The TOK exhibition process
It is recommended that a total of approximately eight hours of teaching time should be allocated to the
TOK exhibition task.
The TOK exhibition process consists of three key steps.
Summary of the TOK exhibition process
Step 1 Students begin their exhibition by selecting one IA prompt and three objects, or
images of objects, that show how this question manifests in the world around us.
Students must select one IA prompt as the basis for their exhibition. All three objects
must be linked to the same prompt.
To help them approach this task effectively, students are encouraged to root their
exhibition in one of the TOK themes—either the core theme or one of the optional
Assessment
TOK assessment details
Theory of knowledge guidethemes. This can help to provide an accessible starting point for students and can
provide a focus to help students narrow down their choice of potential objects.
Within the teaching time allocated to undertaking this task, teachers should ensure
that they include time to explain the requirements of the task and ensure that
students are familiar with the assessment instrument.
Step 2 Students should produce a single file containing their TOK exhibition. This must
include:
• a title clearly indicating their selected IA prompt
• images of their three objects
• a typed commentary on each object that identifies each object and its specific
real-world context, justifies each object’s inclusion in the exhibition and links to
the IA prompt (maximum 950 words)
• appropriate citations and references.
Teachers are permitted to provide feedback on one publish of this work. They should
provide oral or written advice on how the work could be improved, but should not
edit the publish.
Once complete, this file is submitted to the TOK teacher to be marked. Samples of
student work are then submitted to the IB for moderation.
Step 3 Teachers are required to provide all students with an opportunity for their
completed exhibitions to be showcased and exhibited to an audience. As this does
not form part of the formal assessment task, teachers have a great deal of flexibility
as to how they choose to hold these exhibitions—as in the following examples.
• A class of TOK students could hold an exhibition within one of their regular TOK
classes.
• Two classes of TOK students in the same school, or different schools, could host
exhibitions for each other.
• A class of TOK students could host an exhibition for younger students in the
school.
• A school could host a TOK exhibition for parents and other members of the
school community.
• Students could display their TOK exhibitions in a “virtual exhibition” (by using
an online virtual gallery space)
• A school could host a combined event celebrating the PYP exhibition, MYP
personal project and the TOK exhibition.
IA prompts
The IA prompts are a set of 35 high-level knowledge questions. Students must select one of the following
IA prompts on which to base their exhibition, and all three objects must be linked to the same prompt.
These IA prompts apply for all examination sessions for the life of this guide—they do not change from
session to session.
Students are required to create an exhibition of three objects that connect to their prompt of the IA.
prompts.
The chosen IA prompt must be used exactly as given; it must not be altered in any way.
• If the IA prompt has been modified but it is still clear which IA prompt the student is referring to, the
TOK exhibition should be marked as using the original IA prompt. Any lack of relevance in the
student’s response arising from this modification will be reflected in the score awarded.
• If it is clear that the TOK Exhibition is not based on one of the IA prompts listed, the TOK exhibition
should be awarded a score of zero, in accordance with the TOK Exhibition assessment instrument.
Objects
An extremely wide variety of different types of objects are suitable for use in a TOK exhibition. Students are
encouraged to choose objects that are of personal interest and that they have come across in their
academic studies and/or their lives beyond the classroom.
It is strongly recommended that students base their exhibition on one of the themes (the core theme or
one of the optional themes). This can be an extremely useful way to help students narrow down their
choice of objects and give a focus to their exhibition.
TOK assessment details
41
Theory of knowledge guideDigital or physical objects
The objects may be digital rather than physical objects. For example, students could include a photograph
of an object, such as a historical treaty, where it would not be practical/possible for them to exhibit the
physical object. Students may also use digital objects such as a tweet by a political leader. However, they
must be specific objects that have a specific real-world context—objects that exist in a particular time and
place (including virtual spaces). They may be objects that the student has created themselves, but they
must be pre-existing objects rather than objects created specifically for the purposes of the exhibition.
Context of an object
The specific real-world context of each object is extremely important to the task. It is, therefore, important
that students identify specific objects to discuss rather than using generic objects and generic images from
the internet. For example, a discussion and photograph of a student’s baby brother is an example of an
object that has a specific real-world context, whereas a generic image of “a baby” from an internet image
search is not.
Examples of the diverse kinds of objects students could select include the following.
• A tweet from the President of the United States
• An image of the painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso
• The student’s own extended essay (EE)
• A basketball used by the student during their physical education lessons
• The graphic novel The Colour of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa
• A painting that the student created in their DP visual arts course
• A refillable water bottle provided to each student in a school as part of a sustainability initiative
• A news article from the popular website Buzzfeed
• A photograph of the student playing in an orchestra
Further guidance on the role of objects in the exhibition and examples of student exhibitions can be found
in the Theory of knowledge teacher support material.
Images of objects
The image of each object used in the exhibition must be appropriately referenced. If an object is the
student’s own original work (for example, a painting that they created in a visual arts class) then this should
be identified and acknowledged to ensure that teachers and moderators are clear about the origins of the
object.
Word count
The maximum overall word count for the TOK exhibition is 950 words. This word count includes the written
commentaries on each of the three objects. It does not include:
• any text contained on/within the objects themselves
• acknowledgments, references (whether given in footnotes, endnotes or in-text) or bibliography.
If an exhibition exceeds the word limit, then examiners are instructed to stop reading after 950 words and
to base their assessment on only the first 950 words. Extended footnotes or appendices are not appropriate
to a TOK exhibition.
Guidance and authenticity
The work submitted for internal assessment must be the student’s own work. However, it is not the
intention that students should be left to work on the internal assessment component without any support
from the teacher. The teacher should play an important role during both the planning stage and the period
when the student is working on the internally assessed work.
It is recommended that a total of approximately 8 hours of teaching time should be allocated to the
exhibition task. This should include:
TOK assessment details
42 Theory of knowledge guide• time for the teacher to explain the requirements of the task and ensure that students are familiar with
the assessment instrument
• in-class time for students to ask questions and seek clarifications
• time for the teacher to review and monitor students’ progress, and to check authenticity.
Students should be encouraged to initiate discussions with the teacher to obtain advice and information,
and students must not be penalized for seeking guidance. Teachers should read and give advice to
students on one publish of the work. They should provide oral or written advice on how the work could be
improved, but they may not edit the publish. The next version handed to the teacher must be the final version
for submission.
It is the responsibility of teachers to ensure that all students understand the basic meaning and significance
of concepts that relate to academic honesty, especially authenticity and intellectual property. Teachers
must ensure that all student work for assessment is prepared according to the requirements and must
explain clearly to students that the internally assessed work must be entirely their own.
All work submitted to the IB for moderation or assessment must be authenticated by a teacher and must
not include any known instances of suspected or confirmed misconduct. Each student must confirm that
the work is his or her authentic work and constitutes the final version of that work. Once a student has
officially submitted the final version of the work it cannot be retracted. The requirement to confirm the
authenticity of work applies to the work of all students, not just the sample work that will be submitted to
the IB for the purpose of moderation.
Authenticity may be checked by discussion with the student on the content of the work, and scrutiny of
one or more of the following.
• The student’s initial proposal
• The first publish of the written work
• The references provided
• The style of writing compared with work known to be that of the student
• The analysis of the work by a web-based plagiarism detection service
Assessment should fit the following criteria:
Excellent
9-10:
The exhibition
clearly identifies
three objects
and their
specific real-
world contexts.
Links between
each of the
three objects
and the
selected IA
prompt are
clearly made
and well-
explained.
There is a strong
justification of
the particular
contribution
that each
individual
object makes to
the exhibition.
All, or nearly all,
of the points are
well-supported
by appropriate
evidence and
explicit
references to
the selected IA
prompt.
Mastering the IB TOK Exhibition: A Comprehensive Guide
If you are a student of the International Baccalaureate program, you must be familiar with the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition, which is a crucial component of your internal assessment. In this article, we will explore the purpose and requirements of the TOK Exhibition and our IB TOK tutor will provide you with tips on how to excel in this task.
What is the TOK Exhibition?
The TOK Exhibition is an individual task that accounts for approximately one-third of your total grade in TOK. The aim of this task is to enable students to explore how TOK manifests in the world around us. Students create an exhibition comprising three objects or images of objects that connect in some way to one of the 35 “IA prompts” provided in the Theory of Knowledge guide. The exhibition is accompanied by a written commentary on each object, and it is marked by the teacher (with a selection of files being sent to the IB for moderation).
The IA Prompts
The IA prompts are thought-provoking questions that require students to explore the nature of knowledge and its manifestations in the world. Some examples of IA prompts include:
* How can we judge when evidence is adequate?
* What makes a good explanation?
* How is current knowledge shaped by its historical development?
* In what ways do our values affect our acquisition of knowledge?
* In what ways do values affect the production of knowledge?
It is important to note that students must choose only one IA prompt and create an exhibition comprising three objects or images of objects that connect to it.
Requirements of the TOK Exhibition
To ensure that your exhibition can be marked by your TOK teacher and for samples of student work to be submitted to the IB for moderation, you must produce a single file containing:
* A title clearly indicating your selected IA prompt
* Images of your three objects or images of objects
* A typed commentary on each object that identifies each object and its specific real-world context, justifies its inclusion in the exhibition, and links to the IA prompt (maximum 950 words)
* Appropriate citations and references
It is crucial to adhere to these requirements to maximize your chances of achieving a good score.
Tips for Excelling in the TOK Exhibition
Here are some tips that can help you excel in the TOK Exhibition:
1. Understand The Role of Object in Your TOK Exhibition
The TOK exhibition encourages students to choose a wide variety of personal and academically relevant objects to showcase. It is recommended that students base their exhibition on a specific theme to help them focus on their choice of objects. Objects may be either physical or digital, but they must have a specific real-world context and be pre-existing rather than created specifically for the exhibition.
It is important that students identify specific objects to discuss in their exhibition rather than using generic objects from the internet. Examples of objects students can select include a tweet from a political leader, an image of a famous painting, the student’s own extended essay, a basketball used in a physical education lesson, or a photograph of the student playing in an orchestra. If the object is the student’s original work, such as a painting, it should be identified and acknowledged.
2. Connect Your Objects to the IA Prompt
Each of your chosen objects should help you to make a different point that helps to answer the selected IA prompt. If they all make the same point, then there’s no need to have all three of them. Every object must have a good reason for being there.
3. Support Your Points with Evidence
As with the essay task, focus on answering the IA prompt as given. Do not twist it into a different question and start answering that. Ensure that the points you make are supported by evidence and explicit references to the selected IA prompt.
4. Treat the IA Prompt Like an Essay Question
To ensure a clear link between your objects and your prompt, treat the IA prompt like an essay question. Start by asking yourself what points you would like to bring up in your discussion. From there, consider what real-life examples you would use to justify and illustrate your points, and then come up with objects that relate to those examples.
Your TOK exhibition counts for 33% of your TOK grade. It should consist of 3 descriptions of objects referring to a prompt from a list of 33 exhibition prompts uploaded for each examination session. Take some time to choose the right title, as the easiest prompt might not be the best solution! Think of interesting objects and the variety of perspectives that you could offer in your exhibition.
When it comes to the structure, the introduction and conclusion are not necessary in this case but don’t forget to include the title and the word count!
Object description
You should prepare 3 paragraphs, each devoted to a different object. Ensure the diversity of perspectives offered in your exhibition. Each object should shed a different light on the analysed topic. You have a maximum of 950 words to divide between the paragraphs.
In order to conduct a high-scoring analysis, follow the points below:
* Present the object including its pictures and references – observe how it should be done based on this exhibition.
* Offer a practical real-life context of the described item, preferably demonstrating your interaction with it/use of it – it is good to showcase some personal connection to the object.
* Establish clear connections between the item and the prompt question. Exactly state how it corresponds to the investigated title. You can mirror this exemplar’s approach.
* Support your arguments with evidence and develop the explanation referring to the object’s specific context that you introduced at the beginning.
* Justify the selection of each item, highlighting its contribution to the analysis, as seen here.
* Ensure that each argument you’re stating concerning the prompt is different from the perspective of the already analysed objects. Otherwise, you won’t be able to examine the prompt thoroughly.