IB Assessment

All IB Diploma courses include summative assessments that measure what students know and can do. One of these is internal, meaning that it is set, delivered, and marked by the instructor. The other is external, meaning that the student's work is forwarded to an IB examiner for marking.

Students enrolled in Theory of Knowledge must complete two such assessments for the IB:

• The Presentation (internal). Worth 33% of the overall TOK grade. 
• The Essay (external). Work 67% of the overall TOK grade.

The points earned for these two assessments are added together to produce the overall mark (A-E) that the student receives for TOK. The mark earned in TOK, combined with the mark for the Extended Essay, can add up to 3 bonus points to the student's total needed to earn the IB Diploma.  

IB Assessment on Report Cards

Unlike other IB courses that use 7 (high) through 1 (low) as marks, TOK uses E through A. At each report card marking period, I will enter such a letter grade in the IB column. This mark reflects how well you are doing on assessments that use the official TOK criteria and will help you keep track of your progress towards meeting IB objectives.

At this point (quarter one, progress report), your IB TOK mark takes into account only your performance on our first Written Reflection on "Methods." As we've discussed in class, these Written Reflections require the kind of thinking and writing that you'll do when we come to the official Essay -- the external assessment that we'll work on in the third quarter.

Refer to the Written Reflections page to see the assignment and the IB-TOK criteria on which this mark is currently based.

Check back here at each marking period to see what is contributing to the IB assessment. As time passes, your IB mark will reflect more and more assessments and will give you an increasingly accurate picture of how you're progressing. For now, it's pretty early in the game. If your IB mark is low, don't worry too much: writing for TOK is different than for English or History or Science, and you're just getting started. Be sure to review the criteria and the models carefully -- and come see me if you're struggling to make sense of the expectations. If your mark is high -- that's great! Maybe writing for TOK comes pretty naturally to you. Your goal now should be to sustain that level of achievement on future Written Reflections.

As always: e-mail me at kernsc@d11.org or call (328-5078) if you have questions or concerns.

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