A step-by-step writing frame for the IB Theory of Knowledge essay. Take one prescribed title, explore it through at least two Areas of Knowledge, and build a clear, critical argument with real examples and counterclaims — with the assessment criterion and the 1,600-word discipline built in.
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📄 Official IB subject brief (ibo.org ↗) — your teacher or IB coordinator can share the full subject guide.
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To cite a source in your essay, click “Insert citation” on any entry while a writing box is focused — it drops an in-text citation at your cursor.
This is roughly how your exported DOCX / PDF will read. Keep the essay within 1,600 words (the reference list does not count) — examiners stop reading at the limit.
The IB Theory of Knowledge essay is your TOK external assessment: a 1,600-word argument on one of the six prescribed titles set for your session. This examiner-written writing frame walks you through it step by step — take a single prescribed title and use its exact wording, unpack the knowledge question and define its key terms, then explore it through at least two Areas of Knowledge. You build clear, coherent arguments supported by specific real-life examples and tested with genuine counterclaims, all within the 1,600-word limit. Each step is paired with the assessment criterion, worked good-and-bad examples and the traps that cost marks, and your essay exports to DOCX or PDF. It is completely free to use; sign in only to save your work and sync it across devices.
There are no separate criteria. The whole essay is judged once, holistically, out of 10 against a single global question: does it give a clear, coherent and critical exploration of the title? Top-band essays sustain focus on the exact prescribed title, link it effectively to the Areas of Knowledge, support every claim with specific real examples, weigh different perspectives and evaluate with genuine counterclaims.
The essay is built on comparison. Explore the title through at least two of the five Areas of Knowledge — History, the Human Sciences, the Natural Sciences, Mathematics and the Arts — chosen because they genuinely contrast on that question. Ground every argument in a specific, named real-life example, never an invented hypothetical, and test each one with a counterclaim a thoughtful person actually holds.
The TOK Essay tool is completely free — there is no paywall on any section. You sign in only to save your work to your own account and sync it across devices. The frame and its guidance are written by experienced IB educators.
Copy one of the six prescribed titles word for word — you must not alter, shorten or rephrase it. Then identify the knowledge question it raises about how knowledge is produced, shared or justified, define its load-bearing key terms in your own words, and notice any scope words such as "to what extent" or "always" that tell you the essay must weigh something rather than simply describe it.
At least two, drawn from History, the Human Sciences, the Natural Sciences, Mathematics and the Arts. Two well-contrasted Areas of Knowledge explored deeply beats three explored thinly. Choose Areas that genuinely pull in different directions on your title, so the comparison between them gives the essay its depth.
The TOK essay has a 1,600-word maximum. Examiners stop reading at the limit, so every word must earn its place. The reference list does not count towards the 1,600 words, but quotations do.
Yes — it is completely free to use, with no paywall on any section. You only need to sign in if you want to save your work to your own account and sync it across your devices.