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How To Ace Your Theory Of Knowledge (Tok) Question

The Theory of Knowledge Exhibition is an individual task assessment that makes up for about one-third of the total TOK marks. It is an internal assessment of a group of exhibition files moderated by the IBO. You’ll be given a list of 35 options, from which you’ll have to select one IA prompt and three ‘objects’. Your aim of the presentation will be to establish a relationship between the prompt and the objects you’ve chosen.

The TOK Exhibition is, in principle, a public event aimed at educating the community of learners. The exhibition is conducted at the closing of the first year of DP.

This article will focus on outlining a framework of how you should go about writing this 950-word commentary.

Table of Contents

1. Choosing The IA Prompt

As there’ll be a list of 35 options, it won’t be a mammoth task to single out one IA prompt for the exhibition. However, while choosing the prompt, you need to be prudent – you shouldn’t just choose a topic you like. Break each topic down and ask yourself if you’re willing enough to approach and present the topic in extreme detail.

Once you’ve singled out a topic, consult your teacher for advice. When writing the topic, it’s better to copy the prompt directly from the list and paste it into your document as is.

2. Picking The Objects

Apart from one IA prompt, you’ll need to pick three objects as well. Remember, the presentation intends to establish a relationship between the prompt and the objects. Thus, choose the objects that you’re confident in your ability to relate to the prompt.

3. Making A Draft

Drafting and brainstorming are the most important steps of any creative process. For example, the right architect will never start designing without brainstorming the brief. Similarly, you should first jot down ideas regarding how you’re going to write the commentary, before proceeding with it. Making a draft beforehand will save you time that would otherwise have been wasted in figuring out ideas in the middle of the project.

4. Introducing The Topic

While it’s not mandatory to include an introduction, there are several benefits of including one. The introduction doesn’t need to be too lengthy. You can use this section to dissect your prompts into parts, and give a briefing about the areas of knowledge that you’ve chosen, and why you have chosen them.

Since the topics in the TOK Exhibition are quite complex, you can also take your time covering the complexities of the topic and raising retrospective questions.

5. Writing The Body

This is the part where you need to start explaining your prompt. If you find it difficult, you can hire ib experienced writers to write the commentary for you and easily spend more time editing instead.

While writing the commentary, try to use real-life examples, not ones that require extensive explanation, but those examples that you have sound knowledge of. The examples should be well connected to the point you’re making.

Frame your arguments from different perspectives. Your presentation should have multiple sides to it, and not just be a one-sided discussion. Make the readers aware of how and why the examples are important to your argument.

Remember, it’s your job to make the readers realize the connection between the examples, arguments, and the main context, not the other way around.

6. Drawing A Conclusion

In the end, bring all the arguments to a close. Don’t use tropes and cliched sentences. Use your ideas to analyze the arguments. Keep in mind that you actually need to draw an interesting conclusion, and write it accordingly, such that the ending doesn’t look incomplete.

Conclusion

Writing a TOK Exhibition commentary can be lengthy and tiring. The best thing you can do is start working on it at the earliest. Also, always get your teacher’s approval after completing the documentation and making the necessary changes.

If done right, writing a TOK Exhibition presentation is not that big of a deal after all!