35 TOK Exhibition Prompts: The Complete List Updated

January 4, 2024

tok exhibition prompts

The Theory of Knowledge Exhibition is a new assessment in the TOK syllabus. It replaces the TOK presentation and account for a third of the total marks for the TOK.

Assessed internally and moderated externally, the aim of the assessment is to help students demonstrate how Theory of Knowledge concepts manifest in the real world.

In addition to identifying the 3 objects for the exhibition, students have to choose one IA prompt from the 35 topics and then show the link between the selected objects and the IA prompt in a 950-word commentary.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to choose the best IA prompt for your TOK exhibition so that you can have an easy time exploring your objects and writing the commentary.

What Are TOK Exhibition Prompts in IA?

The TOK exhibition prompts in IA are open questions a student has to explore in their commentary.

It’s important to note that ToK essay titles are different from IA prompts in the sense that while essay titles are subject to change, IA prompt remains the same each year.

In the context of the Theory of Knowledge exhibition, the IA prompt you choose should link back to the 3 objects and use context of either the core theme or one of the optional themes to how TOK manifests itself in the real world.

The IA prompt you choose will determine the design and methodology you use to use to arrive at your interpretation of the objects or the images of the objects that you choose for the exhibition.

How to Choose The Best IA Prompt for Your TOK Exhibition

According to the TOK exhibition guide, you have to choose only one question from the 35 IA topics. Yet given that 35 means a lot of option, it’s easy to get lost in a world of possibilities

However, if you apply the right filter to each prompt, you’ll not only understand them better but also find an IA prompt that you can explore within the context of the core theme or one of the optional themes in TOK.

1. Reading Each Prompt

Reading the 35 IA prompts one at a time can be time consuming, but that’s the only best way to know the concept behind each question as it relates to the Theory of Knowledge.

Some aspects will link to just one prompt and some may have a closer link to several of the 35 IA prompts. 

2. Picking a Prompt

Once you have a clear concept of the IA prompts, look at them once again and then identify what would work best for you.

It’s best to choose a prompt that interests you or one that has a concept that you already find interesting enough to explore.

If a prompt resonates with your experiences in and outside school, go with it.

3. Relating Your IA Prompt to a Theme

The IB TOK guide requires that you set your exhibition within the context of one of the optional themes or the core theme.

So it’s important to make sure that the IA prompt that you choose is one that you can easily relate to the themes.

You can take this even further and explore the IA prompt in relation to real life situations.

Doing so will go a long way to give you a clear idea about the objects to choose and what your exhibition should be about.

TOK Exhibition Prompts List

1. What counts as knowledge?

2. Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?

3. What features of knowledge have an impact on its reliability?

4. On what grounds might we doubt a claim?

5. What counts as good evidence for a claim?

6. How does the way that we organize or classify knowledge affect what we know?

7. What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge?

8. To what extent is certainty attainable?

9. Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?

10. What challenges are raised by the dissemination and/or communication of knowledge?

11. Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?

12. Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge?

13. How can we know that current knowledge is an improvement upon past knowledge?

14. Does some knowledge belong only to particular communities of knowers?

15. What constraints are there on the pursuit of knowledge?

16. Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?

17. Why do we seek knowledge?

18. Are some things unknowable?

19. What counts as a good justification for a claim?

20. What is the relationship between personal experience and knowledge?

21. What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?

22. What role do experts play in influencing our consumption or acquisition of knowledge?

23. How important are material tools in the production or acquisition of knowledge?

24. How might the context in which knowledge is presented influence whether it is accepted or rejected?

25. How can we distinguish between knowledge, belief and opinion?

26. Does our knowledge depend on our interactions with other knowers?

27. Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?

28. To what extent is objectivity possible in the production or acquisition of knowledge?

29. Who owns knowledge?

30. What role does imagination play in producing knowledge about the world?

31. How can we judge when evidence is adequate?

32. What makes a good explanation?

33. How is current knowledge shaped by its historical development?

34. In what ways do our values affect our acquisition of knowledge?

35. In what ways do values affect the production of knowledge?

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are There More Than 35 Prompts?

No, there are only 35 IA prompts for the exhibition and you cannot add to the list. Your teacher expects you to choose only one prompt from the list and relate it to all the three objects.

2. Can I Change the Wording a Prompt?

The IB TOK guide states explicitly that you should not reword any title (question) provided in the prompt. Use them exactly as prescribed.

3. Where Can I Find the Prompts?

Check page 40 to 41 of the ToK syllabus guide. If you don’t have access to the guide, ask your teacher to share a copy with you. Or you can ask them to share only a list of the IA prompts in a separate document.

4. What’s the Right Way to Link the Prompt to the ToK Course?

The new assessment requires you to explore your Internal Assessment prompt within the context of one of the core themes (language, technology, indigenous societies, religion, and politics) or the core theme (knowledge and the knower).

Therefore, the best way to relate your IA prompt to the TOK course is to think of it in terms of either of the two themes.

5. Can You Help Me Write the Exhibition?

You can hire an exhibition writer on Help for Assessment to complete the project for you. Our experts will help you every step of the way to get the assignment completed in time.

What makes our service different from the other similar companies online is our systematic approach to the assignment.

We search for a suitable prompt for your assignment. We then identify an appropriate theme for the prompt and choose 3 related objects.

Our research process follows where we explore the most relevant information that not only best describes these objects but also demonstrate their real-world context.

Our experts even create an outline suitable for the commentary, making sure we compress each section within the expected word limit. We then use the right format to write a comprehensive commentary that how the TOK exhibition manifests itself in the real world.

3. Can You Complete a ToK Essay for Me?

We've helped many students to complete their ToK essays on time.

So if you're struggling with the same, you can order ToK essay online on our platform and one of our experts will help you complete the task in good time. 

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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