The first thing you must do before you start working on your ToK Exhibition project is to read and understand the rubric.
Once you grasp the assessment criteria, it becomes easier to work on a project that can score 10 out of 10.
So in this guide, we cover everything about the marking scheme, so you can focus only on the areas that matter and easily chase the 33% of the exhibition’s grade.
Let’s get started.
Key Takeaways
- The ToK Exhibition project is worth 33% (or 10 marks) of the final Theory of Knowledge grade.
- Based on our analysis of the grading criteria, the exhibition project isn’t complicated at all. If anything, the concepts taught are easy to understand.
- Given that your ToK teacher is responsible for marking the exhibition, you can ask him or her questions and get responses that can help you score top grades.
ToK Exhibition Rubric Explained
First, understand that the aim of the exhibition project is to demonstrate how ToK manifests itself in the real world by applying the knowledge concepts learned in your classroom.
By demonstrating your ability to discuss these concepts based on evidence, you put yourself in the position of scoring a 9, if not 10 out of 10.
Your IB ToK teacher will share the assessment instrument with you at the beginning of the exhibition project. And it’s important that you read this document to understand how your teacher reviews and grades the work.
Here’s a summary of the assessment criteria document:
| Score | Description | Criteria | |
| 1. | 0 | The project fails to meet the standards set by IB. | Assignment not submitted or doesn’t meet standardsThe project doesn’t answer IA prompts |
| 2. | Rudimentary | It identifies three TOK exhibition objects but fails to explain their real-world context. | Objects identified, but lack real-world contextGeneric images usedMinimal linking between IA prompts and objects |
| 3. | Basic | Identifies three objects but fails to state their real-world context. | Objects identified, but lack real-world contextSuperficial justificationLack of comprehensive explanationLack of relevant evidence |
| 4. | Satisfactory | Successfully identifies three objects but provides a vague real-world context. | Objects identified with vague real-world contextWeak explanation of linkLimited evidence and brief explanations |
| 5. | Good | Identifies three objects, explains their real-world context, links them to each other, and relates them to IA prompts. | Objects identified with real-world contextClear linking and relation to IA promptsInclusion of evidence and reference links |
| 6. | Excellent | The exhibition identifies three objects with definite real-world contexts, clear links to IA prompts, strong justification, and appropriate evidence. | Objects identified with definite real-world contextsClear links to IA promptsStrong justification and appropriate evidenceReferences to IA prompts |
Zero (0)
A student that scores a zero failed to meet the standards set for the exhibition assignment. There are three possible cases where you would score nothing:
- You didn’t attempt to do your assignment at all.
- You chose the right exhibition questions but your project failed to answer the question asked.
- You didn’t care to read the assessment criteria to understand what the task requires you to complete.
Rudimentary (1 to 2 Points)
Here are the circumstances under which an IB student would earn a rudimentary score for their exhibition project:
- They’ve identified the exhibition objects but forgot or intentionally failed to explain their real-world context.
- The images presented are generic in form.
- One hasn’t made an effort to link sufficiently between the selected objects and the IA prompt, which is a sign that the student has no idea what they’re doing.
- Also, there’s zero or minimal justification for including the objects and the commentary isn’t as detailed as it should be.
Basic (3 to 4 points)
Getting 3 to 4 for the exhibition project means the following:
- You’ve selected the right objects but failed or avoided to state their real-world context.
- There’s a link between your IA prompt and the objects, but you failed to give a comprehensive explanation for the relationship.
- While you’ve included justification for including objects in the commentary, your explanation is superficial.
- There are reasons for including the objects in your work, but there’s no strong or relevant evidence to back them.
- Your written commentary has multiple repetitions in it.
Satisfactory (5 to 6 points)
If you’ve scored 5 to 6 points for the exhibition, it means that:
- You identified the objects, but their real-word context is vague.
- There’s a clear link between the IA prompt and the objects, but your explanation doesn’t meet the assessment criteria.
In other words, your explanation is week because it includes just a brief explanation without consideration of evidence.
Good (7 to 8 points)
If your exhibition project earns 7 or 8 points, it means that:
- You selected relevant objects, explained their real-world context, linked them to each other, and stated how they relate to your prompt.
- You’ve not only justified the contribution of each object to the project but also used evidence and reference link to the prompt.
However, you don’t get an excellent because some parts of your commentary lack clarity.
Excellent (9 to 10 points)
An excellent is the highest score awarded to the ToK exhibition projects that tick all the boxes of the assessment criteria.
To score 9 or 10 out of 10:
- You must identify the three objects, identify their real-world context, and include a clear link between the objects and the IA prompt.
- Your exhibition must have a strong justification for the contribution that every object makes to the work, not to mention give appropriate evidence for all the points made.
- Your work must include references and each object should link back to your selected IA prompt.
Theory of Knowledge Exhibition Assessment Cornerstone
The aim of the exhibition project is to show how ToK manifests itself in the real world. To show this manifestation, your project must meet four skillsets, and they’re as follows:
- Interlinking Ideas: Ensure your commentary explains the relationship between your objects and the selected IA prompt.
- Justification for Ideas: Your work must include a strong justification for why you chose the objects, and you should do so within the context of one of the optional themes in ToK or the core theme.
- Use of Evidence: Use evidence to support every point you make in your commentary. Your opinion and ideas should hinge on real-life situations. If possible, you can use ideas from top thinkers in ToK to support your opinions.
- Identification of Real-World Context: You need to make sure you explain the real-world context of the objects (or images of the objects) that you choose.