The TOK course provides students with an opportunity to explore and reflect on the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing. It is a core element of the DP to which schools are required to devote at least 100 hours of class time.

In TOK, students reflect on the knowledge, beliefs and opinions that they have built up from their years of academic studies and their lives outside the classroom. The course is intended to be challenging and thought-provoking—as well as empowering—for students.

The course centres on the exploration of knowledge questions, which are a key tool for both teachers and students. These are contestable questions about knowledge itself, such as: “What counts as good evidence for a claim?”, “Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?”, or “What constraints should there be on the pursuit of knowledge?”. While these questions may initially seem slightly intimidating, they become much more accessible when considered with reference to specific examples within the TOK course.

The TOK curriculum is made up of three deeply interconnected parts.

• The core theme—Knowledge and the knower: This theme encourages students to reflect on themselves as knowers and thinkers, and to consider the different communities of knowers to which we belong.

• Optional themes: This element provides an opportunity to take a more in-depth look at two themes of particular interest to teachers and students. The given themes all have a significant impact on the world today and play a key role in shaping people’s perspectives and identities. Teachers select two optional themes from a choice of five: knowledge and technology; knowledge and language; knowledge and politics; knowledge and religion; and knowledge and indigenous societies.

• Areas of knowledge: The areas of knowledge (AOK) are specific branches of knowledge, each of which can be seen to have a distinct nature and sometimes use different methods of gaining knowledge. In TOK, students explore five compulsory areas of knowledge: history; the human sciences; the natural sciences; mathematics; and the arts.

There are two assessment tasks in the TOK course.

• The TOK exhibition assesses the ability of the student to show how TOK manifests in the world around us. The exhibition is an internal assessment component; it is marked by the teacher and is externally moderated by the IB.

• The TOK essay engages students in a more formal and sustained piece of writing in response to a title focused on the areas of knowledge. The essay is an external assessment component; it is marked by IB examiners. The essay must be a maximum of 1,600 words and must be on one of the six prescribed titles issued by the IB for each examination session.

The extended essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from the list of available Diploma Programme subjects...normally one of the student’s six chosen subjects for those taking the IB diploma.. It is intended to promote academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor (an appropriately qualified member of staff within the school). This leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner, appropriate to the subject chosen. It is mandatory that all students undertake three reflection sessions with their supervisor, which includes a short, concluding interview, or viva voce, with their supervisor following the completion of the extended essay. 

The extended essay is assessed against common criteria, interpreted in ways appropriate to each subject.

Key features of the extended essay

• The extended essay is compulsory for all students taking the Diploma Programme and is an option for course students.

• A student must achieve a D grade or higher to be awarded the Diploma.

• The extended essay is externally assessed and, in combination with the grade for theory of knowledge, contributes up to three points to the total score for the IB Diploma.

• The extended essay process helps prepare students for success at university and in other pathways beyond the Diploma Programme.

• When choosing a subject for the extended essay, students must consult the list of available Diploma Programme subjects published in the Diploma Programme Assessment procedures for the session in question.

• The extended essay is a piece of independent research on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with a supervisor in the school.

• It is presented as a formal piece of sustained academic writing containing no more than 4,000 words accompanied by a reflection form of no more than 500 words.

• It is the result of approximately 40 hours of work by the student.

• Students are supported by a supervision process recommended to be 3–5 hours, which includes three mandatory reflection sessions.

• The third and final mandatory reflection session is the viva voce, which is a concluding interview with the supervising teacher.

CAS is organized around the three strands of creativity, activity and service defined as follows. 

• Creativity—exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance 

• Activity—physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle 

• Service—collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need 

As a shining beacon of IB's values, CAS enables students to demonstrate attributes of the IB learner profile in real and practical ways, to grow as unique individuals and to recognize their role in relation to others. Students develop skills, attitudes and dispositions through a variety of individual and group experiences that provide students with opportunities to explore their interests and express their passions, personalities and perspectives. CAS complements a challenging academic programme in a holistic way, providing opportunities for self-determination, collaboration, accomplishment and enjoyment.

In CAS, there are seven learning outcomes. 

1 Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth: Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and skills, of which some are more developed than others. 

2 Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process: A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be shown through experiences that the student has not previously undertaken or through increased expertise in an established area. 

3 Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience: Students can articulate the stages from conceiving an idea to executing a plan for a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences. This may be accomplished in collaboration with other participants. Students may show their knowledge and awareness by building on a previous experience, or by launching a new idea or process. 

4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences: Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS. 

5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively: Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences.  

6 Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance: Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally. 

7 Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions: Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences. CAS learning outcomes can be more fully explained through the use of descriptors. See the appendix of this guide for further information on CAS learning outcomes and descriptors.