Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

As part of the IB Diploma Programme's 'core components'—alongside the Extended Essay (EE) and Creativity, Action, Service (CAS)—Theory of Knowledge (ToK) is a mandatory course in your two-year experience. For over 100 hours, you will be immersed in the foundations and concepts of knowledge. While epistemology does play a role in the course, ToK goes beyond this, asking you to explore their own biases and beliefs. After studying the works of philosophers and other great thinkers, you'll learn how to apply their ideas both practically (using real-life situations) and in the abstract (in relation to the knowledge you are acquiring in your six IB subjects). The goal of ToK is to allow you to develop critical thinking skills around the topic of knowledge, how we acquire it, and how we use/apply it.

Unlike many other subjects, there are no right or wrong answers; instead, you are assessed on your ability to justify and analyze your own knowledge claims.

There are two parts of the ToK assessment: a 1,600-word Essay and an 950-word Exhibition. (The Exhibition is a new requirement for students graduating in 2022 and after, replacing the Oral Presentation from previous years.) Each is scored according to different criteria (view the official IB assessment instructions) and then combined for an overall letter grade between A and E.

The Essay, which is externally assessed, is worth two-thirds of the final grade; the Exhibition, which is internally assessed by your teacher and externally moderated, is worth one-third.

The ToK letter grade is then combined with your letter grade on the Extended Essay (EE); the total is converted into a score between 0 and 3 using a bonus points matrix. This numerical score will be added to the aggregate numerical score you earned in the six courses (each out of 7).

Typically, the Exhibition is completed and submitted at the conclusion of your first year in the DP. The central question that you must answer in the Exhibition is, "Does the exhibition successfully show how ToK manifests in the world around us?" The Exhibition is made up of two parts: a presentation (which is not assessed) and a 950-word commentary (which is assessed). The presentation may either be in-person or online and is often open to the public, although the specifics are determined by your individual school.

Your ToK teacher will give you 35 IA prompts from which you choose one. Each prompt is given as a question, such as "Why do we seek knowledge?" or "What counts as good evidence for a claim?" This prompt should connect to either the core theme (knowledge and the knower) or one of the optional themes (knowledge and indigenous societies, language, politics, religion, and technology). Once you've made these decisions, you'll choose three physical or digital objects, or images of those objects, to exhibit different ways of addressing the prompt and the theme. Examples of physical objects include a calculator used in math class, your own extended essay, a piece of art (such as a painting or novel), or a piece of jewelry your grandmother gave you. Examples of digital objects include a tweet by a political leader, an online news article, or a piece of graphic design. All three objects must pertain to the IA prompt you choose in unique and evocative ways.

Your public presentation and explanation of your three objects provides you a chance to receive feedback on your choices and approaches to interpreting them in relation to your chosen IA prompt. You can use this audience feedback in your 950-word written document, which must include the three digitally embedded images.

Your teacher will mark your written document on a scale of 0-10 (click here for the rubric). Achieving the highest possible mark on this assessment depends on the following:

At the start of the final year of your diploma programme (Y2), your ToK teacher will give you 6 prescribed essay titles to choose from; these titles concern generalized, theoretical ideas such as: "Can mathematics and science be completely neutral and objective in their pursuit of knowledge?" These titles will specify two areas of knowledge (such as humanities, arts, science, history, etc.) from which you must choose your examples. The 1600-word ToK Essay focuses on conceptual ways of interpreting knowledge represented the different examples you choose. You'll learn how to formulate and respond to knowledge questions that address different ways of approaching your chosen title. Be sure to address one of the titles pertaining to your specific cohort rather than one from previous years; while you should certainly practice by using titles from previous years, the essay you submit to IB needs to be from the prescribed list your ToK teacher gives you at the beginning of your Year 2.

As with the Extended Essay, ToK has what's called a 'Planning and Progress Form' (TK/PPF) that provides a space for you to comment briefly on the stages of individual guidance your ToK teacher provides. Your teacher will also provide some written feedback to the examiner after the conclusion of the writing process.

The ToK Essay is marked holistically using a set of descriptors that your teacher will explain to you (click here for the rubric). But here are a few ways to prepare for success on this assessment:

ToK is an extremely valuable course for all students and is unique to the IB DP. Its goal is to make us deeply assess the very nature of knowledge and how it manifests—not only in the larger world but also in our personal, everyday lives. The study of philosophers and their theories will allow you to apply your learning in both abstract and practical spaces, culminating in an Exhibition and an Essay that together exemplify your ability to assess the concepts of knowledge and your place as a knower of these concepts.