IB TOK Exhibition: Prompts, Objects & Examples

The TOK exhibition is the part of IB Theory of Knowledge that confuses students the most. It isn't an essay. It isn't a presentation. It's a small display of three real objects, plus a written explanation of why they matter. Most students have never made anything like it before, so they start late and panic.

This guide makes it simple. You'll learn exactly what the TOK exhibition is, how it's marked, the full list of 35 prompts, how to pick your three objects, and a complete worked example you can copy the structure of. It's written by Educifly's IB specialists, who have coached students through the TOK core since 2018.

Quick answer: what is the TOK exhibition?

The TOK exhibition is an internally assessed task where you choose one of 35 set "IA prompts", pick three real-world objects that connect to it, and write a single commentary of up to 950 words explaining how each object links to the prompt. It's marked out of 10 by your teacher, moderated by the IB, and counts for one third (about 33%) of your overall Theory of Knowledge grade. The TOK essay makes up the other two thirds. Most students do the exhibition in their first year of the Diploma.

That's the whole thing in a paragraph. Now let's unpack each part.

What does TOK stand for?

TOK stands for Theory of Knowledge — a core part of the IB Diploma that asks how we know what we know. Instead of teaching facts, it asks where facts come from. How do we know a scientific claim is true? Can history ever be neutral? Should some knowledge stay secret?

Every IB Diploma student takes TOK. It's one of the three "core" parts of the programme, alongside the Extended Essay (EE) and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service). TOK is assessed in two pieces: the exhibition and the essay. This guide is about the exhibition.

How is the TOK exhibition structured?

The exhibition has three parts: one IA prompt, three objects, and one commentary of up to 950 words. Here's what each means in plain English.

• The IA prompt. "IA" means Internal Assessment. The prompt is a single big question about knowledge, chosen from a fixed list of 35. You pick exactly one. You may not reword it or invent your own.

• The three objects. You choose three specific things from the real world that help you answer your prompt. They can be physical objects or images of objects. Each one must be real and specific, not a general idea.

• The commentary. This is the written part. You explain, object by object, how each one connects to your chosen prompt. The whole commentary is capped at 950 words.

You also link your exhibition to a TOK "theme". There's one core theme — Knowledge and the Knower — and five optional themes: Knowledge and Technology, Knowledge and Language, Knowledge and Politics, Knowledge and Religion, and Knowledge and Indigenous Societies. Your objects sit inside one of these themes, which keeps the exhibition focused.

How is the TOK exhibition marked?

The exhibition is marked out of 10 by your own teacher, then moderated by the IB to keep grades fair across schools. It is worth roughly 33% of your total TOK grade.

There is one single assessment question the examiner asks: Does the exhibition clearly show how TOK manifests in the world around us? In plain terms — did you pick strong objects, and did you explain their link to the prompt clearly, with real-world detail?

Your teacher gives a mark from 0 to 10. The IB then checks a sample of marks from your school and adjusts if a school is too harsh or too generous. So the grade you see first is not always final.

A strong exhibition is one of the easier ways to protect your TOK grade, because you have full control over it. You choose the prompt, the objects, and the words, with no exam-day pressure.

The 35 TOK exhibition prompts (full list)

There are exactly 35 IA prompts, and you must choose one without changing its wording. These prompts stay the same every year — unlike TOK essay titles, which change each session. Here is the complete official 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?

Two rules matter here. First, you cannot edit a prompt — use it word for word. Second, all three objects must answer the same prompt. You don't get a prompt per object.

How do you choose the best IA prompt?

Pick the prompt where your three objects almost choose themselves. That's the real test. A prompt is "good" for you only if you can already picture concrete objects that fit it.

Here's the method our tutors use with students:

• Read all 35 slowly, once. Cross out any that leave your mind blank. You'll usually be left with five or six.

• Match to a theme. Ask which of the six themes each surviving prompt fits — Knowledge and Technology, Politics, Language, and so on. The theme gives you a hunting ground for objects.

• Test with objects. For each shortlisted prompt, try to name three real objects in two minutes. The prompt where objects come fastest is your winner.

Avoid the trap of picking the prompt that sounds deepest. "To what extent is certainty attainable?" looks impressive, but if you can't tie it to specific things you can photograph, it will fight you for two weeks. A "smaller" prompt with obvious objects scores higher every time.

If you want a second opinion before you commit, this is exactly the kind of early decision our IB TOK coaching helps with — a 30-minute check that saves a fortnight of false starts.

How do you choose your three objects?

Each object must be specific and real — it exists in one particular time and place, not as a general type. This single rule separates high marks from low ones.

Compare these two:

• ❌ A passport — too general. Which passport? Whose?

• ✅ My grandfather's 1971 Ugandan passport, stamped at the border the week his family was expelled — specific, real, personal.

The second object has a story, a date, and a context. That's what the examiner rewards. Your objects can be:

• Personal — a childhood toy, a family photo, a school report.

• Public or historical — a specific newspaper front page, a named painting, a particular court ruling.

• Digital — a specific tweet, a screenshot of a Wikipedia edit, one named app interface.

A few object rules to follow:

1. Three different objects, one prompt. Don't pick three near-identical things.

2. Specific, not generic. Name the date, owner, or origin.

3. Real, not invented. No imaginary or made-up objects.

4. You can use images. If the object is huge, fragile, or far away, a photo is fine.

5. Variety helps. A mix of personal, public, and digital objects shows range.

A full TOK exhibition example

Here's a complete worked example you can use as a model. It shows how one prompt, one theme, and three objects fit together. Use the shape of this — not the exact objects, since your work must be your own.

Prompt chosen: #12 — Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge? Theme: Knowledge and Technology

Object 1 — a screenshot of a specific Google search from my phone, dated last month. The results were ranked by an algorithm I can't see. The "top" answer felt like the answer, but it was just what the system pushed up. This object shows bias built into the tools we use to find knowledge. The producer of the knowledge — the ranking system — shaped what I treated as true. (Around 300 words in the real commentary.)

Object 2 — my school's 2019 yearbook, open to the sports page. The page is full of the football team and nearly empty of the chess club. The yearbook claims to record "the year", but it records what the editors valued. This shows how the people who produce a record build their bias into it, even without meaning to.

Object 3 — a 1943 wartime propaganda poster (specific, named). The poster presents one nation as heroic and another as evil. It was made to produce a particular "knowledge" of the war. Here the bias is deliberate, not accidental — the opposite end of the scale from the yearbook.

Together, the three objects move from hidden bias (the algorithm), to accidental bias (the yearbook), to deliberate bias (the poster). That progression is the argument: bias appears across the whole range of how knowledge is produced. That's a strong exhibition, because every object earns its place.

This "three points on a scale" structure works for almost any prompt. Find an everyday case, a subtle case, and an extreme case.

How to write the TOK exhibition commentary

Write roughly 300 words per object, for a total under 950 words, and for each object answer three questions: what is it, how does it link to the prompt, and why does that matter? Keep references and your title outside the word count.

A simple structure for each object:

1. Identify the object in one or two sentences. Be specific — name it.

2. Link it to the prompt. This is the heart. Show how the object answers your chosen question.

3. Add real-world significance. Explain why this link matters in the actual world, not just in theory.

A short opening line can name your prompt and theme. You don't need a long introduction or conclusion — the marks are in the object links, so spend your words there.

The 950-word limit is tight. That's deliberate. It forces you to cut filler and keep every sentence working. The biggest fix our tutors make to draft commentaries is deleting general "knowledge is important in society" sentences and replacing them with specific detail about the object. Specific beats grand, every time. The same discipline that wins marks in the TOK essay wins them here: clear claims, real examples, no padding.

Common TOK exhibition mistakes to avoid

Most lost marks come from generic objects and weak links, not from poor writing. Here are the errors we see most often.

• Objects that are too general. "A book" instead of "my mother's annotated 1998 copy of Things Fall Apart."

• Three objects, three arguments. They must all serve the same prompt, building one case.

• Describing, not linking. Spending 250 words on what the object looks like and 50 on the prompt. Flip that.

• Choosing the hardest-sounding prompt. Pick the one with the clearest objects, not the one that sounds clever.

• Rewording the prompt. Use it exactly. Changing a single word can cost marks.

• Starting late. Good objects take time to find. Start hunting weeks before the deadline.

• Going over 950 words. Examiners stop reading at the limit. Anything after is wasted.

When do you do the TOK exhibition?

Most students complete the exhibition in the first year of the IB Diploma (DP1), often in the second half of that year. Your school sets the exact internal deadline. The essay then usually comes in the second year (DP2).

Doing the exhibition first is helpful. It teaches you to make clear knowledge claims and back them with real examples — the same skill the essay needs. Treat the exhibition as training for the bigger, externally marked essay.

How the exhibition fits into your IB points

TOK doesn't score points on its own. Instead, TOK and the Extended Essay combine to add up to 3 bonus points to your IB total of 45. Your exhibition grade feeds into your overall TOK grade (A to E). That TOK grade is then matched with your EE grade on a points matrix.

So the exhibition matters twice: once for your TOK letter grade, and again because a weak TOK grade can cost you bonus points — or, in rare cases, put your whole diploma at risk if you fail the core. We explain the full matrix in our guide to the IB scoring system, and you can model your own total with our IB score calculator.

This is why a strong exhibition is worth the effort. It's low-pressure, fully in your control, and it protects points that are otherwise easy to drop.

The bottom line

The TOK exhibition is simpler than it first looks. You choose one of 35 prompts, find three specific real-world objects, and write up to 950 words showing how each object answers your prompt. It's marked out of 10, moderated by the IB, and worth a third of your TOK grade.

Win it by choosing the prompt with the most obvious objects, making every object specific and real, and spending your words on the link — not the description. Start early, because the right objects rarely appear on the first day of looking.

If your child is staring at 35 prompts with no idea where to begin, that's a normal place to be — and a quick one to fix with the right help. Educifly matches each student with a specialist IB tutor who coaches the full TOK core, the same tutor every week. Nine out of ten families renew. Book a free trial class and turn the TOK exhibition from a worry into one of the easiest marks on the report.

FAQ: IB TOK exhibition

What is the TOK exhibition in simple terms?

The TOK exhibition is a task where you pick one of 35 set questions (called IA prompts), choose three real objects that connect to it, and write up to 950 words explaining the links. It's marked out of 10 and counts for about a third of your Theory of Knowledge grade. Think of it as a tiny museum display with a written guide.

How many words is the TOK exhibition?

The commentary has a maximum of 950 words in total — not per object. Most students split this roughly evenly, around 300 words per object. References and the prompt title don't count toward the limit. Examiners stop reading once you pass 950 words, so going over only loses you content.

How many objects do you need for the TOK exhibition?

Exactly three. All three must connect to the same single IA prompt. They should be different from each other and each must be specific and real — for example, a named newspaper front page rather than "a newspaper." You may use images if the real object is too large or far away to display.

How is the TOK exhibition marked?

Your own teacher marks it out of 10 using one assessment question: does the exhibition clearly show how TOK appears in the real world? The IB then moderates a sample of marks from your school to keep grading fair. The exhibition is worth about 33% of your TOK grade; the essay is worth the other 67%.

What are the 35 TOK exhibition prompts?

They are 35 fixed questions about knowledge, such as "What counts as knowledge?" and "Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge?" The full list is set by the IB and stays the same every year. You must choose exactly one and use its exact wording — you cannot edit it or write your own.

Can I change the wording of an IA prompt?

No. The IB requires you to use the prompt exactly as written. Changing even one word can cost you marks. If a prompt almost fits but not quite, that's a sign to choose a different prompt rather than to reword it.

What makes a good TOK exhibition object?

A good object is specific, real, and rich in context — it exists in a particular time and place. "My grandfather's 1971 passport" beats "a passport" because it has a date, an owner, and a story. Objects can be personal, public, historical, or digital. A mix of all three often works best.

What's the difference between the TOK exhibition and the TOK essay?

The exhibition uses three real objects and a 950-word commentary, is marked by your teacher, and counts for about 33% of your TOK grade. The essay is a 1,600-word response to a set title, marked by an external IB examiner, and counts for about 67%. The exhibition usually comes first, in DP1; the essay comes later, in DP2.

When should I start my TOK exhibition?

Start choosing your prompt and hunting for objects several weeks before your school's deadline. The hardest part is finding three strong, specific objects, and that takes time. Students who start early almost always score better than those who scramble in the final week.

Does the TOK exhibition affect my IB score?

Yes, indirectly. The exhibition feeds into your overall TOK grade (A–E). That grade combines with your Extended Essay grade to award up to 3 bonus points toward your total of 45. A weak TOK grade can also, in rare cases, threaten the whole diploma, so a solid exhibition is worth real effort.

What theme should I choose for the TOK exhibition?

Choose the theme that best fits your prompt and objects. There's one core theme — Knowledge and the Knower — and five optional themes: Technology, Language, Politics, Religion, and Indigenous Societies. Pick the theme that gives you the clearest path to three specific objects. The theme is a frame, not a separate piece of work.

Can I use images instead of physical objects?

Yes. If an object is too big, too fragile, too valuable, or far away, you can use a clear image of it. The object still has to be specific and real — a photo of one named, dated thing, not a generic stock picture. Many strong exhibitions mix a couple of physical objects with one image.