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IB TOK Exhibition — Complete Presentation Guide
Master the TOK Exhibition: how to choose your three objects, write compelling commentaries, and score top marks in your internal assessment.
What is the TOK Exhibition?
The TOK Exhibition replaced the old TOK Oral Presentation in the 2022 curriculum. It asks you to select three real-world objects and connect each one to a single IA (Internal Assessment) prompt, demonstrating how TOK concepts manifest in the world around us. It is internally assessed and worth 33% of your TOK grade.
What you produce
3 Objects + Commentary
Select 3 objects from real life (photos, artefacts, texts, events). Write ~950 words total connecting all 3 to one IA prompt and showing TOK significance.
Assessment
Internal, 10 marks
Marked by your TOK teacher using the IB rubric. Moderated externally. Contributes to the combined TOK grade alongside the external essay.
The IA Prompt
Choose One from 35
The IB provides 35 IA prompts (e.g. ‘What counts as a good reason to believe something?’) You pick one and connect all three objects to it.
Key principle
Real-World Grounding
Objects must be specific and real — not hypothetical. A painting, a news article, a law, a scientific instrument, a piece of music. The more specific, the better.
How to Choose Your Three Objects
Rule 1: All three objects must connect to the SAME IA prompt.
You cannot use a different prompt for each object. Choose your prompt first, then find objects that illuminate it from different angles.
You cannot use a different prompt for each object. Choose your prompt first, then find objects that illuminate it from different angles.
Rule 2: Objects must be from the real world, not invented.
An object cannot be “a hypothetical scenario.” It must be something that actually exists: a book, a painting, a policy document, a scientific discovery, a cultural ritual, a building, a mathematical theorem.
Rule 3: The three objects should produce contrasting TOK insights.
If all three objects make the same point about knowledge, you are not demonstrating range. Choose objects from different contexts (e.g. science + art + history) that approach the prompt from different directions.
Object Type 1
Concrete Artefact
A physical object: a scientific instrument, a piece of art, a historical document, a map, a medical device. Good for exploring material culture and embodied knowledge.
Object Type 2
Digital / Text-based
A news article, a legal ruling, a social media post, a data set, a photograph. Good for exploring language, media bias, and technological knowledge.
Object Type 3
Event or Process
A scientific discovery, a political decision, a historical event, an artistic movement. Good for exploring knowledge in context and over time.
The 35 IA Prompts — Choosing Yours
| Category | Sample Prompts | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence & Certainty | What counts as a good reason to believe something? How can we know that our knowledge is reliable? |
Natural Sciences, History |
| Ethics & Values | What ethical implications arise from the pursuit of knowledge? What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge? |
Human Sciences, Arts |
| Language & Culture | What role does language play in the accumulation of knowledge over time? In what ways do cultural factors influence the acquisition of knowledge? |
Arts, Indigenous Societies |
| Technology & Power | How has the development of tools changed the nature and use of knowledge? Who owns the knowledge produced in a community? |
Technology Theme, History |
Writing Your Commentary
Word limit: ~950 words total (approx. 300–330 per object)
For each object, your commentary should answer:
- What is this object? Describe it specifically (name, context, when/where it comes from).
- Why did you choose it? What TOK significance does it have in relation to your IA prompt?
- How does it connect to your IA prompt? Make the TOK link explicit — use TOK vocabulary (evidence, certainty, perspective, interpretation, etc.).
- What does it reveal about the nature of knowledge? This is the most important part — what genuine insight about knowledge does this object demonstrate?
⚠ Common Pitfall
The most common mistake is choosing objects that are too abstract or not genuinely specific. ‘Science in general’ is not an object. ‘Watson and Crick\’s 1953 X-ray crystallography paper on DNA structure’ is an object.
✓ Exhibition Checklist Before Submission
- ✓ All three objects are real, specific, and identifiable (not hypothetical)
- ✓ All three connect to the SAME IA prompt
- ✓ Each object approaches the prompt from a different angle
- ✓ TOK concepts (evidence, certainty, values, etc.) are used explicitly
- ✓ Commentary word count: ~950 words total across 3 objects
- ✓ Each object is accompanied by a photo or precise description
- ✓ The connection to real-world context is clear for each object
Scoring: What the Examiner Looks For
| Mark Band | Marks | Key Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 9–10 | Objects are clearly specific and real. Commentary shows insightful TOK thinking. All three objects illuminate the prompt from genuinely different angles. |
| Good | 7–8 | Objects are relevant. Commentary shows competent TOK thinking. Some missed opportunities for deeper analysis. |
| Satisfactory | 5–6 | Objects chosen but description rather than analysis. TOK concepts mentioned but not deeply explored. |
| Basic | 1–4 | Objects poorly chosen or not genuinely specific. Limited engagement with the IA prompt or TOK concepts. |
Want expert help with your TOK Exhibition?
Our tutors guide you through object selection, prompt matching, and commentary writing to maximise your marks.