IB TOK Guide

What is TOK? (Part I)

TOK, is another way that modern education forces us to study and regurgitate a pile of bullshit.
But in all seriousness, to make this simpler for you, I'm going to break down what TOK is into 2 parts.

Part I: Official Definition
This part explains what TOK means for your IB Diploma. How it is assessed.

Part II:  Unofficial but Logical Definition
This is the definition for what TOK means, that neither the IB, nor your school will give you but you will realize is true, once you've done TOK.

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Part I: Official Definition

TOK, stands for Theory of Knowledge.

It is one of the two core subjects that contribute to the maximum of 3 bonus points you can get from the IB core. (If you're not too sure about what the core and the IB structure is, I'll be publishing a more general guide as to what the IB is on my profile so feel free to check that out!)

Recap:
What is the IB Core?
The IB Core is made up of 3 components:
1. Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
2. Extended Essay (EE)
3. Creativity, Action, Service (CAS)

You need to complete all 3 components in order to get your IB Diploma, but only your TOK and EE contribute to the 3 points that make up the core. In other words, CAS is not graded but is a compulsory thing you need to complete to pass the IB.

TOK and EE are each given a grade from a scale of A to E. E.g. you can get an A in TOK and a B in your EE. The two grades you get from TOK and EE respectively, are then converted into points and each combination of grades can lead to either 3, 2, 1, or 0 points in the core.

For May 2017 grade matrix conversions, see the header image. (Will cite the source of the image later sorry)
So, looking at this grade matrix, if you get an A in TOK and a B in your EE that means that you get 3/3 points for the core.

Getting your Grade in TOK:
To get your final grade for TOK from A to E, there are two assessments: a TOK Essay and a TOK Presentation.

1. TOK Essay
The TOK essay is an essay with a 1600 word limit. Each year the IB will release a set of 6 titles for you to choose from and you will choose one title and write a 1600 word essay on it.
Your school will probably give you 2-3 months time to write this essay and once you finish your essay, you will then submit the essay to the IB as the essay is marked by IB examiners externally (out of school).

Your TOK essay counts for 66.6% of your final TOK grade and is marked on a rubric split into 5 levels, with 1 being the worst and 5 the best. The points and 'approximate grade' for each level are shown below.
Level 1: 1-2/10, which equates to an E
Level 2: 3-4/10, D
Level 3: 5-6/10, C
Level 4: 7-8/10, B
Level 5: 9-10/10, A

The maximum level for a TOK essay is a Level 5, so don't be scared that it's a 5. Only non-core subjects are graded to a maximum level 7!

The TOK essay will be explained in greater depth in the following chapters.

2. TOK Presentation
The TOK presentation is a presentation that counts for 33.3% of your final TOK grade and is also marked on a rubric with 5 levels just like the essay, although the requirements for what makes a Level 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 will obviously be different because the presentation will require different things than the essay will.

The presentation can be done alone or in groups of max. 3 people, although I'd definitely recommend working in a group. I did mine with my best friend as a pair. 
The presentation will be marked by your TOK teacher/supervisor and this grade will then be moderated both in your school (internally) and by IB examiners (externally).

This will also be explained in greater depth in the following chapters.

Summary
TOK, stands for Theory of Knowledge and it is one of the 3 core components.
It consists of 2 assessments, an essay that counts for 66.6% of your grade and a presentation that counts for 33.3%.
Both the essay and the presentation are marked out of /10.
That mark out of 10 falls under Levels from 1-5 which can be seen as equivalents to the grades A to E.
By combining your essay and presentation marks, the IB then gives you your final TOK grade from a scale of A to E. You will receive this grade at the end of all your exams, when your final IB results are given to you.
Depending on what you get for your TOK grade and your EE grade, this will equate to how many points you will get out of the maximum 3 core points, according to the matrix above (or the matrix that applies for your year).