Introduction
The evaluation section is one of the most important parts of your ESS Internal Assessment (IA). For the 2026 first assessment, examiners have emphasized that too many students lose marks by writing weak or generic evaluations.
A strong evaluation shows that you can think critically about your investigation. It demonstrates that you understand not only what your results show, but also how reliable they are, what their limitations are, and how the study could be improved or extended.
Quick Start Checklist for ESS Students
When writing your evaluation, make sure you:
- Identify strengths of your investigation.
- Point out limitations and weaknesses.
- Suggest realistic improvements.
- Propose extensions for future research.
- Link your evaluation back to the research question.
What Examiners Look for in an Evaluation
According to the marking criteria, the evaluation section should:
- Justify the conclusion. Show how data supports or challenges your hypothesis.
- Identify strengths. For example, effective sampling, controlled variables, sufficient data.
- Discuss weaknesses. Be specific—don’t just say “human error.”
- Suggest improvements. Realistic changes that could increase accuracy or reliability.
- Propose extensions. How could your study go further to build on findings?
