CAJCS TOK RESOURCE WEBSITE: TOK ESSAY

• Nature of a TOK Essay:

  • An investigation or enquiry into a knowledge question, not a traditional research essay.
  • Focuses on presenting and supporting an argument, applying knowledge concepts to specific scenarios, and providing quality examples.
  • Demonstrates understanding of the difference between knowledge claims and questions versus claims and questions about the world.
  • Essay Titles:
    • At the beginning of the second year in the Diploma Programme, the IB releases a list of 6 essay titles.
    • For the May session, titles are released in the previous September.
    • For the November session, titles are released in the previous March.
    • Titles are in the form of knowledge questions focused on areas of knowledge.
    • The chosen title must be used exactly as given—no modifications allowed.

• Word Limit:

  • The essay should not exceed 1,600 words.

• Submission and Assessment:

  • The essay is submitted electronically.
  • It is externally assessed by IB Diploma Programme examiners.
  • Assessment is based on holistic/global impression marking.
  • The essay accounts for 65% of the final TOK score.

Planning your TOK Essay Handout 

TOK Proposal Form

Holistic marking, also known as global impression marking, is based on the 
overall quality of your essay. Your essay will be awarded one of six levels of 
achievement, depending on its quality -with 'Excellent' being the highest level (worth 9-10 marks) and 0 being the lowest. 

There are six primary descriptors in the assessment instrument. You should be aiming to produce a TOK essay that:

•    discusses the prescribed title in a sustained way that links effectively to different areas of knowledge
•    presents arguments that are clear and coherent
• Use specific concrete examples to support your arguments
•    identifies and evaluates other perspectives or viewpoints
•    shows that you understand the implications of your arguments

Examiners will be looking to see if you have written a coherent and critical examination of your chosen prescribed title. To this end, they will ask themselves if you have: 

• - Understood the essay title.
• - Developed a thorough and well-argued response to the knowledge question.
• - Presented clear arguments supported by specific examples.
• - Carefully evaluated several counter-arguments and considered the implications of your arguments.
• - Raised other perspectives.
• - Reached a clear and convincing conclusion.

EXEMPLAR A

TOK ESSAY EXAMINERS COMMENT

1. Avoid Being Descriptive:

   • Descriptive essays often receive basic marks.
   • Students should focus on critical exploration rather than merely describing.
   • Essays should provide in-depth analysis, backed by arguments and evidence.

2. Focus on the Driving Question:

   • Examiners assess essays based on the driving question at the top of the assessment instrument.
   • Ensure the essay responds to this question by providing critical exploration.
   • Description is important but should not dominate the essay.

3. Key Elements of Critical Exploration:

   • Support arguments with examples.
   • Consider implications of your arguments.
   • Evaluate different perspectives or points of view.
   • Acknowledge limitations of your own arguments.
   • Show awareness of other viewpoints and evaluate them.

4. Avoid Simple Counterclaims:

   • A counterclaim may not be the best approach, as it could contradict the entire argument.
   • Instead, focus on different points of view that offer new insights or complement the main argument without opposing it.

5. Use of Examples:

   • Examples are crucial in supporting an argument.
   • They should be explicitly connected to the prescribed title and the points being made.
   • Students should draw from personal knowledge and studies for more effective examples.
   • Avoid relying on examples suggested by help sites or AI, which often lack depth.

6. Common Issues with History Examples:

   • Students often describe historic events without evaluating the knowledge produced by historians.
   • Write about events that have been investigated by historians, preferably those older than 10 years.
   • Avoid using current events, as they may not have been fully analyzed by historians yet.

7. Discipline-Specific Observations:

   • Geography and economics examples often lead to better essays in the human sciences.
   • Political science is sometimes confused with the activity of politics, leading to ineffective discussions.

8. Importance of the TKPPF and Three Interactions:

   • The Planning and Progress Form (TKPPF) and the three interactions with the supervisor will play a more significant role.
   • They ensure that students follow a systematic writing process (title selection, essay plan discussion, draft submission).
   • Teachers will use this form to confirm that the essay is the student’s own work.
   • It helps teachers monitor for potential plagiarism, including the use of AI, tutors, or online help.

These points will help guide future candidates toward producing more analytical and critically engaging essays, while also highlighting the importance of originality and the structured writing process.

1.    Do historians and human scientists have an ethical obligation to follow the directive: “do not ignore contradictory evidence”? Discuss with reference to history and the human sciences.

2.    Is our most revered knowledge more fragile than we assume it to be? Discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge.

3.    How can we reconcile the relentless drive to pursue knowledge with the finite resources we have available? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

4.    Do the ever-improving tools of an area of knowledge always result in improved knowledge?Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

5.    To what extent do you agree with the claim “all models are wrong, but some are useful”(attributed to George Box)? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

6.    Does acquiring knowledge destroy our sense of wonder? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.