IB TOK Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the TOK programme
The most common mistake we see in IB TOK is an essay that slides into personal opinion; the marks go to writing that frames a knowledge question and weighs it against a counter-perspective. In 60-minute sessions we unpack the prescribed title you have been given, and work on choosing the three exhibition objects and justifying their link to the prompt.
Quick Answer
TOK support runs in 60-minute sessions. Five or six typically cover the essay from the release of the prescribed titles to submission, and three or four cover the exhibition. Because both fall in the same year, we map the calendar together at the start. The student does the writing.
Programme
Level
Fully Online
Format
60 min
Lesson length
€84 per 60 min one-to-one lesson
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IB Specialists
Experienced Team
About IB TOK Tutoring
Our IB TOK tutoring programme fully covers Theory of Knowledge, one of the core components of the IB Diploma Programme. We explore the nature, sources and limits of knowledge from a philosophical angle. Our experienced IB teachers make abstract concepts clear through concrete examples.
The course covers knowledge questions, the core theme 'Knowledge and the knower', two optional themes chosen from five, and the five areas of knowledge (history, human sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, the arts). Each theme and area is examined through the knowledge framework – scope, perspectives, methods and tools, ethics – which is the backbone of the current syllabus.
The TOK Exhibition is an important assessment component. We teach in detail how to choose three objects, link them to the prompt, write the commentary and present the exhibition, and we review high-scoring sample exhibitions.
The TOK essay is the other assessment component. We teach prescribed title selection, thesis development, argumentation techniques, counterclaims, the use of real-life situations and academic writing standards. Detailed feedback is given on essay drafts.
Critical thinking is the core skill of TOK. We systematically develop the skills of questioning assumptions, shifting perspectives, and analysing and evaluating arguments. These skills are useful not only in TOK but across all IB subjects and in life.
Every programme is built around the student's philosophical interests and strengths. TOK can contribute up to 3 points to the IB Diploma score (together with the Extended Essay). Our programme builds the academic skills a high score needs, through a plan we agree with you.
IB assessment experience
Lessons are planned with teachers who have relevant subject experience and a strong command of the IB assessment criteria. Matching is done by subject, level, the student's current standing and teacher availability.
Syllabus Topics
Exam Papers
IB TOK exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOK Exhibition | — | 33% | 3 objects and commentary (internal) |
| TOK Essay | — | 67% | 1,600-word essay (external) |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB TOK subject guide published by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Your school's IB coordinator can access the current session documents. ibo.org
About grade boundaries: TOK and the Extended Essay are graded A-E, not 1-7. The two together contribute up to 3 points to the diploma through the core points matrix; a failing condition in either can also prevent the award of the diploma. Your school's IB coordinator can access the relevant session's descriptors and boundaries.
Process & Support
At which stages of the process do one-to-one lessons help?
The object must be specific, not generic
Each of the three objects in the exhibition has to be real and particular: not a camera, but the camera a specific person used on a specific date. A student who picks a type of object finds there is no context to write about in the commentary. We sift candidate objects against exactly that.
Three objects, one prompt
You choose one of the thirty-five prompts, and all three objects answer that same prompt. Most students find interesting objects first and then hunt for a prompt to fit them. We reverse the order: the prompt first, then objects that genuinely answer it.
Choose the title by your examples, not your interest
You pick one of six prescribed titles. Students who choose on how interesting the title sounds run out of examples by the second paragraph. We choose the other way round: list which areas of knowledge you could give concrete examples from for each title, then decide.
The essay is not an opinion piece
The marks here come from weighing a claim against a counter-perspective, not from defending your own view. We have you place an example that weakens each claim right beside it; when reading a draft, that balance is the first thing we look for.
Sessions are 60 minutes and the text is yours
Five or six sessions cover the essay and three or four the exhibition. We read and argue over drafts, but do not write the text for you – the IB's academic integrity policy forbids it, and your supervisor will ask you about the text.
Comparing Preparation Paths
How self-study, group classes and one-to-one support compare for IB TOK
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Students used to arguing about what they read, who write comfortably. |
| School lessons and your supervisor |
|
| Students meeting TOK for the first time. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students who have ideas but cannot turn them into a weighed argument. |
Lesson packages
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund. Split 10- and 20-lesson packages across any subjects you like, with no expiry date.
Study Plan Framework
A typical five-phase plan for IB TOK in one-to-one lessons, adapted to the student's exam date.
Building knowledge questions
the first 2 sessions
- Turning an everyday claim into a knowledge question
- Seeing the difference between areas of knowledge through concrete examples
- The habit of forming a counter-perspective
The exhibition
3-4 sessions
- Choosing the prompt
- Finding three specific objects and writing their contexts
- Making the link between object and prompt in the commentary
Unpacking the title
1-2 sessions
- Comparing the six titles by how well you could exemplify them
- How each word in the chosen title narrows the scope
- Drawing up the skeleton of the essay
Essay drafts
3-4 sessions
- Placing a counter-example against every claim
- Making the real-life situations concrete
- Reading against each criterion
Final revision
1-2 sessions before submission
- Cutting to the word limit
- Preparing for the supervisor meeting
- Sources and citation
This framework is a sample plan; it is customised for each student based on exam date, target grade and current level.
How One-to-One Lessons Work
How IB TOK sessions are structured
We weigh claims rather than state opinions
The mistake we see most in TOK is a piece that turns into an opinion essay. The marks come from testing a claim against a counter-perspective and showing where it holds and where it does not – not from defending it. In the session you build the claim and we bring the objection.
Examples have to be real and particular
Examples that open with 'scientists say' or 'as history shows' earn nothing. An example needs a name, a place and a date. We do not write the paragraph until there is one.
Sessions run 60 minutes
TOK and Extended Essay support does not need 90 minutes; since the work is reading and arguing over drafts, 60-minute sessions run better. You write between sessions and we read in the intervening week.
A written progress report every two weeks
We share what stage the exhibition and the essay are at, which draft was read and what comes next, in writing.
Where Students Struggle
Our experienced IB teachers help you get past each of them.
Our Teaching Approach
IB-Focused Methodology
Work with teachers who know the IB assessment criteria inside out.
Where We Start
The first lesson sets the level, and the topic order follows from it.
The IA and the Exam
From the research question to the report, from past papers to mark schemes.
Past-Paper Focused
Real exam questions and mark scheme analysis.
Share before your first lesson
The information below helps the lesson plan focus on the student's real needs from the very first minutes.
- Target IB grade (e.g. 6 or 7) and exam date
- Current level: latest mock grade, predicted grade or weak topics
- School curriculum: the textbook used, IA / EE topic, deadlines
- Study schedule: lessons per week, available days and time slots
Who Is This Programme For?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is IB TOK tutoring important?
How do you help with the TOK essay?
How do you help with the TOK exhibition?
Programme Features
- Unpacking the title you have been given
- Framing the knowledge question
- Weighing it against an opposing perspective
- Choosing the three objects for the Exhibition
- Linking each object to its prompt
- Five to six sessions for the essay, three to four for the Exhibition
- 60-minute sessions; you write the text yourself
Contact us for a lesson plan
Tell us your target grade, where you are now and when you sit the exam, and we will work out the weekly schedule with you.
Quick Info
Tutors who teach this course
- Banu A.
IB TOK Teacher
- Gizem Y.
IB TOK Teacher
- Levent Ç.
IB TOK Teacher
Our teachers are currently working in IB schools, so we cannot share their full surnames.
Our tutors provide mentoring, structure suggestions and feedback during the IA / EE process. IB Courses does not write a student's IA or assignment for them.
Related IB Courses & Support
Other IB support often chosen alongside IB TOK
IB Extended Essay Tutoring
Get support throughout the Extended Essay process with the research question, structure, source use, academic writing and rubric-focused feedback.
Go to the IB Extended Essay Tutoring pageIB HLPhilosophyIB Philosophy HL Tutoring
IB Philosophy HL tutoring covers epistemology, ethics, metaphysics, political philosophy and essay preparation for Papers 1-3.
Go to the IB Philosophy HL Tutoring pageIB ProgrammeInternal AssessmentIB Internal Assessment Tutoring
IB IA support covers topic choice, research structure, data analysis and interpretation, with improvement suggestions aligned to the rubrics.
Go to the IB Internal Assessment Tutoring pageIB ProgrammeTITCIB TITC Tutoring
IB TITC (Turkey in the 20th Century) combines history, geography and sociology. One-to-one help with Papers 1 and 2 and the 2,000-word IA worth 40%.
Go to the IB TITC Tutoring pageLet's work out where to start with IB TOK
On a free intro call with our experienced IB teachers, we'll decide together how many lessons you need and what to focus on.
The intro call is free and non-binding. We do not guarantee a specific IB grade.