Context of an object: The specific real-world context of each object is extremely important to the task. It is, therefore, important that students identify specific objects to discuss rather than using generic objects and generic images from the internet. For example, a discussion and photograph of a student’s baby brother is an example of an object that has a specific real-world context, whereas a generic image of “a baby” from an internet image search is not.
Examples of the diverse kinds of objects students could select include the following.
These objects may be digital or physical but do need to be referenced; teachers and moderators need to know, and have clarity, about the origins of your objects.
The TOK exhibition is an individual task
• It represents one third of the overall mark for TOK
It is assessed internally, with a selection of exhibition files from each year group sent off to be moderated by the IB
• You choose one IA prompt to explore, from a list of 35 options. These remain the same for every exam session
• Three objects are also selected for the exhibition
• The aim of the exhibition is to demonstrate the relationship between the objects and the IA prompt in a 950-word commentary
• There is a single criterion for marking, and three characteristics of an excellent essay (convincing, precise, and lucid)
• The context of the exhibition should be based on the core theme, or one of the optional themes
• 8 hours of teaching/planning/writing is required for the exhibition task
• Ideally, your exhibition should form the basis of a public event, to showcase TOK to the rest of the learning community
• The exhibition is done at the end of the first year of the DP
Does the exhibition successfully show how TOK manifests in the world around us?
| Excellent 9-10 |
The exhibition clearly identifies three objects and their specific realworld contexts. Links between each of the three objects and the selected IA prompt are clearly made and wellexplained. There is a strong justification of the particular contribution that each individual object makes to the exhibition. All, or nearly all, of the points are well-supported by appropriate evidence and explicit references to the selected IA prompt. It is Convincing Lucid Precise |
| Good 7-8 |
The exhibition identifies three objects and their real-world contexts. Links between each of the three objects and the selected IA prompt are explained, although this explanation may lack precision and clarity in parts. There is a justification of the contribution that each individual object makes to the exhibition. Many of the points are supported by appropriate evidence and references to the selected IA prompt. It is Focused Relevant Coherent |
| Satisfactory 5-6 |
The exhibition identifies three objects, although the real-world contexts of these objects may be vaguely or imprecisely stated. There is some explanation of the links between the three objects and the selected IA prompt. There is some justification for the inclusion of each object in the exhibition. Some of the points are supported by evidence and references to the selected IA prompt It is Adequate Competent Acceptable |
| Basic 3-4 |
The exhibition identifies three objects, although the real-world contexts of the objects may be implied rather than explicitly stated. Basic links between the objects and the selected IA prompt are made, but the explanation of these links is unconvincing and/or unfocused. There is a superficial justification for the inclusion of each object in the exhibition. Reasons for the inclusion of the objects are offered, but these are not supported by appropriate evidence and/or lack relevance to the selected IA prompt. There may be significant repetition across the justifications of the different objects It is Simplistic Limited Underdeveloped |
| Rudimentary 1-2 |
The exhibition presents three objects, but the real-world contexts of these objects are not stated, or the images presented may be highly generic images of types of object rather than of specific real-world objects. Links between the objects and the selected IA prompt are made, but these are minimal, tenuous, or it is not clear what the student is trying to convey. There is very little justification offered for the inclusion of each object in the exhibition. The commentary on the objects is highly descriptive or consists only of unsupported assertions. It is Ineffective Descriptive Incoherent |
| 0 | The exhibition does not reach the standard described by the other levels or does not use one of the IA prompts provided. |
The TOK exhibition is the ‘new’ assessment task for the 2022 syllabus, replacing the presentation from the 2015 syllabus. It is an individual rather than a group task, and is completed at the end of the first year of the Diploma Programme.