because the report can show a weak criterion before you spend hours polishing the wrong section. You can revise and grade another version later.
A free account includes 5 gradings a month. You don't need a card.
No. Marksy reads your existing work, explains each comment, and suggests what to revise. The writing and the final decisions stay yours.
Your upload is private to your account, is not used to train AI models, and can be deleted whenever you want.
Stop guessing what to fix in your ESS IA
Upload the version you have now and find the parts holding it back.