tok essay title 1 2023

• Theory of Knowledge
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• What is truth? Total 3,461 Words
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• Knowledge and politics Total 1,103 Words
• Knowledge and religion Total 1,195 Words
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• The Arts Total 500 Words
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• The Human Sciences Total 405 Words
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• TOK Lesson Plan 4-How to Teach TOK Concept-Truth Total 3906 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 5 - Introduction of TOK concept - Interpretation Total 4,308 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 6 - The introduction of TOK concept - Power Total 4,333 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 7 - The introduction of TOK concept - Justification Total 6,540 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 8 - The introduction of TOK concept - Explanation Total 6,773 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 9 - The introduction of TOK concept - Objectivity Totle 7,205 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 10 - The introduction of TOK concept - Perspectives Totle 7,863 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 11 - The introduction of TOK concept - Cultures Totle 8,172 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 12 - The introduction of TOK concept - Values Totle 8,661 Words
• TOK Lesson Plan 13 - The introduction of TOK concept - Responsibility Totle 8,937 Words
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Tok essay titles May 2023

• September 14, 2023

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TOK Essay titles May 2023

Here are the TOK essay titles May 2023 and our best help to students.

IB TOK essay titles May 2023 have been released and there is a big buzz in the air on how to work on these 2023 TOK essay prompts. The six prescribed titles for the May 2023 are:

1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

2. for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences..

3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

4. Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

6. to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge., tok essay titles may 2023, tok essay may 2023 title 1.

Among Tok essay titles May 2023, tok essay May 2023 title 1 focuses on the key concept of ‘replicability’. Does replicability ensure how good knowledge is? You get to explore the idea on the significance of reproducing the same knowledge in a same setup every time.

Explore the natural sciences and its knowledge reproduction. Many a cases such knowledge pieces ensure credibility in building up the confidence that you would get the same results repeatedly. However, evaluate and see whether this act of reproducibility is necessary in the knowledge production.

Is it the same in other areas of knowledge? How can replicability be separated from not being plagiarized?

Walk through a creative domain like the arts and imagine that it might be possible to replicate an artwork in the form of indistinguishable pieces. But what about the knowledge each replicated art piece produces?

TOK essay May 2023 title 2

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, TOK essay May 2023 title 2 has played a twist here with the wordings in the title. Note carefully that you are not asked to explain what ideas can be explained and what not.

Your task is to evaluate perspectives on ‘which is more important’-ideas which can be explained or those which cannot be.

In natural sciences, there is a huge scope of research as natural science may not be able to prove all facts but theoretically describe them.

In the arts, there are contextual artworks like history arts which may look for explanation on evolving traditions.

TOK essay May 2023 title 3

3.  does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge..

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, Tok essay May 2023 title 3 is pretty fascinating and gives an immense flexibility to you in sharing your opinions. ‘Knowledge bubbles’ are those silos where some knowledge pieces keep echoing.

In the field of human sciences, the question remains whether knowledge bubbles impede us from bearing the responsibility of exploring new knowledge?

On one hand knowledge in natural sciences get to be solidified gaining certainty through long years of beliefs.

Questions arise on whether it matters for you to acquire knowledge from a known knowledge zone where a proposition fits in with the overall set of beliefs for people in that zone.

TOK essay May 2023 title 4

4.  do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power”  (bertrand russell) discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area  of knowledge..

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, Tok essay May 2023 title 4 comes with a hilarious touch-reminds me of ‘little knowledge may be dangerous’.

The question is if you are surprised or not by the observation that little knowledge can give much power or command over the knowledge. It is in fact pretty usual to see such attitude in people with little knowledge entrapped in an illusory web of overestimating their knowledge.

In the area of the natural sciences, you may find such overestimation of capabilities in asserting knowledge claims.

In the human sciences, it is quite common scenario for people to go overwhelmed in overrating their calibre.

TOK essay May 2023 title 5

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, Tok essay May 2023 title 5 may be exciting to visual learners, for they would find a strong personal connection with themselves.

Be precise with certain key words in the title as ‘always’. Knowledge is produced, received unidirectionally. However, communication is a bidirectional concept.

You would get to unpack some of the areas where statistical data have different purpose of production than that of interpretation. Questions may arise on the reliability of such data in predictive analysis.

TOK essay May 2023 title 6

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, Tok essay May 2023 title 6 reminds of the methods and tools in the TOK knowledge framework.

To what extent  the observations collected and evaluated in the knowledge production through the use of methodologies, impact the nature of the new knowledge produced-is the focal point.

The contestability is with regards to the influence of varied methodologies in the production of new knowledge. Do appropriateness of research methodologies affect the accuracy of knowledge produced- is the area of reflection.

In history, there might be evidences from primary resources in interpreting the past.

It is equally exciting to inspect the nature of knowledge produced in the natural sciences through empiricism.

If you like what you read, then you may consider reading  How to write TOK essay

Also, more details on TOK ESSAY TITLES MAY 2023 can be found at  TOK ESSAY TITLES MAY 2023

Stakeholders from schools who use TOK2022

• Knowledge and the knower
• What is knowledge?
• What is bias?
• What is truth?
• What is perspective?
• TOK Concepts
• Knowledge and indigenous societies
• Knowledge and language
• Knowledge and politics
• Knowledge and religion
• Knowledge and technology
• The Human Sciences
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• TOK exhibition sample
• 100 Classroom Activities
• 35 IA Prompts
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• TOK Essay May 2024 Title 1
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• TOK Lesson Plan 1 – How to Teach TOK Concepts
• TOK Lesson Plan 2 – How to Teach the TOK Concept – Evidence
• TOK Lesson Plan 3 – How to Teach TOK Concept – Certainty
• TOK Lesson Plan 4 – How to Teach TOK Concept – Truth
• TOK Lesson Plan 5 – Introduction of TOK concept – Interpretation
• TOK Lesson Plan 6 – The introduction of TOK concept – Power
• TOK Lesson Plan 7 – The introduction of TOK concept – Justification
• TOK Lesson Plan 8 – The introduction of TOK concept – Explanation
• TOK Lesson Plan 9 – The introduction of TOK concept – Objectivity
• TOK Lesson Plan 10 – The introduction of TOK concept – Perspectives
• TOK Lesson Plan 11 – The introduction of TOK concept – Cultures
• TOK Lesson Plan 12 – The introduction of TOK concept – Values
• TOK Lesson Plan 13 – The introduction of TOK concept – Responsibility
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May 2023 TOK Essay Prompts + SAMPLES and Suggestions

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Every year, students anxiously wait for the IB to announce the TOK essay topics. So this year is not an exception; IBO has also announced 2023 May titles for IB TOK essay. The TOK essay can be quite a challenging one to write for most students. Therefore it’s extremely important to select a TOK essay topic that suits you better.

UPD! November 2024 TOK essay prompts released!

Most students struggle with the idea of writing a TOK essay since it can indeed be very tough owing to its different structure. Most students plan for days on end so that they can see just the proper structure in mind, with suitable examples so that they can give their best to what they are doing.

Btw… ⏩ We can write a ToK essay for you ⏪

To be able to score well, you need to plan accordingly. The idea is to make sure to do a great job and that can only happen when you know what exactly is expected of you and how you get through that. To better understand the TOK essay and have ample considerations, here is the list of TOK essay titles for May 2023 explained by professional IB writers.

You can get a few ideas from here about how you’re supposed to work on these. With these ideas, you are sure to do a sound job with your TOK essay . Furthermore, you will find links for 2 different May 2023 TOK essay samples that were written by our IB experts. Feel free to use them for inspiration.

TOK essay titles and questions for May 2023

Below you will find an updated list of TOK essay prompts for the May 2023. We have also added some suggestions from our expert TOK essay writers for your ease. Enjoy reading 😉

Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In this essay, it is important to focus on the world’s replicability. Next, the distinction between necessary and sufficient requirements need to be made. After that, the focus should be on how objectivity is related to replicability. You can give examples of several experiments that have been done and whether or not they have been replicated.

In line with your thought process, you can further work towards explaining that in further detail and making your point much clearer this way. Based on the examples you give, you can also talk about the different ways of knowing, which can help you explain this in a much better way, in line with the requirements of IB.

For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

With this title, you can see that there are two areas of knowledge already given. This means that you don’t have a free hand to choose topics yourself. You essentially have to differentiate between what can be explained and what cannot. Some things are easier to explain, whereas others aren’t. Using examples from art and natural sciences, you can offer your explanation here.

The examples you choose need to be as such that it makes it much easier for you to make that distinction. Once you do that, select your ways of knowing as well so that you can comply with the IB requirements .

Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In this essay, the main focus is on bubbles. The idea is to explore what bubbles mean in this context. We can see that “bubbles” here refers to knowledge that is subjective in all ways. The idea is to explore whether or not knowledge can be subjective in all ways or whether it can be objective as well. This is important to understand in all contexts first. Subjective and objective knowledge can be explored using different areas of knowledge.

However, the areas of knowledge should be selected based on the fact that it should be very easy to make that switch and understand how these two differ in context. Additionally, you can also shed light on what is required to share another person’s perspective on the situation. It is only once you know you can make that distinction as clear as ever.

Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

In this essay, the main focus has to be on this quote given. The idea is to see how knowledge can give us power. We have always heard how knowledge can make us powerful. Here, the idea is to see how that can happen using several different examples.

One area of knowledge is already given. The other area of knowledge is up to your choice. So based on that, you need to choose examples that will help you understand this better. You can talk about how these two areas of knowledge have allowed us to make the most of our lives, which is how we have become so powerful.

Below you will find a May 2023 TOK essay sample completed by our IB experts at WritingMetier.com

Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

Here, the main focus needs to be on visual representation and how they represent the truth in most situations. The idea is to see what these visual representations are and how they allow for the communication of knowledge to happen in the best way possible. You also have to make the distinction between practical and theoretical knowledge here.

As you can see, two areas of knowledge are already given here: human sciences and mathematics. So you have to make use of these only and use relevant examples to explain this.

To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

The main keyword here that you need to focus on is methodologies. You have to speak about what methodologies are and how they allow you to understand things in the best possible way. You need to use history as one area of knowledge, and you can choose the other area of knowledge yourself.

The idea is to help you understand this in the best way possible so that you can make a clear point about how the methodologies employed helped you get to this conclusion.

And again, sharing an example of an APA format IB TOK essay on title #6 that can be used as a guide. Yes, it’s also written by one of our expert IB TOK writers, and if you want, you can get assistance from these writers no matter the urgency of your task.

If you might have missed some of the previous TOK essay titles with samples or topics for previous years, below I’m sharing the links.

The year 2022:

• November 2022 TOK essay prompts
• May 2022 ToK essay titles

Previous years’ prompts:

• November 2021 ToK Essay titles
• May 2021 Theory of Knowledge essay prompts

Choose IB TOK essay topic wisely, my friend 😉

With these suggestions and explanations for each May 2023 TOK essay topic, you can write a good TOK essay!  If you are facing tough deadlines and want someone to lend you a hand – WritingMetier.com is here to help.

You can always buy a custom TOK essay that will be written under your instructions and following one of the May 2023 prompts. Not forgetting about the latest changes in the IB criteria.

We can guarantee this because we have been in the IB writing services business for 4+ years now and have already completed hundreds of different IB papers. Order your essay now and get a 5% discount.

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Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

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May 2023 TOK essay prescribed title – key terms

1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

“ Is replicability necessary…?”  Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question.  Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine.  Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has only one definitive answer to this question may be simplistic and flawed.

“ Replicability ” – clearly replicability is a critical part of research in the sciences where getting consistent results is important.  A lab experiment, for example, should be able to be run multiple times by multiple people and the results should be consistent.  Replicability has an important role in other areas such as the arts.  There are occasions where different artists need to produce a similar end result (e.g. musicians playing from sheet music). Replicability is not always necessary though, even in the sciences.

“ Necessary ” – in some AOKs and specific examples replicability may be more important than others.  In some situations though it may not be important at all.  With May 2023 prescribed title #1 it may be important to consider a variety of specific examples within an AOK that demonstrate different degrees of necessity.

“ the production of knowledge ” – this is a phrase that shows up quite often in TOK prescribed titles.  Consider what is required to “produce” knowledge in an AOK.  When looking at possible specific examples for this prescribed title make sure you can clearly identify where and how knowledge is being produced.  It is also important to gauge how important replicability is in the production of knowledge.

May 2023 TOK Prescribed Titles #1 and #3 are the only two where students have freedom to choose any two areas of knowledge.

2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

“ Artists and natural scientist ” – Note that the AOKs mentions “artists and natural scientists” and not “the arts and the natural sciences.”  This is a small but important distinction.  Make sure your essay specifically discusses people – i.e. actual artists and scientists.

“ which is more important ” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question.  Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine.  Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.

“ what can be explained ” – Consider the ways knowledge is explained in different AOKs.  In the study of history, for example, arguments must be supported by evidence similar to other AOKs.  However, history does not have formulas or experiments like in mathematics or the sciences that can be re-tested by others.   Also, point of view plays a much larger role in determining what can be explained in some AOKs than others.

“ what cannot be explained ” – There are things that at a certain point of time cannot be explained and this uncertainty drives research.  From another point of view, things cannot be explained fully in the arts such as a personal interpretation of a piece of literature or a sculptor’s intentions.  These things that cannot be (fully) explained often drive discussion and analysis in the arts and lead to the development of artistic knowledge.   

May 2023 TOK essay #2 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.

3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

“ Does it matter ” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question.  Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine.  Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.

“ Acquisition of knowledge ” – This phrase shows up quite frequently in TOK essay prescribed titles.  (FYI another phrase that shows up often is “production of knowledge”).  Consider how knowledge is acquired in different AOKs and in different specific examples.

“ bubbles ” – Consider different ways that different AOKs can operate in “bubbles” and exclude “some information and voices.” For example, some traditional arts may try and set up barriers to prevent the traditional art from changing.  This can act in a positive way and the knowledge of traditional art may be passed on relatively unchanged.  From a negative point of view though, a traditional art that sets up barriers may prevent it from evolving along with other aspects of culture and it may be viewed as stagnant and out of date.

In other examples, criminology (the human sciences) has been making more use of mathematics and statistics and has been trying to include more information and ideas.  More and more police forces are using mathematical / statistical models to learn more about crime to better prevent and solve crimes.

“ some information and voices are excluded ” – If you are considering May 2023 TOK Prescribed Titles #3 for your TOK essay may sure to examine a number of relevant specific examples that show how where “some information and voices are excluded.” You will need examples that show both that it matters and does not matter if the information and voices are excluded.

May 2023 TOK Prescribed Titles #3 and #1 are the only two where students have freedom to choose any two areas of knowledge.

4. Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

“ Do you agree ” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question.  Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine.  Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.

“ astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power ” – Look for specific examples that show how a little knowledge can give some person / organization / etc. “so much power.”  There are situations where this power could be positive or negative.  A medical researcher who makes a discovery about one specific gene may lead to a huge medical breakthrough.  On the negative side, a junk food company could discover that a particular legal ingredient has some addictive properties and therefore decide to include it in their products.

“ Bertrand Russell ” – there is no need or requirement to look up the context of the Russel quotation or to discuss it or Russell in your essay.  Spending time on this kind of research is very likely a waste of time.  The IB actually used to specifically warn students about this. The May 2021 prescribed titles, for example, included this note: “It is appropriate to analyse [quotations in prescribed titles] but it is unnecessary, even unwise, to spend time on researching a context for them.”

May 2023 TOK essay #4 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.

5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

“ Are visual representations always helpful ” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question.  Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine.  Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.

“ visual representations ” – charts, diagrams, models of the atom, maps, a painting of a WWI battle are a few examples of visual representations. Models of the atom, for example, can be helpful in explaining some characteristics of the atom but the model may simply or exclude key aspects of the atom.  A painting of the battle of the Somme in WWI may provide some information about it, but what if the painter was not at the battle or did not even fight in WWI?  Even if the painter had been in the battle, his or her depiction of the situation might be affected by bias, limited information, patriotism, etc.

“ always ” – there may be nothing in TOK that you could argue is “always” anything.  Successful essays avoid one-sided arguments and should look at a situation and a prescribed title from a variety of angles / perspectives.

“ helpful ” – if you choose May 2023 TOK prescribed title #5 you could view “helpful” in a number of different ways.  However, all of these ways should be directly connected to knowledge . Look closely at specific examples where visual representations are helpful or are not helpful in the production or acquisition of knowledge.   

“ communication of knowledge ” – there are many different ways in which knowledge can be communicated. Analyze specific examples where visual representations play a role in communicating knowledge and look at the precise way knowledge is communicated. Make sure you can evaluate whether or not it is helpful.

TOK prescribed titles frequently use phrases such as the “sharing of knowledge” and the “acquisition of knowledge” but May 2023 prescribed title #5 may be the first time that the phrase “communication of knowledge” has been used.  “Communication of knowledge” can include both “sharing” and “acquisition” though. 

May 2023 TOK essay #5 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.

6. To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

“ To what extent ” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question.  Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine.  Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.

“ the knowledge we produce ” – If you pick May 2023 TOK prescribed title #6, make sure you can clearly identify the actual knowledge that is being produced. Find specific examples where you can clearly identify the knowledge produced and determine whether or not this production was affected by methodology.

“ determined by the methodologies we use ” – If you choose May 2023 TOK essay #6 you should find some specific examples where methodology affected the knowledge produced as well as specific examples where methodology did not affect the knowledge produced.

May 2023 TOK essay #6 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.

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How To Write A ToK Essay - Updated 2023

Ace your ToK Essay with our expert tips & tricks! Get the latest and greatest techniques on "How To Write A ToK Essay" and impress the IB examiners.📝💡

Table of content

• Introduction

Purpose Of ToK

Assessment of tok, the game plan, execution of the gameplan, planning for tok essay, structure of tok essay, conclusions, bibliography.

Introduce your topic accurately and state your thesis statement for the essay carefully.  A thesis statement is like a teaser to your entire essay wherein you define your key terms and introduce your interpretation of the question. Make sure that you do not reword the prescribed title in your thesis. Instead, it needs to, as the word says, INTRODUCE your readers to what your essay is about. A strong introduction allows the reader to deduce what knowledge question(s) you are trying to answer.

So, in a nutshell

• Write interesting things about the given TOK essay title .
• Define key terms
• Narrow in on the particularly interesting aspect
• State your thesis statement . This will be your short answer to your given title if you don't know how to write a killer thesis statement check out this blog from SparkNotes .
• State your Roadmap. This will help the readers in understanding the direction of your essay.

How to write a TOK Essay? 

To answer that, you must familiarise yourself with what a TOK Essay is about.

Before you start reading this article,  Amanda  has some excellent TOK tips for you!

Theory of Knowledge is one of the most meta subjects that IB offers. Despite its complexity, TOK helps in providing a base for holistic learning and allows students to have a multidisciplinary experience. 

To understand TOK is to understand the essence of IB, a task that most people consider unattainable.

But not for you! 

Thank your lucky stars who made you land on Nail IB. How exactly will Nail IB help you? 

Well, nailing International Baccalaureate is something we will discuss later. 

Let's focus on cracking your TOK essay, shall we?

TOK demonstrates how students  can apply their knowledge  with  greater awareness  and  credibility .

Big words, huh? 

Now that we know that we cannot just slide through the Theory of Knowledge, let's understand how we can conquer this battle all guns blazing.

ToK essay’s primary objective is to answer the  why  behind our studies. 

It makes one aware of the real-life implications of their subjects. The students gain greater awareness of their personal and ideological assumptions and appreciate the diversity of different perspectives. It helps the students find their unique perception, a prerequisite for excelling in the IB TOK essays.

Before we dive into our gameplan, let’s overview the rules of the game.

There are two assessment tasks in the TOK: an essay and a presentation . While a presentation encourages students to explore a real-life situation through the lens of TOK, an essay is written on the basis of the various questions provided by the International Baccalaureate Organisation.

• The presentation is to assess a student’s ability to apply TOK thinking to a real-life situation whereas IB TOK essay is more conceptual.
• The essay is externally assessed by IB and must be on any one of the prescribed TOK essay titles issued by the IB for each examination session.
• Word limit of a TOK essay is 1600 words ( excludes extended notes, footnotes, bibliography).

Now that we have unleashed the game, let’s move ahead towards the gameplan of acing both, your presentation and your essay.

One of the fundamental tasks of TOK is to examine different areas of knowledge and find out their similarities and differences.

The TOK essay requires the students to investigate two Areas of Knowledge (AOK)  and two Ways of Knowing   (WOK) . AOKs and WOKs are investigated via questions such as:

• How do we know what we know? (WOK)
• What counts as evidence for X? (AOK)
• How do we judge which is the best model of Y? (WOK)
• What does theory Z mean in the real world? (AOK + WOK)

The aforementioned are  Knowledge Questions  which help combine the Areas of Knowledge and the Ways of Knowing that they are using. This eliminates the superficial way of learning and makes an individual sensitive to the nature of the information.   Our acquisition of Knowledge can be broadly divided into Shared Knowledge and Personal Knowledge.

Shared knowledge: What WE know It is the product of more than one individual. Although individuals contribute to it, shared knowledge does not solely depend upon the contributions of a particular individual—there are possibilities for others to check and amend individual contributions and add to the body of knowledge that already exists.

Personal knowledge: What I know It is essentially dependent on the experiences of a particular individual. Also known as procedural knowledge, it is gained through experience, practice and personal involvement and is intimately bound up with the particular local circumstances of the individual such as biography, interests, values, and so on.

The best hack to ace TOK essay is to develop a habit of making connections between the construction of knowledge, its acquisition and its relevance in the real world. 

After that one needs to develop an interest in understanding the difference between diversity and cultural perspectives and personal assumptions.

One also needs to critically reflect on their own beliefs and assumptions, leading to more thoughtful, responsible and purposeful lives.

Yes, this is what you signed up for. It may sound a little intimidating but once you get the hang of it you will be able to see the matrix and understand this beautiful world a little better.

Understand that to provide the best version of your writing, it will take you more than one or two drafts. First and foremost, you need to pick your essay topic diligently. Try to choose an essay topic that best interests you. The topic should also allow you to explore the Areas of Knowledge towards which you are naturally inclined. Here are a few sample questions:

a) 'Ways of knowing are a check on our instinctive judgments.' To what extend do you agree with this statement?

b) With reference to two areas of knowledge discuss the way in which shared knowledge can shape their personal knowledge.

c) How can we know if knowledge is produced more through 'Passive Observation' or 'Active-Experiment' within the Human and Natural-sciences under a Mathematical-Perspective?

d) "The whole point of knowledge is to produce both meaning and purpose in our personal lives". Assess the validity of this statement.

Great things take time. It took me more than a couple of weeks to finalize this TOK essay guide. It is completely okay if the first few drafts may not look pleasing or award-winning to you. You will require sharpening your perspective towards the topic each time you polish your draft. Your writing journey from a dull draft to a masterpiece will be a whole process that you will have to be patient with. Have faith in yourself and proceed stepwise.

You need to consider the opinions of others who have devoted hours of research and a lifetime of dedicated studying the topic that surrounds your writing. Unravelling the realms of your mind palace is so Sherlock but let’s not deny the fact that at times, Watson is the one whose expertise helps Sherlock through pretty difficult times. I mean even Batman needs a Robin. In support of my awesome sauce examples, the point I am trying to make is that  finding support for our claims and counterclaims through research is a good thing .

Use real-life examples to support your claims and counterclaims. These examples need to be documented researched examples like studies, experiments, articles, presentations by well-known people, etc. Examples that stem from your diploma subjects are highly encouraged, but those will need to be supported by research as well.   

It is suggested that you choose a title, stick to it, tackle it and not be afraid. Do not change your mind unless there is a good reason. Also, try choosing Areas of knowledge that you truly enjoy. You know slaying a known devil is much easier than an unknown one. Allot a TIMELINE to your essay. Start with creating an outline of your essay. This will help you to track your progress and accomplish your goals

You can use tools like  Trello  to organize your ideas and plan your TOK essay.

Areas of Knowledge (AOKs): TOK distinguishes between eight areas of knowledge. They are mathematics, the natural sciences, the human sciences, the arts, history, ethics, religious knowledge systems, and indigenous knowledge systems. It is suggested that students study and explore six of these eight.

Ways of knowing (WOKs): TOK identifies eight specific WOKs- language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition, and memory. It is suggested that studying four of these eight in-depth would be appropriate. WOKs underlie the methodology of the areas of knowledge and provide a basis for personal knowledge.

Moving ahead, let us discuss the structure of your TOK essay.

Your essay will consist of 4 broad segregations

Before breaking down further on the pillars, keep the following in mind

• Please note what the TOK essay title is asking you. (Read it a couple of times. We highly recommend that you brainstorm ideas with your TOK coordinator)
• Make sure you understand the command term and the question it is asking.
• What kind of knowledge is being elicited?
• When choosing your areas of knowledge (AoK) and ways of knowing (WoK) make sure that you are able to draw contrasts and comparisons, that is, you are able to find evidence that supports as well as challenges your claims.
• Identify key terms in your TOK essay title. Make sure you define them. Your essay will gravitate around them. Key terms/words in your titles are your essay anchors. Your response should be built around them.
• Your writing skills come in handy while you work on your IB TOK essay. Like any other essay make sure you have proper thesis statements and topic sentences to guide the evaluator through your work.
• Respect the TOK essay title. Rephrasing the topic is not encouraged . Your main job is to address the title.

The body can be mainly divided into 3 segments.

Body (1st Segment)

• AoK Claim:  Here you investigate your first Area of Knowledge and draw parallels between your AoK and the question. This is done by stating your claim. Claims can be general in nature and need not reference a particular area of knowledge. They help you shape your essay and investigate the question further. 
• Evidence: Example of a real-life situation, describe thoroughly and accurately, which supports your stated claim. (AoK)
• Counter-Claim: State your counter-claim: like claims, those can be general and need not reference a particular area of knowledge. Counterclaim helps you show the other side the coin and gives your essay a holistic nature. 
• Evidence: A referenced real-life situation/example. Describe thoroughly and accurately, show how this supports your counterclaim (AoK ).
• Don’t forget to weave in your WoKs:  You need to take into account the source of your knowledge. Here you can also investigate if your nature of acquiring the knowledge has, in any way, affected it. It is good practice to question if your knowledge would be different had it been acquired through a different source/method
• Mini-conclusion: Here you analyze your examples in reference to your claims and counterclaims. You must connect to your thesis statement and the prescribed title. How does your proposed argument, in this particular part of the body, connect to the prescribed title and the knowledge questions you are trying to answer?

Body (2): Follow the above process for your second AOK.

• Use this part of your essay to compare and contrast your varying AoKs. You need to connect them to your thesis and your prescribed title clearly showing how your arguments respond to the PT.

Your conclusion section will make your essay come together. It is the glue that will make your essay stick together. Herein, you need to

• Reiterate your thesis (initial response).
• Use your mini conclusions to write a final conclusion.
• Tell the reader what the significance is for knowing what we know in this particular PT.
• Discuss implications as well.
• Offer another perspective, how will the perspective of a different person affect the claims/counterclaims you make in the essay?
• Don’t forget to make the end strong.

We recommend all the ib students use the  citation machine  (It's FREE) to organize or generate a bibliography for your TOK essay. Please go through this extensive guide provided by the IB before you start working on your citations.

If you are still struggling heaps with your TOK essay feel free to subscribe to our tok notes bundles or get access to more than 500+ IBDP notes and past papers here .

Nail IB is your virtual companion that helps you hustle through your diploma and provide you with the right resources at the right time. To know more about acing IB, click  here .

I hope this article will become the foundation for figuring out how to write a TOK Essay.

Remember to have faith in yourself.

I hope you NAIL your TOK essay!

Quoting the great Napolean Hill

"Whatever the mind of a man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

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TOK ESSAY TITLE MAY 2023

Tok essay title 1, is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge..

Title 1 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompt centers around the concept of “replicability” and its role in determining the quality of knowledge. The essay explores the significance of reproducing the same knowledge within a consistent framework, particularly in the natural sciences. While replicability often ensures credibility and the ability to obtain consistent results, it is important to evaluate whether this act of reproduction is necessary for knowledge production.

This prompt also prompts an examination of whether replicability holds the same importance in other areas of knowledge. Additionally, it raises questions about how replicability can be distinguished from plagiarism.

By delving into the realm of the arts, the essay considers the possibility of replicating artwork to create indistinguishable pieces. However, it challenges the notion of whether the knowledge produced by each replicated art piece remains the same.

To excel in the May 2023 TOK essay and achieve a perfect score, it is advisable to start early and seek guidance from TOK experts throughout the essay writing process.

IB TOK Essay examples

Type a search phrase to find the most relevant TOK Essay examples for you

Not sure what to search for? You can always look through our example Theory of Knowledge coursework below for inspiration.

All TOK Essay Examples

Filter exemplars, are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one area of knowledge., want to get full marks for your tok essay allow us to review it for you 🎯, for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences., does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., tok essay: 5. “how can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge”, nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them, are we too quick to assume that the most recent evidence is inevitably the strongest discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge., nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge., nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them discuss concerning the human sciences and one other area of knowledge., nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt‬ ‭them discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.‬, is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history discuss with reference to the arts and history., do we need custodians of knowledge, do we need custodians of knowledge discuss concerning two areas of knowledge, do we need custodians of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history discuss with reference to the arts and history, nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them discuss with reference to human sciences and one other area of knowledge., is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history, how can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialization and generalization in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge..

IB TOK Essay Titles

The International Baccalaureate Organization releases six TOK essay titles, twice a year for submission either in May or November. So you need to know which cohort you're submitting with. The essay titles for submission in May are released in the previous September. The essay titles for submission in November are released the previous March.

• November 2023 topics
• May 2023 topics
• November 2022 topics
• May 2022 topics
• November 2021 topics
• May 2021 topics
• November 2020 topics
• May 2020 topics
• November 2019 topics
• May 2019 topics
• November 2018 topics
• May 2018 topics
• November 2017 topics

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TOK November essay titles 2023

I don't know whether I should choose title 1 " Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge " or title 3 " In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge. "

Has anyone chose their title yet?

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