tok essay 2023 deadline

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What Is the TOK Exhibition Deadline? Everything IB Students Need to Know for 2023/2024

Ah, the life of an IB student! Dynamic, challenging, and incredibly fulfilling. Now, for those staring at the impending TOK exhibition deadline, breathe. Having spent many years in the IB world and as an experienced IB tutor, I’m here to be your guide. Let’s jump right in!

The Four Stages of the TOK Exhibition

Technical details, regular check-ins with mentors, what is the tok exhibition and why are timelines matter in it.

Indeed, the TOK exhibition is a defining component of your International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. To elaborate further, it serves as a platform to integrate and apply the knowledge you’ve acquired across different subjects.

TOK exhibition pushes you to analyze real-life situations and issues, allowing you to construct well-reasoned arguments and viewpoints. According to general IB criteria, your performance here substantially impacts your overall Theory of Knowledge (TOK) grade, an essential part of your final IB score.

So, you can see how crucial this assessment is. But here’s the catch: none of this matters if you don’t meet the TOK exhibition deadlines. Yes, those pesky dates that loom over your academic life like an impending storm. However, deadlines are more than just a source of stress; they are also tools for effective time management.

Adhering to deadlines provides a structured framework for allocating your time and resources. It encourages a balanced approach to your IB commitments, ensuring you don’t neglect other essential components like the extended essay or Internal Assessments (IA). You must complete the deadline to avoid penalties that severely affect your grade, and we certainly don’t want that.

From my experience, deadlines push students to set priorities, establish a workflow, and reduce the habit of procrastination. Yes, procrastination is that monster that haunts almost every student. With a set timeline, it becomes easier to ward off distractions and focus on what needs to be done. Consequently, this helps you evolve into a more disciplined, organized, and responsible individual — skills that will serve you well beyond the walls of your educational institution.

Critical Dates for the TOK Exhibition 2023/2024

Ah, the anticipation builds as we reach the focal point: the TOK exhibition deadline for 2023 and 2024. You might consider these dates merely as lines on a calendar, but let’s reframe that thought. In the grand scheme of your IB adventure, these deadlines act as milestones, markers of your progress, and thresholds to your next chapter.

So, what should you do? Highlight them, star them, put them in your planner, and even set them as your phone’s wallpaper if you have to. Time has a funny way of slipping through our fingers, and before you know it, the TOK exhibition deadline will be upon you. As someone who’s seen students scramble at the last minute, trust me, you don’t want to find yourself in that tight spot.

When is the TOK Exhibition Due?

Let’s address the proverbial elephant in the room: the due date. According to general IB criteria and from my extensive experience, IB takes deadlines very seriously. The submission methods are clearly defined, and the consequences for not adhering to them can be harsh.

Missing the deadline could lead to penalties significantly affecting your overall grade. You might have put a Herculean effort into your exhibition, but it’s as good as wasted if it’s not submitted on time. So, punctuality is your best policy here.

The Typical Timeline

The structure for the TOK exhibition tends to follow a set path, spread mainly across the second year of your IB program. The first year usually focuses on helping you grasp the core concepts of TOK. Terms like “ knowledge questions ,” “perspectives,” “implications,” and other foundational elements will become part of your daily vocabulary . You’ll also be introduced to the five areas of knowledge, core, and optional themes.

The actual exhibition work is broken down into four stages, and here’s how they typically unfold:

Selection of IA Prompt . Pick your IA prompt from 35 options. While doing so, consider how these prompts can be linked to the course through either the “optional” or “core” themes.
Choice of Three Objects . Next up is choosing your three objects . Run these by your teacher for some invaluable feedback. These objects should have real-world context and must intrigue you. The more interested you are in them, the better your exhibition will be.
950-Word Commentary . Armed with your objects, you’ll need to write a 950-word commentary explaining how these link to your selected IA prompt within the scope of one of the TOK themes.
Final Submission . The last step is to compile all this into a single exhibition file. It should include digital images of your objects, citations, and references.

The International Baccalaureate recommends investing approximately 8 hours in total in this exhibition. Given the importance of this project and how quickly time passes, start as early as possible to give yourself ample time to revise and perfect your work.

Last-Minute Checks: the Power of Review in TOK Exhibition

You’ve been burning the midnight oil, and now you’re staring at what looks like the finished product. Not so fast! From my experience, the devil is in the details, and last-minute checks can often be the difference between a “good” and “excellent” grade.

Allocate specific time slots for each part of your TOK exhibition.

Alignment with TOK Guidelines

Double-check, or even triple-check, to ensure every part of your exhibition aligns with TOK guidelines and criteria. Look at your chosen objects, the linking commentary, the internal assessment prompts, and the underlying themes. Do they all connect cohesively?

Plagiarism and Citation Checks

With the exhaustion setting in, it’s easy to overlook minor details like proper citation or even accidental plagiarism. Ensure that all your sources are correctly cited, and run your work through a plagiarism checker just to be safe.

Final Run-Throughs

Last but not least, simulate a final presentation. Pretend you’re presenting it to an examiner and gauge how you’d score. It can be an eye-opening exercise and help you spot areas that need more polishing.

Pay attention to the technical aspects. Ensure your high-quality digital images and file types are supported and all your work is saved and backed up. The last thing you want is a technical glitch ruining months of hard work.

How to Ensure You Don’t Miss the TOK Exhibition Deadlines?

Marking the date is just the beginning; ensuring you meet the TOK exhibition deadline requires a well-oiled machine of strategies and habits. It’s a blend of discipline, cooperation, and regular progress assessments.

Set Multiple Reminders

Don’t just mark the date and forget about it. Instead, set multiple reminders leading up to the TOK exhibition deadline. As I always say, build in reminders at one month, one week, and then daily reminders the week of the deadline. The aim is to keep the due date on your radar. Your future self will undoubtedly express gratitude for this level of organization.

Collaborate, Don’t Isolate

While the TOK exhibition is your project, consider the power of collective brainpower. Create a study group or a community with your classmates where you can discuss progress, share tips, and even offer moral support. Trust me; this community can serve as a real-time accountability system.

One of the most effective ways to stay on track is to have regular check-ins with your TOK teacher or mentor. They can provide insights you have missed, enhancing the quality of your work. These everyday interactions can serve as mini-deadlines, keeping you committed to continuous progress.

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Addressing Procrastination When Working on the TOK Exhibition

The challenges of procrastination and feeling overwhelmed are things we’ve all experienced at one point or another. From my experience, the key to overcoming these hurdles lies in effective time management and task breakdown.

Setting manageable goals by breaking the larger project into smaller tasks can be an antidote to overwhelm. This strategy transforms a daunting project into achievable milestones, offering boosts of motivation each time you check one off the list.

But what about procrastination, that ever-tempting desire to put off work? The key here is to identify the distractions that often lead you astray and actively work on eliminating them. Recognizing these triggers is the first step to overcoming procrastination, whether it’s social media, a noisy environment, or even emotional stress.

Coupled with this awareness, stress management techniques such as mindfulness or deep-breathing exercises can help maintain balance and focus. Together, these strategies offer a dual approach to staying on course as you approach the TOK exhibition deadline.

Wrapping Up on TOK Exhibition Deadline

Remember that the TOK exhibition is not just about meeting a deadline. It’s an opportunity to reflect, showcase, and shine. In my opinion, with the right mindset and preparation, you can turn this daunting task into a rewarding experience. I wish all the hard-working IB students good luck!

By the way, if you can’t meet the deadline and don’t have time to complete your TOK exhibition, our experienced IB writers can always help!

Liliana Duman

Liliana Duman has a strong background in teaching English language, having graduated from Hacettepe University’s English Language Teaching Department in 2008. With over two decades of experience in the field, she has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with her students. In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Liliana holds a master’s in Teaching Turkish as a Second Language and has previously worked at Başkent and Hacettepe University in Ankara. Currently, she is an EFL instructor at Sakarya University, teaching various skills, including methodology, speaking, reading, writing, and listening. In addition to her teaching, Liliana has also contributed to material development and testing efforts. As well as her work as a teacher, Liliana is an experienced private online ToK essay tutor, providing personal help for both IB ToK students and teachers in all aspects of IB ToK essays and exhibitions. She is dedicated to helping her students succeed and achieve their full potential. In her spare time, Liliana also writes articles for buytokessay.com, sharing her expertise and insights on ToK with a wider audience.

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Table of contents

Writing Metier

The TOK essay is one of the parts of the IB program that many students find very challenging. The main reason for this is that the structure of the essay is unique. But with ample knowledge and using relevant examples, it can be done correctly. Many students are also concerned about the TOK essay deadline. You may ask “Why?”

Many students struggle with meeting deadlines with so much to do all at once. However, as a student, this is one of the most important things you should always do. Managing deadlines is not as hard as it seems. With the right amount of planning, you can manage things rather well!

To find out more about the IB TOK essay deadline of 2023 /2024 , and do not want to miss any more deadlines again, continue reading this article! I tried to focus on the most challenging questions regarding the deadlines for your TOKs. Enjoy reading 😉

The TOK essay deadline is usually around February/March every year. However, schools are the ones who traditionally set internal deadlines, so students need to get in touch with their IB schools to get more information on when they need to submit their TOK essays. This depends on when they feel it is the best time to submit.

Schools usually have an internal procedure to set these deadlines based on that. When students want to learn more about the TOK essay deadline date, this must be kept in mind. This is the right that schools have, and students need to know this to be able to proceed well further.

Two different submissions according to the selected IB program

Essentially, two submissions happen yearly for the TOK essay- one in November and one in May. So for that, it is essential first to consider the period in which you appear. Then you can understand these things in a much better way. Not forgetting to select one of the TOK prescribed titles proposed by IBO.

It is important that you get all the information from your school because your school first verifies your essay. This can take a few days. All schools have different procedures, so all of this happens in line with that. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with your school to find out all that you need to know.

If your school doesn’t verify your essay, it won’t be counted. So you first need to get in touch with your IB school for everything you know. They are the ones who will guide you throughout and make you understand things in a better way.

What is the submission deadline for TOK essay in 2023/2024?

IBO sets no exact submission deadline for students. It only guides schools on how and when to provide all the submitted papers to the organization. So you can’t make an end run without your school’s cooperation. It would help if you first found out all about their policies and procedures, only after which you can fully understand what needs to be done.

Schools have a right to set their own deadlines . However, there’s a certain point after which they do not accept more submissions. So to make sure you are on the right track, you need first to get all the information you need.

Once you have that, you can plan your TOK essay accordingly and then work to ensure that you can get things done in due time. As a student, one of the most important things you need to do is plan things accordingly. If you are diligent, you can manage things in a given time frame and also not miss the deadline.

The TOK essay requires you to plan the day properly first. Since the structure of the essay is unique, you first need to understand things correctly to score well. Not just that, but you also need to have the correct examples for scoring well.

If you plan well and work according to how things are planned, you can get TOK done well. The idea is to ensure that you work in the given time frame.

⏭ urgent help with your TOK essay ⏮

Meanwhile, if you need any sort of assistance with your paper, feel free to order a custom TOK essay here at Writing Metier. Our IB experts with years of experience can cover a TOK essay on any selected title. No matter the WOKs or AOKs, our writers will cover your TOK essay following all the latest IB criteria , including the RLS, following the word count, etc.

So what to do to get the exact TOK deadline from school?

What you need to do firsthand is to ask your DP coordinator for your local deadline. Once you have all the necessary information, you can select your TOK essay prompt and work accordingly to ensure things are done correctly. Remember that this is a huge chunk of your grade, so it only makes sense that you approach this with a vision in mind to ensure that you can get things done in the right way.

So if you are still thinking about your TOK essay upload date and time, quickly get in touch with your DP coordinator since they can guide you best in this regard!

Free topic suggestions

Vasy kafidoff.

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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What’s the Deadline for Submitting your TOK Essay?

Table of contents.

The Theory of Knowledge essay is an important part of any International Baccalaureate curriculum. It is a written assignment that tests a student’s ability to think critically about a given topic and form an argument based on research. The TOK essay is unique in that it has a specific structure and focuses on different ways of knowing, thinking, and learning.

The purpose of the TOK essay is to demonstrate how well a student can interpret, evaluate, and communicate different types of knowledge. It also allows students to engage with philosophical concepts and explore their own creativity. By writing a TOK essay, students gain insight into their own world views, as well as those of their peers.

When it comes to writing a TOK essay , there are three key concepts to keep in mind – the focus of the essay (the target search terms), the argument that the essay makes, and the evidence that supports the argument. The target search terms are the keywords used when researching the essay topic. These terms will guide the student as they look for evidence in books, articles, lectures, and other sources. The student must then use this evidence to form an argument and structure their essay. Finally, the essay must be formatted according to the guidelines provided by the IB program.

Writing a TOK essay can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. By following the steps outlined in this guide, students can feel confident that they are on the right track to submitting a top-notch TOK essay on time.

What’s the Deadline for Submitting your TOK Essay?

Step 1: Doing Your Research

Doing your research is the most important step in writing a successful TOK essay. To make sure you score top marks and get the best possible result, it is essential that you have a good understanding of the topic and have done your research properly.

Start by reading up on the subject and familiarising yourself with all the key concepts. If you are struggling to understand any of the terms, try looking them up online or talking to someone who has more experience with the subject.

Next, you need to find some reliable sources for your essay. Make sure you are using reputable websites and don’t use any unreliable sources as this could lead to weaker arguments and even poorer grades.

You should also make sure to look at different perspectives, so that you can build a more detailed argument. Read multiple books and articles to ensure you have a thorough understanding of the topic.

Finally, make sure to write down any quotes or ideas you find while researching. This will help you to think of new ways to approach the topic and may provide inspiration for later drafts of your essay.

By following these tips and doing your research properly, you will be well on your way to writing an outstanding TOK essay.

Brainstorming and Structuring Your TOK Essay

Introduction: The introduction should provide an overview of your essay and explain why the topic is important.
Body: This is where you will present your argument and evidence, as well as any counter-arguments or opposing views.
Conclusion: Sum up your argument and tie together any loose ends in your essay.

Step 3: Writing Drafts

How to write a draft.

Create an outline: Break your essay into sections and subsections that support your main argument. This can help keep your writing focused, clear and organized.
Evaluate your work: Once you’ve written the first draft, read through it carefully and make notes on any areas that you feel could be improved. Are there any gaps in your argument that need to be filled? Is the structure cohesive? What could be made clearer?
Revise and edit: Use your notes to make changes in the second draft. If possible, have someone else look through it for you to catch mistakes you might have missed.

The Importance Of Revision

Step 4: final touches.

The fourth and final step in submitting a successful TOK essay is to give it the finishing touches. Writing multiple drafts of your essay is important, but these drafts may still not be up to submission standards. This is why it’s essential to do an extensive edit and proofread of your essay before handing it in.

Editing is the process of refining your essay by adjusting sentences, paragraphs, and ideas so they flow in a logical order. When editing, consider whether there are better ways to communicate your argument, or if any part of the essay can be restructured. You should also look out for any typos or spelling mistakes in the text.

Proofreading is the last step of the writing process and involves meticulously going through each word and punctuation mark to make sure the sentence structure and punctuation is correct. You should double-check that all the references you used in the essay are formatted correctly, and any additional sources you may have added are cited properly.

It’s also important to add any further references or links that support your argument. This step is essential for making your work more reliable. Try to find sources from reputable organizations or institutions, and make sure that the information you’re adding is up to date and relevant.

By taking the time to edit and proofread your TOK essay, you can ensure that your work is of the highest quality and meets the criteria for submission.

What is the Deadline?

It is absolutely essential that you meet the deadline for submitting your TOK essay. The timeline for submitting your essay will depend on you or your school’s individual circumstances, but it is important to be aware of the deadlines and ensure that your essay is submitted in good time.

In general, students and schools should aim to submit the TOK essay at least two weeks before the start of the exam. This means that if your exam starts on June 1st, your essay should be submitted no later than May 15th. It is important to note that some schools and universities may have slightly different timelines, so you should always check with your school or university to find out their specific deadlines.

It is also important to be aware of the consequences of missing the deadline. If you are a student, you may not be allowed to sit for the exam. If you are a school, you may be penalized for late submission. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you are aware of the relevant deadlines and remain vigilant to ensure that your essay is submitted on time.

In conclusion, it is essential that you understand and adhere to the timeline for submitting your TOK essay. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the relevant deadlines and ensure that you submit the essay in good time. By taking these simple steps, you can ensure that you do not miss the deadline and avoid any potential penalties.

Finishing Up

We hope this guide has been helpful in preparing you for the TOK essay. Writing a great essay can be a challenge, but by doing your research, getting organized, and staying on top of your deadlines, you’ll have a greater chance of success.

Don’t forget to proofread your essay several times before submitting it. This will help you to check for any mistakes and make sure that your essay is free from grammatical and spelling errors.

Finally, if you’re having difficulty meeting the deadline, don’t panic. Talk to your teacher or your parents, as they can offer you advice and support. Also, take advantage of all the available resources, such as websites and books, to help you write a successful TOK essay.

We wish you the best of luck with your TOK essay!

International Context

For international students, it is important to be aware of the regulations and guidelines for submitting a TOK essay. While all students must adhere to the wider frameworks set out by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for the essay, there can be important differences between countries.

For example, in some countries the grading system may be different or the format of the final essay can have specific requirements. As such, it is important to check this information with your local school or institution before starting the writing process.

It is also important to note that the deadline for submission of the essay may vary from country to country. Some countries may require the essay to be completed in one academic year while others may adopt a more relaxed approach and allow students more time to submit their essays.

In addition, some international schools may apply specific rules regarding how to structure the essay and what topics students are permitted to write about. For instance, some countries may require the inclusion of certain cultural references in the essay or may even require students to use particular software.

To ensure you meet the requirements of your institution, read the guidelines closely and make sure you research thoroughly.

By understanding the regulations and guidelines for international students, it is possible to make sure that the TOK essay is up to the highest standard and is submitted on time.

Tips and Resources for Submitting Your TOK Essay on Time

Submitting your TOK essay can be a daunting task. Writing quality, argumentative essays requires lots of research, organization, structure and editing. The tight timeline prescribed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) program may seem intimidating, but there are tips and resources that you can use to make sure your essay is submitted on time.

Start by setting up a timeline. Make sure to give yourself plenty of cushion time so you don’t have to rush your essay at the last minute. Plan out when you will do your research, brainstorm your topic, write drafts, edit, and submit. Utilise free online tools like Google Calendar or a Plain Text editor to help track your progress and deadlines.

Set aside regular times each week to work on your essay. Aim to make progress everyday, even if that progress is small. Break the process into manageable chunks and focus on one element at a time instead of trying to tackle everything all at once.

Finally, take advantage of the wealth of online resources available. Look up trusted scientific sources, websites, and blogs. Ask teachers and fellow students for help with understanding the material. Utilise online proofreading tools to help edit and refine your writing. Take advantage of online essay writing services to get feedback from professional editors.

These tips and resources can help you make sure your TOK essay is great and submitted on time. Remember, it is much easier to make steady progress toward your goal than it is to scramble at the last minute. So take the time to set up a timeline, break the process into manageable chunks, and utilise the wealth of online resources available.

Writing a good TOK essay can be a daunting task – especially when it comes to meeting the deadline. We hope that this guide has been helpful in giving you an insight into writing a TOK essay, from researching to formatting and submitting the final copy.

It’s important to remember that by using the available resources, you can ensure that you meet the deadline for your TOK essay. Take some time to explore all the options available – from online tutors to sample essays and useful tips – so that you can submit a top-quality essay on time.

We also encourage you to stay up to date with your local examinations board or school guidelines when submitting a TOK essay. This will help ensure that you meet the correct deadline and don’t incur any penalties.

By following these simple steps and utilising the available resources, you can easily submit your TOK essay on time and get one step closer to achieving your educational goals.

Citing Sources

When writing an essay, it is essential to include references to the sources that you have used. This allows readers to verify the accuracy of your statements, as well as being able to investigate further. Therefore, at the end of your TOK essay, you should include a comprehensive list of all sources that you have used throughout the article.

Including references will also help to boost the overall credibility of your essay. By citing authoritative sources, you can show the reader that you have done your research and provide evidence to back up any claims that you make.

When citing sources, it is important to use the correct format. There are different formats for different types of source material, such as books, journals or websites. It is best to check with your teacher to ensure that you are using the correct style.

In addition to providing a comprehensive list of all the sources used in your essay, it is also useful to add any further links or resources that readers may find useful. This could include additional information on the topic or related articles that discuss similar issues.

By adding these extra resources, you can provide your readers with a wealth of information to explore further. Remember to include these references as part of your list of sources as this will help to keep your citations accurate.

So, when submitting your TOK essay, it is important to include a list of all the sources used. This should be accurately formatted and include any additional resources that the reader may wish to explore.

Last Edit 15 AUG 2023

Nick Radlinsky

Nick Radlinsky is a devoted educator, marketing specialist, and management expert with more than 15 years of experience in the education sector. After obtaining his business degree in 2016, Nick embarked on a quest to achieve his PhD, driven by his commitment to enhancing education for students worldwide. His vast experience, starting in 2008, has established him as a reputable authority in the field.

Nick's article, featured in Routledge's " Entrepreneurship in Central and Eastern Europe: Development through Internationalization ," highlights his sharp insights and unwavering dedication to advancing the educational landscape. Inspired by his personal motto, "Make education better," Nick's mission is to streamline students' lives and foster efficient learning. His inventive ideas and leadership have contributed to the transformation of numerous educational experiences, distinguishing him as a true innovator in his field.

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Example essays

As part of theory of knowledge (TOK), each student chooses one essay title from six issued by International Baccalaureate®(IB).

The titles change in each examination session.

Upcoming and past questions include:

“To what extent are areas of knowledge shaped by their past? Consider with reference to two areas of knowledge.”
“'There is no reason why we cannot link facts and theories across disciplines and create a common groundwork of explanation.' To what extent do you agree with this statement?”
“There is no such thing as a neutral question. Evaluate this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.”
“'The task of history is the discovering of the constant and universal principles of human nature.' To what extent are history and one other area of knowledge successful in this task?”

Further guidance on the TOK essay and exhibition can be found in the IB’s Programme Resource Centre (PRC) .

Materials in the PRC are only available to existing IB World Schools. These materials are free.

There are a number of resources on TOK in the IB Store , which are available to everyone.

Find out how to become an IB World School .

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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

Purpose of tok, assessment of tok, the game plan, execution of the gameplan, planning for tok essay, structure of tok essay, introduction, conclusions, bibliography.

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.

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.

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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Jul 10, 2023
12 min read

November 2023 TOK Essay Titles Explained with Examples

The prescribed titles for the November 2023 TOK Essay has been released! Here are all the titles with detailed explanation and examples to get you started:

Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

If "the mathematician's patterns, like the painter's and the poet's, must be beautiful" (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.

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.

Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

Is it always the case that "the world isn't just the way I is, it is how we understand it - and in understanding something, we bring something to it" (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.

Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Below are the explanations. If you need help with TOK concepts and how to write a good essay, check out the resources in the TOK subject page!

While an initially simple prompt, sometimes the simplest statements are also the hardest to prove. I definitely feel that this is the case here. This prompt hinges on how you would personally define facts. In the TOK course, we know that knowledge is produced when someone proposes a knowledge claim, which is subsequently justified or disproven by suitable evidence. This title essentially asks of you to decide whether "facts" by themselves are sufficient evidence for us to prove a claim to be true, and hence consider it knowledge.

You may think that you have a good understanding of what 'facts' are. You have seen quick facts, cold facts, fun facts, etc... all pointing to little nuggets of information which we consider true. The question is though, how did they become true in the first place? In some areas of knowledge, 'facts' are pretty obvious. 1 + 1 = 2 is a true fact within the area of Mathematics. A Helium atom has 2 protons is a fact within the Natural Sciences. However, what constitutes facts in the Arts, History or Human Sciences?

Every single AOK has a different way of producing and dealing with 'facts'. Mathematics has their foundational axioms, the most basic set of facts that sets out how the whole AOK itself works so that things like 1 + 2 = 2 + 1 is true without us having to prove it. From there, mathematical knowledge builds upon these axioms and into a variety of sub disciplines within the AOK, developing into things like the Pythagoras Theorem or the triangle inequality, etc. Natural Science research nowadays builds upon the research done in the past. So knowledge we know to be true from before is applied to further what is to be known within the AOK to verify new claims. So it seems that perhaps facts play an important role at least in some AOKs, but is it the only requirement to produce new knowledge and justify claims? We know that in natural sciences, we tend to experiment and observe to ultimately prove or disprove a hypothesis. Without experimentation, and only using the facts we already know, it seems a bit tricky to further what we know!

I encourage you to revisit the TOK 101 page and find out more about the different stages of knowledge. Consider how facts are important in each stage of knowledge, but focusing primarily on how knowledge is produced in each AOK. How does knowledge evolve in each AOK? Can it develop organically solely from the facts we have now or does it require some additional input from other types of evidence?

The title is very specific, requiring discussion of mathematics and arts inline with the quote. It seems to propose that mathematics shares similar artistic properties with the arts (with examples such as paintings and poetry). You may have heard of the saying that Mathematics is a beautiful language or something to that effect. There have been discussions on the internet that beyond high school mathematics, mathematics can develop into quite a creative and artistic discipline. Mathematics has been used to creatively construct art! One obvious example (thus one that you probably shouldn't use in your essay) is fractals :

You can read more about the mathematical patterns behind fractals, but it is one artistic representation of mathematics.

While this prompt seems quite abstract at first, it does raise a good question about the intentions of producing knowledge in each AOK. Is it the purpose of the Arts to 'look pretty' and make us go "WOW that's so beautiful"? Conversely, is mathematics meant to be function first, form second or vice versa?

There are plenty of examples where art isn't meant to be pretty. There is a famous photograph of the chaos and brutality of the Vietnam war that is pretty infamous (do a quick google search!). Even if it isn't beautiful in the traditional sense, can it be considered beautiful in another perspective, especially considering the intention of why this was produced and what knowledge this produced? Similarly, mathematics tends to have the association that it is practical to real life and helps us solve some problems. Does mathematics have value if mathematical knowledge is produced without an immediate benefit or application? This is the world that pure mathematicians live in. While applied mathematicians can directly show their relevance and practicality of produced knowledge, it might not always be 'beautiful' in the artistic sense, but it can be 'beautiful' in its ability to capture the complex world. At the same time, if mathematics is purely beautiful in a satisfying sense (think when you factorise a quadratic and how it simplifies down to something solvable), but with no immediate practicality, is it still worth producing?

The key to this prompt is not to dispute the notion of the given quote. Yes, I know it's probably not the best quote, but think about the variations of how you can interpret the quote, rather than being either for or against the quote.

This title might be very appealing to students. I'm sure we have all experienced the importance of good scientific communication from trusted experts during the pandemic. We based our behaviour on them. When they told us to stay home, we (mostly) did, and we followed advice to get vaccinated, etc. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some that are completely ignorant of expert advice, calling this pandemic a hoax, and the vaccine a conspiracy. While there is common consensus that this ignorance is very dangerous, this prompt is quite interesting in prompting us to think about whether we should be trusting these experts completely, especially when the stakes are so high!

Experts often get things wrong, and when they do, we hope they will admit it readily even if it hurts their credibility. Credibility is key for us to accept expert advice. So this raises an important point - what makes an expert? Is it truly a person with the most knowledge about a topic or who is PERCEIVED to be so? Ideally, experts fit both of those criteria, but sometimes it is one or the other. At the same time, are experts immune from bias and other common human failures? NO! Then again, even if they have their failings, we can think about what is our level of tolerance for expert opinions and 'going at it alone' by not trusting them at all.

The prescribed AOK of human sciences is quite interesting. As you know, we are some complex people. Economists are either praised or blasted for their predictions about the economy all the time! Do you listen to economists about their market predictions? There is a joke that there will always be an economist somewhere in the world saying a recession is imminent no matter how the actual economy is doing. Can we really capture something as complex as humanity and let some experts give us advice that we trust to be 100%, unfailingly true? That doesn't seem to be wise. At the same time, it also doesn't seem wise that when 99% of economists warn us that inflation is getting out of hand for us to do nothing about it. So is it a numbers game? As more 'experts' say the same thing, and corroborate each other, we have a confidence to trust them unquestionably?

Ultimately, the conclusion seems pretty clear from the get go for this prompt. It is almost always unwise to just trust something or someone 100% and also unwise to go to the other extreme. While we can be tempted to do so, it is important we maintain a critical lens. If you are tackling this title, focus on the nuance between these two extremes presented, and show that both share common flaws in their approach to how knowledge is considered and acquired.

This prompt starts with the assumption that knowledge is produced according to the values of the producers. To what extent this is a problem is the issue here at hand here. First think of how knowledge is influenced by values. There was once a time when slavery was considered acceptable, and if you look all literary works around that time, it wouldn't be unusual to see examples of such and the use of what we now consider inappropriate language when referring to African-Americans, for example. Social values do change over time, examples including gay marriage, sexualisation and nudity of the body, dealing with minorities and racism, and even climate change. In some AOKs, this may be more apparent (i.e. History and the Arts) but what of something like mathematics? Can societal values influence them too?

When discussing whether this is problematic, other than considering the extent that values influence knowledge, also consider the implications this has on the perspectives of knowledge that are made available. Who determines these values is also of contention. This brings to mind propaganda and the various ways the 'values' of some power behind knowledge creation can greatly distort the knowledge that is produced. You may have some ideas on the problems that arise when we bring our values into the knowledge we produce, but to some extent this is inevitable. After all, the knowledge we produce simply reflects what we are interested in learning about, and willing to discover more of. The question is, how does each AOK handle changing values over time?

Every AOK has a different way of handling changing values. Long ago, we believed that we were the centre of the earth. How did the Natural Sciences overcome this long held belief? Conversely, how do we ensure that history remains accurate and isolated from the potential bias that could be introduced due to the values of the people that first wrote it? In History, revisionism describes the process of how we reevaluate history consistently to ensure that we always have the most accurate depiction of the past according to our current lens. There will be a time when our lens becomes outdated in the future, so what is the role of the Historian? Remember, knowledge is rarely ever fixed or 'done'. There is always more to know and more to discover, so how WE view knowledge in the past, and how someone in the future views the knowledge we make now will have large implications on the approach we take when producing knowledge. How can you ensure that someone interpreting knowledge in the future won't misconstrue what we are trying to say now? Could having differing interpretations according to different values be a benefit?

For some AOKs, the issue of values isn't that prominent. Why is that the case? It is good to explore in this title, the reasoning behind why values often influence the knowledge we produce, how we decide to mitigate or deal with this reality and how these approaches to do so differ between AOKs according to the nature that the knowledge is initially produced and then now consumed.

Is it always the case that "the world isn't just the way it is, it is how we understand it - and in understanding something, we bring something to it" (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.

In some less convoluted English, this prompt essentially asks whether we colour the knowledge we acquire and bring our own perspectives and interpretation to knowledge. If you think this is quite abstract, think about this example: you have likely done a book report before. It will almost always ask you what you thought of the book and people will have different thoughts. This demonstrates the essence of this title! We all have our own thoughts and ideas about the knowledge we acquire. When we learn new things, we might put our own spin to it, and try and explain it to ourselves and our friends in our own unique way. So, it is likely that there are some cases where this idea of us bringing our own ideas into the knowledge we acquire is valid, but there maybe other times that this doesn't happen. As with most things in TOK, there is a spectrum of the extent in which we 'bring something' to the things we learn.

Some AOKs actively encourage this sort of self-inquisition. While artists probably created their art to have a specific meaning, you are often encouraged to come up with your own interpretation of the art, as it may mean something very personal to you according to your background and life experiences. No one person would interpret a work the same way as you, and that is how the AOK of Art intends it. So clearly, some AOKs encourage this sort of interpretation, why might they do so? On the other hand, some AOKs require some very exact and objective interpretation of evidence and knowledge, so it might be that this sort of malleability when we acquire it is undesired. What issues do you foresee might arise when we bring our own interpretation to knowledge acquired? How each AOK deals with the idea of bring our own perspectives into acquired knowledge speaks a lot about its intention and purpose.

The prompt also asks us to consider whether we are really getting the knowledge of the 'true world as it is' or just the way we perceive the world. This is most prominent in the natural sciences where we try to observe the natural world by attempting to minimise our effects on it. We are effective at doing so to various extents, but can we ever really observe something as they are? Similarly, and perhaps even more difficult for the Human Sciences, how can you observe a human being's behaviour knowing that they are being watched, or that they are participating in an experiment? Does this invalidate any findings within the human sciences because we know we might be involved in it? In most cases, knowledge is generated from the lens of humanity - individuals like us! And for the most part, it is consumed by individuals like us as well. Can we ever have knowledge that is independent of humanity so that we are really watching the world as it is, rather than having our own input on it?

Big data and data science is a hot field right now because of exactly this problem - we have too much data and we don't really know how to handle it! You might have experienced this personally during your studies in the IB. Out of a 500 page textbook, what will you choose to learn? You likely won't know every exact detail within that textbook for your exams, but you will understand the key points as it pertains to the syllabus and the key techniques that you need to answer exam problems. In a similar way, people select knowledge they wish to acquire all the time. With the advent of search engines and wikipedias, there are limitless amounts of knowledge to be known, but only so much that we want to know. So it makes sense to ask ourselves, what criteria do we use to select what information we choose to get, what knowledge to acquire? That is the essence of the title.

When we choose some knowledge and leave out others, does this create any risk? What if we were missing out on some important perspectives? We must all have experienced a familiar feeling of thinking we are prepared for an exam, but it turns out that we missed a crucial part of the topic and subsequently bombed the exam. Now imagine this effect magnified to more important applications - in the medical context, how can medical professionals make the most informed decision for their patients? It is not like they can consider all possible available scenarios and knowledge about their condition! Again, it goes to what we consider to be important for us to acquire and so let's think deeply about why we learn some things over other things. Is it interest that is driving us? Practicality?

Finally, one last thing to consider for this topic is what is the point of having more knowledge if most are going to be selected away?

So hopefully these explanations have helped you in deconstructing what initially might appear to be some intimidating prompts! Before you write your essay, make sure you plan it out and select good examples to back up your points. Check out some 10/10 TOK essay examples and identify their strengths will help a lot as well!

Unpacking the 2023 November TOK Titles: A Comprehensive IB Solved Guide

The November 2023 titles for the IB Theory of Knowledge Essay have been released! Let's face it – the TOK essay can be very intimidating. With so many topics to choose from and so many ideas bouncing around, it can be hard to know where to begin. That's where we come in. In this post, we'll take a closer look at each of the titles and give you some tips for approaching them.

General Tips to Unpacking a Title

Whenever we approach a prompt, we always want to think in terms of perspectives and counter-perspectives (for those who are familiar with the old syllabus, these were previously known as claims and counterclaims). This allows us to structure the essay within the two selected AOKs, creating four paragraphs directly addressing the title and with consideration of varying perspectives on the title. While the final conclusion that we draw will likely lie somewhere in the middle, or argue that each perspective is more/less correct in different circumstances, it is often helpful to think of the two extremes first before trying to come up with a more nuanced conclusion.

So let’s get into unpacking them – here is everything you need to know about each of the November 2023 TOK Essay titles:

Title 1: Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, History

For this title, the perspective and counter-perspective are straightforward – either facts alone are enough to prove a claim, or they are not.

Some ideas to think about which support the first perspective:

Facts are objective – By providing objective evidence for a claim, facts can be a highly reliable form of evidence to support claims made by knowers. This objectivity allows for the same claim to be proven across time, in different cultures and by unique knowers.

Facts allow for conclusions to be drawn through logic – By combining an array of established facts, deductive reasoning can be utilised to draw conclusions about the world and produce new knowledge. Often facts form the premises from which knowledge claims can be made, allowing a knower to prove a claim by first establishing a series of interconnected facts.

Facts can be tested – This is particularly important for science-based AOKs which rely upon falsification as an important method of producing new knowledge. Since facts can be tested, the veracity of a knower’s claim is always available to be disproven by empirical evidence.

For your counter-perspective, you have a far greater degree of freedom in your discussion. This is where you can really differentiate your essay from others, as it is your job to decide which other important elements beyond facts alone may be necessary to prove a claim. Some ideas from us:

Opinions – Whilst opinions lack the objectivity of facts, they are often important to proving knowledge claims, as these claims are often unable to be proven by facts alone. Rather inferences must be drawn to create meaning from facts. This can be illustrated through a very simple claim: Imagine for instance that we were trying to prove the claim that Germany were responsible for World War I. Whilst we could drawn upon facts, such as the fact that they issued a blank cheque to Austria-Hungary or the fact that they invaded Belgium in August 1914, ultimately we rely upon the opinions of historians in making a judgement on how important this was in the context of the war.

Personal Experience – Whilst personal experiences only provide anecdotal evidence and cannot allow us to draw broader conclusions, they may be necessary to prove a claim which involves emotion or personal beliefs.

Creativity – Creative thinking may be necessary to prove claims, particularly in the sciences, where facts alone are insufficient. For instance, scientific theories, whilst based in fact, are often dependent on analogies, comparisons and metaphor to explain abstract concepts for which there may not yet be any measurable or empirical evidence.

Title 2: If “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.

This title is far more intricate than the others, relying heavily upon the definitions you impose upon key terms. The concept of the “mathematician’s patterns” and the term “beautiful” must be defined in the opening of the essay, as this will restrict the scope of your knowledge exploration. The way in which we would recommend splitting up this topic would be to first discuss the impact upon the production of knowledge in mathematics and then within the Arts. Some ideas for the perspectives and counter-perspectives which you may explore include:

Beauty in Mathematics – You will want to consider the importance of beauty in Mathematics. This is not referring to beauty in the traditional sense but perhaps considering other ways in which Mathematics may be considered beautiful such as in its way of transforming complex real-world problems into simple symbols which can be solved. This can impact the production of knowledge as mathematicians may choose to ignore solutions which are complex and rough – in other words, ‘mathematically ugly’.

Beauty in Art – In discussing this AOK, you may consider the debate between aestheticism and purpose within the Arts – In other words, is Art merely supposed to ‘look good’ or does it have a greater purpose, and how does this relate to the production of knowledge in and through the Arts.

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.

Recommended AOKs: Human Sciences and Natural Sciences/History/Math

This title presents a very contemporary issue which is the questioning of experts and trust in the knowledge produced by experts. Nonetheless, there is a clear perspective and counter-perspective presented by this title – it is either more dangerous to follow experts unquestioningly or more dangerous to ignore them completely.

Some ideas relevant to the first perspective:

Evidence over Experts – By following experts unquestioningly, rather than examining the quality of their evidence and research methods, we fall into the trap of making arguments from authority without confirming that their conclusions are actually correct.

Subjective Experiences – While experts are helpful in drawing general conclusions/findings about the world, they do not account for subjective, individual experiences. This is particularly relevant in the Human Sciences, as theories and claims of human behaviour may not apply to all people due to the uniqueness of humans.

Lack of Progress – It is only by questioning established paradigms and claims made by existing experts that we are able to progress and acquire new knowledge. If all experts are followed unquestioningly, there can be no overhaul of existing knowledge when necessary.

Some ideas relevant to the counter-perspective:

Established Research Systems – Experts are trained in effective research methodologies and have systems to maximise the reliability of the claims they make. By ignoring experts, we are instead relying upon knowledge of laypeople whose claims have not been rigorously assessed for their veracity.

Manipulation and Logical Fallacies – By ignoring the claims of experts and instead acquiring knowledge through prominent figures such as celebrities and the media, we expose ourselves to manipulation and the array of logical fallacies employed by these individuals who have their own agenda beyond the dissemination of knowledge.

Knowledge Framework – Experts develop knowledge frameworks which can guide the production of new knowledge. By ignoring experts, we are often left to deal with problems on a case-by-case basis which can lead to a lack of consistency and structure within the knowledge which is acquired.

Title 4: Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: History, Arts, Human Sciences

This title has a focus on context and values, integral elements of the knowledge framework within the new syllabus. It also has two clear perspectives to be explored – the claim that it is problematic or the claim that it is not, keeping in mind that across both perspectives, it must be specified how knowledge is shaped by individual values.

Some ideas for the first perspective:

Bias – The shaping of knowledge by one’s individual values can create bias which may impede the reliability of knowledge produced through the lens of these values.

Subjectivity – If subjective beliefs founded in one’s values are imported into the production of knowledge which should be based on facts and evidence, this can be problematic for this knowledge.

Lack of Diversity/One-Sided Knowledge – When entire banks of knowledge are produced by individuals from the same background, culture, beliefs or school of thought, this can lead to the omission of other perspectives on an issue, which can limit the knowledge which is produced.

Individual Perspective are Important – It is often important for a knower to incorporate their own personal perspective in the production of knowledge as this is ultimately the only way in which interpretations and opinions beyond mere facts can be drawn.

Knowledge about the Knower – We can often learn more about a knower, their values and the social norms of their time when evaluating knowledge claims which are shaped by individual values, providing a second layer of ‘knowledge within knowledge’.

Specific Knowledge – Whilst not broadly applicable to people or contexts with different values, knowledge produced by those with particular individual values can be more specific and applicable to knowers within the same value system. This form of ‘insider knowledge’ may be shaped by the personal experiences of an individual, which is an asset to the production of knowledge rather than a hinderance.

Title 5: Is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way it is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.

This title touches upon the debate between objective and relativistic views of knowledge and the world. The phrase ‘is it always the case’ allows us to derive two perspectives to explore – it either is always the case or it is not. The first perspective requires arguments which explain why this may always be the case, whereas the second only requires you to provide some exceptions/circumstances in which this would not be the case.

Interpretation creates Meaning – It may be argued that all elements of the world must be interpreted and doing so involves the unique lens of each individual knower. In this way, what we bring to the production of knowledge is our own distinct interpretation of the world around us.

Questioning creates Meaning – We could also consider how the questions which knowers ask are unique and based upon our own individual understanding of the world. This means that something new is created each time a new knower attempts to understand the world, as the questions asked and curiosity of each individual provides a distinct approach to knowledge.

Some ideas for the counter-perspective:

Objectivity Exists – It may be argued that there are some elements of the world which are fixed, unquestionable and objective. These components of knowledge are not dependent upon the interpretation of the individual, as there should be objective standards from which everyone should draw the same conclusion.

Repeatability – Particularly in the Natural Sciences, there are some elements of knowledge which are repeatable and not reliant upon the interpretation of the individual knower. This concept of repeatability is a foundational tenet of the sciences and the production of new knowledge of the world around us.

Title 6: Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: Natural Sciences and Human Sciences/History/Arts

This title questions the way in which we determine whether a piece of information is significant for knowledge. Since this is a ‘how’ question, there are many perspectives which can be explored, rather than a clear binary of perspectives. Some ideas from us:

Selection through Merit – This concept is particularly relevant to the Natural Sciences, as the theories which are ultimately deemed as significant are those which are not falsified. This merit-based approach pits scientific theories against each other to determine which are significant for the acquisition of knowledge.

Selection through Structure and Processes – By establishing set systems and procedures for filtering the vast amount of information available within an AOK, we can make selections as to which knowledge is significant.

Selection through Applicability – When judging what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge, a knower may have to consider the vast amount of information and decipher which piece of information is most applicable to their context, values or specific circumstances.

So there you have it! By now, you should have a better idea about which TOK essay title stands out the most to you and maybe even a few ideas about what to write. But where do you begin? Don't worry, we understand that writing a Theory of Knowledge essay can be a daunting task, but with the help of our expert IB tutors, you'll be on your way to success in no time. Plus, with online IB tutoring available, you can get the help you need from anywhere in the world. Don't let the TOK essay stress you out – contact us today to learn more about our IB tutoring services and how we can help you succeed in your IB studies.

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November 2023 ToK Essay Titles

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Resources available for each November 2023 ToK Essay Title:

Essay 1: Facts alone prove a claim ?

Overview notes linked here
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Detailed Essay Guidance Notes linked here
Questions for AI linked here

Essay 2: Beautiful patterns of mathematicians & artists

Essay 3: dangerous experts , essay 4: problematic values , essay 5: understanding (life of pi) .

Overview notes linked here.
Video linked here .
Detailed Essay Guidance Notes linked here.
Questions for AI : linked here

Essay 6: Significant Information ?

Questions for AI linked here.

Frequently Asked Questions re. ToK Essay Guidance Notes.

The IB own the copyright to the IB November 2023 ToK Essay Titles, and they don’t allow people to repost them without written permission. We respect academic integrity, and the rights of IB. Therefore, I can only post ‘attenuated’ versions of the titles here. If you’re a student writing an essay for November 2023 ensure that you get the exact title from your teacher rather than use my ‘version’ of the essay title .

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Filter exemplars, to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one area of knowledge., 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., want to get full marks for your tok essay allow us to review it for you 🎯, is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., 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., are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, tok essay: 5. “how can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge”, 如果我们是在排除某些信息和声音的“信息同温层”里获取知识，这有关系吗请参考两个知识领域展开你的应答。, does it matter if our knowledge acquisition happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge, 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., 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., to what extent is the knowledge weproduce determined by the methodologieswe use, 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 natural science., êtes-vous d'accord qu'il est "étonnant que si peu de connaissance puissent nous donner autant de pouvoir" (bertrand russell) - discutez cette question en faisant référence aux sciences naturelles et à un autre domaine de la connaissance, est-il important que notre acquisition des connaissances se fasse dans des « bulles » où certaines informations et certaines voix sont exclues discutez cette question en faisant référence à deux domaines de la connaissance., 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., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two area of knowledge, are visual representations always helpful in communicating knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., are visual representations always useful in communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., for artists and natural scientists which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained, 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., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge, is replication necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two aoks..

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TOK ESSAY TITLE MAY 2023

Tok essay 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..

Title 6 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompt draws attention to the methods and tools used in the TOK knowledge framework.

The essay explores the extent to which the observations collected and evaluated through the use of methodologies impact the nature of newly produced knowledge. The focus lies on examining the influence of different methodologies on the contestability and accuracy of the knowledge produced.

In the field of history, primary sources may provide evidence for interpreting the past, raising questions about the reliability and biases associated with different historical methodologies.

Similarly, in the natural sciences, it is intriguing to investigate the nature of knowledge produced through empirical approaches, considering the role of experimentation, data collection, and analysis.

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.

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Deadline Extended: 2024 Translation Competition in Spanish and French

The MSU Translation Center and the Department of Romance and Classical Studies are proud to announce the launch of the first ever MSU Translation Competition.

Open to Spanish and French undergraduate students, the competition asks participants to translate a literary excerpt from their chosen source language into English and then reflect on the translation process in a short essay.

Awards will be given to the best translation in each language. Additionally, the best texts will be recognized and shared on the RCS website and other platforms.

If you’re interested in participating, click below.

MSU Translation Competition 2024, French (corrected 4/2/24)

MSU Translation Competition 2024, Spanish

New! Submission deadline extended until April 22nd at 11:59pm . If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to [email protected] .

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Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest

Their Story. Your Voice.

Your voice is your own. But it's also been impacted by others. Who, we wonder, has inspired you? Let us know by entering the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest.

You could win an $8,000 college scholarship

For the opportunity to win an $8,000 scholarship, submit a video or written essay about an individual you know personally (who lives in your community) who has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

The details

The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate Quarterly Contests - one for each calendar quarter of 2024. Regions is awarding four $8,000 scholarships through each Quarterly Contest.

Each Quarterly Contest has its own separate entry period, as provided in the chart below.

The entry deadline for each Quarterly Contest is 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date (set forth in the chart above).

No purchase or banking relationship required.

Regions believes in supporting the students whose passion and actions every day will continue to make stories worth sharing. That’s why we have awarded over $1 million in total scholarships to high school and college students.

How to enter, 1. complete an online quarterly contest application.

Enter the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest by completing a Quarterly Contest application. The second Quarterly Contest runs from April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024. Complete and save all requested information.

2. Prepare your Written Essay or Video Essay

For each Quarterly Contest, the topic of your Written Essay or Video Essay (your “Essay Topic”) must be an individual you know personally, who lives in your community. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must address how the individual you have selected as your Essay Topic has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

Written Essay and Video Essay submissions must meet all of the requirements described in the contest Official Rules. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must be (i) in English, (ii) your own original work, created solely by you (and without the use of any means of artificial intelligence (“AI”)), and (iii) the exclusive property of you alone.

Written Essays must be 500 words or less. You can write your Written Essay directly in the application, or you can copy and paste it into the appropriate area in the application form.

Video Essay submissions must be directly uploaded to the contest application site. Video Essays must be no more than 3 minutes in length and no larger than 1 GB. Only the following file formats are accepted: MP4, MPG, MOV, AVI, and WMV. Video Essays must not contain music of any kind nor display any illegal, explicit, or inappropriate material, and Video Essays must not be password protected or require a log-in/sign-in to view. You must upload your Video Essay to the application, and you may not submit your Video Essay in DVD or other physical form. (Video Essays submitted via mail will not be reviewed or returned.)

Tips to Record Quality Videos on a Smartphone:

Don’t shoot vertical video. Computer monitors have landscape-oriented displays, so shoot your video horizontally.
Use a tripod. Even small movements can make a big difference when editing.
Don’t use zoom. If you need to get a close shot of the subject, move closer as zooming can cause pixilation.
Use natural lighting. Smartphone lighting can wash out your video.

3. Review and submit your Quarterly Contest application

Review your information on your Quarterly Application (and check the spelling of a Written Essay) and submit your entry by 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date. The second Quarterly Contest period end date is June 30, 2024.

4. Await notification

Winning entries are selected by an independent panel of judges who are not affiliated with Regions. If your entry is selected as a Quarterly Contest winner, you will need to respond to ISTS with the required information.

Eligibility

For purposes of this contest:

The “Eligible States” are defined as the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
An “accredited college” is defined as a nonprofit, two- or four-year college or university located within one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.

To be eligible to enter this contest and to win an award in a Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must:

Be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States.
Be age 16 or older.
Have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation.
If you are not yet in college, begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year.
As of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no GPA is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school).

View Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP REQUIRED. PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest (the “Contest”) consists of four (4) separate quarterly contests (each a “Quarterly Contest”): (1) the “Q-1 Contest;” (2) the “Q-2 Contest;” (3) the “Q-3 Contest;” and (4) the “Q-4 Contest.” The Q-1 Contest begins on 02/01/24 and ends on 03/31/24; the Q-2 Contest begins on 04/01/24 and ends on 06/30/24; the Q-3 Contest begins on 07/01/24 and ends on 09/30/24; and the Q-4 Contest begins on 10/01/24 and ends on 12/31/24. (For each Quarterly Contest, entries must be submitted and received by 11:59:59 PM CT on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date.) To enter and participate in a particular Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must: (a) be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States; (b) be 16 years of age or older; (c) have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation; (d) (if you are not yet in college) begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year; and (e) as of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no grade point average is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school). (For purposes of Contest, the “Eligible States” are defined as the states of AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TN and TX.) Visit regions.com/ridingforward for complete Contest details, including eligibility and Written Essay and Video Essay requirements and Official Rules. (Limit one (1) entry per person, per Quarterly Contest.) For each Quarterly Contest, eligible entries will be grouped according to form of entry (Written Essay or Video Essay) and judged by a panel of independent, qualified judges. A total of four (4) Quarterly Contest Prizes will be awarded in each Quarterly Contest, consisting of two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Written Essay Entry Group and two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Video Essay Entry Group. Each Quarterly Contest Prize consists of a check in the amount of $8,000 made out to winner’s designated accredited college. (Limit one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize per person; a contestant is permitted to win only one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize through the Contest.) Sponsor: Regions Bank, 1900 Fifth Ave. N., Birmingham, AL 35203.

2023 Winners

High school:.

Amyrrean Acoff
Leon Aldridge
Kharis Andrews
Colton Collier
Indya Griffin
Christopher Hak
Aquil Hayes
Jayden Haynes
McKenna Jodoin
Paris Kelly
Liza Latimer
Dylan Lodle
Anna Mammarelli
Karrington Manley
Marcellus Odum
Gautami Palthepu
Melody Small
Lauryn Tanner
Joshua Wilson
Mohamed Ali
Kayla Bellamy
Lauren Boxx
Alexandria Brown
Samuel Brown
Thurston Brown
Conner Daehler
Tsehai de Souza
Anjel Echols
Samarion Flowers
Trinity Griffin
Kristina Hilton
Ryan Jensen
Miracle Jones
Shaniece McGhee
Chelby Melvin
Lamiya Ousley
Kiera Phillips
Gabrielle Pippins
Ethan Snead
Sydney Springs
Kirsten Tilford
Tamira Weeks
Justin Williams

2022 Winners

Paul Aucremann
William Booker
Robyn Cunningham
Kani'ya Davis
Oluwatomi Dugbo
Lillian Goins
Parker Hall
Collin Hatfield
Gabrielle Izu
Kylie Lauderdale
Jacob Milan
Jackson Mitchell
Carmen Moore
Madison Morgan
Kaden Oquelí-White
Kaylin Parks
Brian Perryman
De'Marco Riggins
Brianna Roundtree
Sydney Russell
Carlie Spore
Morgan Standifer
Ionia Thomas
Ramaya Thomas
Jaylen Toran
Amani Veals
Taylor Williams
Alana Wilson
Taryn Wilson
Aryaunna Armstrong
Hannah Blackwell
T'Aneka Bowers
Naomi Bradley
Arianna Cannon
Taylor Cline
Catherine Cummings
Margaret Fitzgerald
Chloe Franklin
Camryn Gaines
Thomas Greer
Kayla Helleson
Veronica Holmes
Logan Kurtz
Samuel Lambert
Jaylon Muchison
Teresa Odom
Andrew Payne
Carey Price
Emily SantiAnna
Curtis Smith
Jered Smith
Mariah Standifer
Maura Taylor
Anna Wilkes

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April 11, 2024

Staff Excellence: Office of Admissions

Purdue University’s Office of Admissions team.

It’s a scene played out every fall. Tens of thousands of prospective college students around the world submit their applications to Purdue University, hoping their academic achievements, cocurricular activities, honors and awards are competitive enough to secure a spot in one of its more than 200 undergraduate programs.

This flurry of activity marks one of the Office of Admissions’ peak seasons. From November to January, admissions counselors are charged with reviewing and scoring every single undergraduate application, and for the most recent admissions cycle, that number soared to more than 78,500.

“I think sometimes folks assume that we throw everything into a spreadsheet and sort it based on test scores, GPAs or other numerical data,” says Mitch Warren , assistant vice provost and director of admissions. “We’re very proficient in Excel, but that’s not how we make decisions. There are real people here who are actually reviewing everything that is sent in. We aim for zero errors and try to make the right decision the first time, and I think we’ve been successful in navigating the increase in applications.”

Though crucial to the university’s sustained success, the application review process only scrapes the surface of the vast amount of work completed by the Office of Admissions team. These 77 full-time staff members and 156 student employees — often the first point of contact for prospective Boilermakers — help students and families seamlessly navigate the college search and selection process year-round, whether they’re in student-facing roles answering phone calls, arranging meetings and facilitating campus visits or part of the behind-the-scenes operations team coordinating application materials and documents.

Student employees take on a variety of roles within the Office of Admissions. Some field questions in the call center or assist drop-in visitors at the front desk. Some engage with current and prospective students during the admissions recruitment process. And others guide groups around campus during daily tours, pointing out landmarks, sharing key details about university programs and resources, and mastering the art of walking backward.

During the 2022-23 academic year, Office of Admissions employees welcomed approximately 27,000 guests to Purdue through its daily visit presentation , which gives an overview of the application and evaluation process, followed by a tour of the West Lafayette academic and residential campus. Another 46 groups of middle and high school students were given tours during the office’s group campus visits offered during the school year.

Meanwhile, admissions counselors met with anywhere from 10 to 80 students and families each week to help them explore their options and guide them toward their vision for the future, even if that vision doesn’t include a Purdue education.

“Everything at Purdue is good — some things are phenomenal — but we try to guide students to the right place,” Warren says. “Sometimes that’s Purdue, and other times it isn’t. And if it isn’t, we would never try to convince a student to enroll. We try to do the right thing.”

It’s team members like Ja’Niah Downing who bring that mantra to life. As associate director, Downing is charged with creating a vision for the office’s recruitment plans to broaden pathways for first-generation and under-resourced students. He oversees a team that includes two early outreach coordinators — individuals based in Lake and Marion counties who connect with middle and high school students to help them prepare for and better understand the college search and selection process.

“You have to see how important this job is beyond who you are as a professional,” Downing says. “You are dealing with people’s futures, their lives, their potential and opportunities, and if you don’t realize the weight of what you’re doing, you will not give the effort necessary to help these students.”

Admissions counselors and senior staff members like Downing travel all over the country to share information about Purdue with college-seeking students. During the 2022-23 academic year, staff visited 1,190 high schools. They attended 669 college fairs around the world. And they participated in a variety of community events like college application boot camps, essay writing workshops, the Indiana Black Expo and the Indiana State Fair.

Once application decisions are released, the work continues. Staff collaborate with the Purdue Recruitment Council and various campus units to organize a host of events to welcome these admitted students back to West Lafayette. Nearly 6,000 total guests attended the university’s seven Purdue’s for Me events in 2023, over 200 participated in Purdue Diversity Day and 840 took part in admitted student daily visits.

No matter the season, month or week, Office of Admissions employees are committed to sharing Purdue’s excellence with students near and far to help them manifest their dreams of pursuing a higher education degree. It’s a big challenge, but they rise to meet it year after year, day after day.

“We just want to make sure students know Purdue University is possible for them,” Downing says. “We have to be excellent if we want to attract excellent students. It’s not easy, but if it was easy, anyone would do it.”

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Stay on track with your TOK essay deadline. Learn when and how to submit your essay to meet the requirements of the International Baccalaureate program. ... Last Edit 15 AUG 2023 Nick Radlinsky Nick Radlinsky is a devoted educator, marketing specialist, and management expert with more than 15 years of experience in the education sector. ...
TOK Essay essentials
Three mandated formal interactions between the student and teacher are recorded on the Planning and Progress Form (TK/PPF): 1. Discuss the list of prescribed titles with the student. 2. Discuss the student's initial exploration of their selected title. 3. Comment on one draft of the student's essay.
Example essays
Example essays. Last updated: 06 June 2023. As part of theory of knowledge (TOK), each student chooses one essay title from six issued by International Baccalaureate® (IB). The titles change in each examination session. Upcoming and past questions include:
How To Write A ToK Essay
Introduction. 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.
November 2023 TOK Essay Titles Explained with Examples
The prescribed titles for the November 2023 TOK Essay has been released! Here are all the titles with detailed explanation and examples to get you started: 1. Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge. 2. If "the mathematician's patterns, like the painter's and the poet's, must be beautiful" (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production ...
IB CLASS of 2023
December 12, 2022—. January 27, 2023. June 9, 2022. To the Parents and Students of the International Baccalaureate class of 2023, As we finish the first year of the International Baccalaureate program and prepare to enter the final year, we would like to inform you of some very important information regarding the IB Extended Essay ("EE").
How to Structure a Theory of Knowledge Essay
Making sure your evidence actually supports your claims and counterclaims is one of the toughest aspects of the essay. The TOK Essay Structure. Our structure for the TOK essay has 4 sections (6 paragraphs) overall. First, write your introduction. (100-150 words) Paragraph 1-Say one or two interesting things about the prescribed title question ...
Get an A on Your ToK Essay: A Comprehensive Guide
The final step to achieving an 'A' on your ToK Essay is treating your draft deadline as if it were your final deadline. Submit a fully finished, well-developed draft, allowing your teacher to provide you with comprehensive and useful feedback. By following these six steps, and crafting a robust, appropriate, and knowledge-focused argument ...
Unpacking the 2023 November TOK Titles: A Comprehensive IB Solved Guide
The November 2023 titles for the IB Theory of Knowledge Essay have been released! Let's face it - the TOK essay can be very intimidating. With so many topics to choose from and so many ideas bouncing around, it can be hard to know where to begin. That's where we come in.
PDF The TOK Essay: An In-Depth Guide
The following guide will provide you with an overview of what examiners look for in a TOK essay before breaking down the steps you need to take to complete yours to a high standard. Your essay will be marked by an external IB examiner and given a score out of 10. These 10 points are divided into 5 levels, ranging from 'excellent' to 'rudimentary'.
The May 2023 TOK Essay Titles
The May 2023 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles. 1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? ... IB Economics, IB History, IB English and College Admissions essays. Theory of Knowledge. IB Business Management. IB Economics. IB Global Politics. Extended Essay. General Resources. Recent Posts. The November 2024 TOK Essay Titles. Mar 23 ...
November 2023 ToK Essay Titles
ToK Essay Guidance Notes. The IB own the copyright to the IB November 2023 ToK Essay Titles, and they don't allow people to repost them without written permission. We respect academic integrity, and the rights of IB. Therefore, I can only post 'attenuated' versions of the titles here. If you're a student writing an essay for November ...
PDF IB Student Deadlines 2022-23
27 January 2023 ToK Essay-1. st. ... 15 May 2023 Junior ToK. Exhibition Deadline . 16 May 2023 IBHL English Written Assignment Draft-Juniors . 2-20 May 2023 IB Examinations 22 May 2023 Celebration of Excellence-MHS Auditorium . Author: Castellani, Kerry Created Date: 9/9/2022 7:47:16 AM ...
IB TOK Essay examples
See what past students did and make your TOK Essay perfect by learning from examiner commented examples! Exemplars. Review. Login. JOIN FOR FREE. Home. TOK. Essay. IB TOK Essay examples. ... May 2025 May 2024 November 2023 May 2023 November 2022 May 2022 November 2021 May 2021 November 2020 May 2020 Other. Apply.
Tok Essay Title 6
Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge. Title 6 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompt draws attention to the methods and tools used in the TOK knowledge framework. The essay explores the extent to which the observations collected and evaluated through the use of methodologies impact the nature of newly produced knowledge.
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The chair of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee said on Wednesday that lawmakers could extend to one year a proposed deadline to force TikTok's parent company, China's ByteDance, to divest the ...
The November 2023 TOK Essay Titles
The November 2023 TOK Essay Titles. Here you'll find the Theory of Knowledge Essay prescribed titles for the November 2023 session. The video analysis of these titles is also available already in the member's area .--which you can watch using a free trial. (Just click the "subscribe" tab at the top of this page.
Important Dates
Dates are shown for the Fall 2023 application period. ... you will receive an additional email from UC Berkeley's Office of Undergraduate Admissions asking you to write and submit a supplemental essay about your interest in the Global Management Program and complete the video interview upload. Expect to receive this email 5-7 business days ...
Harvard returns to requiring standardized test scores for admissions
April 11 (UPI) --Harvard announced Thursday it will reinstitute the mandatory submission of standardized test scores for fall 2025 admissions.It's an abrupt reversal from previous policy of being ...
Deadline Extended: 2024 Translation Competition in Spanish and French
Deadline Extended: 2024 Translation Competition in Spanish and French. ... literary excerpt from their chosen source language into English and then reflect on the translation process in a short essay. ... September 8, 2023 Congratulations RCS Graduates! December 15, 2023
Riding Forward Scholarship Contest
The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate Quarterly Contests - one for each calendar quarter of 2024. Regions is awarding four $8,000 scholarships through each Quarterly Contest. Each Quarterly Contest has its own separate entry period, as provided in the chart below. The entry deadline for each Quarterly ...
Staff Excellence: Office of Admissions
During the 2022-23 academic year, staff visited 1,190 high schools. They attended 669 college fairs around the world. And they participated in a variety of community events like college application boot camps, essay writing workshops, the Indiana Black Expo and the Indiana State Fair. Once application decisions are released, the work continues.