The ToK course covers three fundamental assessments, which evaluate your ability to explore and contemplate the nature and significance of knowledge.
In the course, you’ll learn how people acquire knowledge, examine the existing forms of knowledge, and study differing avenues of understanding. Furthermore, you’ll analyze your ideologies and personal beliefs, and develop an awareness of your assumptions.
After two years in the IBO program, you’ll have written an essay, presented an exhibition project, and written journal entries. More importantly, you’ll have immersed yourself in the richness and importance of varying cultural perspectives.
Key Takeaways
- The ToK assessments discussed in this post are the essay, the exhibition, and the journal entries.
- Keep in mind that each assessment has its assessment criteria, carries different weight, and together contributes to the final grade.
- You’ll complete the exhibition project in the first year and write the essay in the final year of the program.
The following is a brief overview of the three Theory of Knowledge assessments done in the first and second year of the program:
1. Theory of Knowledge Essay
The Theory of Knowledge essay is a 1,600-word, mandatory assessment project that requires IB students to demonstrate their ability to reflect on the nature of knowledge and what it means to know what we claim to know.
You’ll write a ToK essay on only one of the prescribed titles. It’s up to you to decide which title to pick, but it’s best to first look at the available command terms and the underlying knowledge question for that specific title.
Once you pick a title that appeals the most to you, identify two areas of knowledge to explore it. Some titles may come with an AOK already selected for you. For example, the assessment prompt may be something like “Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge”. In this case, you only need to choose one additional AOK.
2. Theory of Knowledge Exhibition
Introduced in August 2020, with the first examination done in May 2022, the Theory of Knowledge exhibition is a self-directed assessment that accounts for 33% of the final grades. In this project, IB students have to explore how ToK manifests itself in the real world.
The exhibition introduces relational concepts that enable students to link the knowledge gained in the classroom to the community around them and beyond.
Knowledge and the knower is the foundational theme of the exhibition project, meaning you have to think of yourself as a modern day knower with a strong connection to your student profile. While IB requires you to study knowledge and politics and knowledge and technology for the assessment, these are optional themes. Moreover, ethics plays a critical role in the entire exhibition project.
The requirements of this assessment are quite simple:
- Choose a title from one of the 35 IA prompts provided by IBO. These don’t change every year like the essay titles do.
- Identify three objects (or images of objects) with real-world context.
- Write a commentary that describes your engagement with the concepts that you learn in the classroom settings.
IBO states clearly that the exhibition is a personal project in which your objects must be unique and independent. In essence, you don’t have the right to hold group discussions with your classmates, but you can consult with your ToK teacher if you need help.
Keep in mind that the exhibition is a replacement for the presentation, and then two have some differences as seen in the table below:
| IB ToK Presentation | IB ToK Exhibition | |
| 1. | Can be done in pairs, a group of 3, or individually | An individual project that requires zero overlaps of the selected objects |
| 2. | IB does an external moderation of the Presentation Planning Document | IB moderates and scores the ToK Exhibition file |
| 3. | One presents their work based on a real-life situation | The selected objects must be within the context of one of the 35 IA prompts |
| 4. | Assesses proper communication of thoughts during the presentation | Encourages school activities, which aren’t part o the assessment |
Theory of Knowledge Journals
A ToK journal is an important part of the course because it enhances your learning experience.
The journal allows you to:
- Engage with ongoing events to spark discussions and deepen understanding.
- Recognize the importance of issues in society and uncover stories that would otherwise go unnoticed.
- Develop skills in identifying and investigating knowledge questions, preparing for essays and exhibitions.
- Enhance organization of thoughts and opinions through informal writing and class discussions.
- Cultivate self-reflection through journaling, potentially extending the practice beyond the classroom.
- Emphasize the significance of using factual evidence to support claims.
Think of the journal as a tool for mastering the course, not just a repetitive task that you have to do all the time. The journal writing experience is your chance to articulate ideas and reflections that can help you prepare to write the essay and do the exhibition.
Professional Writing Service
If you’re currently struggling with any of these assessments or you simply don’t have the time to work on them, you can hire an expert on this platform to help.
Our primary focus is to help every IB student increase the chances of bumping up their grades in the ToK course. Given that we understand the ins and outs of the course, you can count on us to point you in the right direction if you feel stuck.
We charge $16.99 dollars per page for the essay and exhibition. Also, you can get up to 10% discount on your first order if you decide to place an order on our platform.
As for how we work, our team follows the strict writing procedure set by IB to complete these assessments. We stick to the 1,600 words for the essay and the 950 words for the commentary. And if your school is still doing the presentation rather than the exhibition, you can still get in touch with us and we’ll do the best we can to help.