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Home › IB Diploma Programme › IB TOK
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
IB TOK tutor for the essay and the exhibition
IB Learning Star offers online IB Theory of Knowledge tutoring, one-on-one on Google Meet and in your own time zone. Your TOK tutor helps you unpack the prescribed titles for the essay and choose three objects for the exhibition, then give feedback on every draft against the assessment instruments.
One-on-one lessons
Google Meet, in your time zone
Essay and exhibition
WHAT WE COVER
What IB TOK tutoring includes
Theory of Knowledge asks how we know what we claim to know. TOK tutoring gives you a place to think this through out loud with someone who knows the course.
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01
Understanding the course.
The core theme, the optional themes and the areas of knowledge, explained with examples you can use.
02
The TOK essay.
Reading the prescribed titles, choosing one, planning a line of argument and testing it with counterclaims.
03
The TOK exhibition.
Choosing three objects, linking each to one exhibition prompt and writing a tight commentary on each.
04
Feedback on drafts.
Share your draft in a lesson and get specific feedback against the assessment instrument, so you know what to improve first.
ASSESSMENT
How TOK is assessed
TOK has two assessed parts. The exhibition is worth one-third of your TOK result and the essay is worth two-thirds.
Exhibition
ONE-THIRD
The exhibition is an internal assessment. You choose three objects and write a commentary on each, up to 950 words in total. Your teacher marks it, and the IB moderates the marks. The whole exhibition receives one mark out of 10.
Essay
TWO-THIRDS
The essay is externally marked by IB examiners. You answer one of six prescribed titles issued by the IB for each exam session, in up to 1,600 words. It is marked out of 10.
Your marks are combined into a TOK grade from A to E. Together with your Extended Essay grade, this can add up to three points to your Diploma total. Our Extended Essay tutors can help with the other half.
THE ESSAY
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IB TOK essay tutoring
The essay is the larger part of your TOK result, so most of our TOK lessons start here.
Unpack the title.
We read the prescribed title word by word, decide what it is really asking, and pick the two areas of knowledge that suit it best.
Build the argument.
You plan a clear line of argument, choose specific real-life examples and add a counterclaim that you answer.
Draft and refine.
You bring a draft to the lesson, and we go through it against the assessment instrument, one paragraph at a time.
Check the limit.
We keep the essay within 1,600 words without losing the argument.
THE EXHIBITION
IB TOK exhibition tutoring
The exhibition looks short, but it is easy to lose marks by choosing objects that do not link clearly to your prompt. We take it in five steps.
1. Choose your prompt.
Pick one of the 35 exhibition prompts that you can talk about with real examples.
2. Brainstorm real-world objects.
List objects that exist in the real world and have a specific link to the world around you.
3. Justify each object.
Explain what the object is, where it is from and how it links to your prompt.
4. Organise your commentary.
Give each of the three commentaries a clear structure within the 950-word total.
5. Proofread and align with the criteria.
We check the final commentary against the assessment instrument.
EXHIBITION PROMPTS
The 35 TOK exhibition prompts
Choose one prompt for your exhibition. Your tutor helps you pick the one that fits the objects you can explain best.
35
01
What counts as knowledge?
02
Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?
03
What features of knowledge have an impact on its reliability?
04
On what grounds might we doubt a claim?
05
What is the relationship between personal experience and knowledge?
06
What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?
07
What role do experts play in influencing our knowledge?
08
How is current knowledge shaped by its historical development?
09
In what ways do our values affect our acquisition of knowledge?
10
Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?
11
How can we distinguish between knowledge, belief, and opinion?
12
Does some knowledge belong to particular communities of knowers?
13
What challenges are raised by the dissemination and/or communication of knowledge?
14
Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?
15
To what extent is certainty attainable?
16
Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?
17
What role does imagination play in producing knowledge?
18
How can we judge when evidence is adequate?
19
What makes a good explanation?
20
How is knowledge affected by the context in which it is produced?
21
What is the role of technology in shaping our knowledge?
22
How do we know that current knowledge is an improvement upon past knowledge?
23
Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge?
24
How can we know that knowledge is complete?
25
What role do emotion and intuition play in decision-making and knowledge?
26
Can knowledge be too dangerous or powerful?
27
Does knowledge always require evidence?
28
What ethical constraints should there be on the pursuit of knowledge?
29
Who owns knowledge?
30
What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge?
31
How can knowledge be used to bring about change?
32
Does all knowledge involve a degree of interpretation?
33
In what ways does language shape knowledge?
34
To what extent is knowledge affected by assumptions?
35
Can knowledge be created by accident?
HOW IT WORKS
How TOK lessons work
1. Free trial class.
You meet your TOK tutor, tell them where you are in the course, and try a real task.
2. A plan that fits your deadline.
You and your tutor agree what to work on for the essay, the exhibition or both.
3. Weekly one-on-one lessons.
Lessons are on Google Meet, in your own time zone, so they fit around school.
4. Feedback and revision.
After each lesson, you revise and bring the next draft or set of notes to the following lesson.
FAQ
Questions about IB TOK tutoring
Do you offer TOK tutoring online?
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Yes. Lessons are one-on-one on Google Meet, in your own time zone.
How much is each part worth?
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The exhibition is worth one-third of your TOK result and the essay is worth two-thirds. Each is marked out of 10.
Can you help me choose my three objects?
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Yes. We brainstorm real-world objects, check that each one links clearly to your prompt and decide which three give you the strongest commentary.
How do TOK and the Extended Essay add up to Diploma points?
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Your TOK grade and your Extended Essay grade, both from A to E, are combined to give up to three points toward your Diploma total.
Can lessons fit my time zone?
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Yes. Lessons are scheduled in your time zone.
What is the difference between the TOK essay and the TOK exhibition?
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The essay is an externally marked piece of up to 1,600 words on one of six prescribed titles. The exhibition is an internally assessed commentary on three objects, up to 950 words in total, linked to one of 35 prompts.
How do I choose a prescribed title?
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In a lesson, we read each of the six titles carefully, list the examples you could use for each, and choose the one where you have the clearest argument.
When should I start the essay and the exhibition?
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As early as you can. Starting early gives you time for several rounds of feedback. Ask your school for your exact internal deadlines.
How is a TOK tutor different from my school TOK teacher?
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Your school teacher teaches the whole class and marks your exhibition. A TOK tutor gives you additional one-on-one time, so you can go through your own title, your own examples and your own draft in more depth.
What happens in the free trial class?
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You meet a TOK tutor, tell them where you are in the course and work through a short task together. There is no obligation.