The all-new Theory of Knowledge Essay Video Course is ready for you!

These 11 short videos talk you through every step of the TOK Essay Writing process, from choosing your Prescribed Title to Final Checks before you upload it. I've been teaching, tutoring, and marking TOK essays for 12 years, in the Americas, Europe and South-East Asia and I've put almost all of my TOK essay-writing secrets in these videos for you. 👍

Existing Members: You can access it by clicking this direct link. 🚀

New Members: If you're not a member yet, you can access the entire TOK Essay Video Course with a free trial, by clicking here. 😀

The New TOK Essay Video Course includes: 

✅   Very clear instructions on what matters in the TOK Essay, so you can start your essay early (if you want to) and do well, even if TOK isn't your strongest subject. 

✅   Detailed analysis and thorough discussions of all of the latest November and May Prescribed Titles.

✅   An explanation of the most common essay mistak...

The full IBMastery analysis of the ELE PLC case (November 2022 - Paper 1) is ready for you now in the member's area. 

We've gone through the case and created an exhaustive video analysis, to help you prepare for the November Business Management exam. This video will save you time and stress and of course help you do a lot better. 

To subscribe: Click here And then, once you're logged in click here to watch the video and get the resources. 

Here is an excerpt for you, the key term definitions. The full analysis for our members contains much more analysis. 

ELE PLC Case Key Words

Internal sources [of finance] (19) - Internal sources of finance refer to money that comes from within a business. There are several internal sources a business can use, including owners capital, retained profit and selling assets.

Long-term [supply] contracts - (20) - An agreement between the companies wherein the buyer agrees to purchase products or services from a seller over the term of that a...

As a teacher and tutor I specialize in helping students write top-scoring essays. I wanted to share with you a helpful way to think about this, which will help you show strong critical thinking --something that often counts for close to 50% of your essay grade, so you can do well, even if you don’t work with me as your tutor. 

First, let’s notice that there are 3 very different actvities required to create a great analytical essay. You need to: 

1.  Gather relevant evidence, 
2.  Present an argument, grounded in that evidence. And then 
3.  Weigh up those arguments to write a judgement that seems very well-supported. 

If you do those 3 things thoughtfully you can definitely get a 7 (or an A, if it's TOK or your EE). 

We can think of those 3 activities as relating to 4 different roles you need to play: You need to

1. Be a Detective,
2. Be a Lawyer,
3. Be a second Lawyer, who disagrees with the first one. And then
4. Be a Judge.  

The detective work is about gathering evidence and rea...

Here you'll find the Theory of Knowledge Essay prescribed titles for the May 2023 session.

The video analysis of these titles is also available already in the member's area.--which you can watch using a free trial! (Just click the "subscribe" tab at the top of this page. Once you're signed up and signed in, the video link will work for you). You can also find our entirely new TOK Essay Video Course (11 helpful videos) here. 

The May 2023 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

4. Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge ca...

Here is a step-by-step structure you can follow to complete your Extended Essay in Economics. The layout has changed recently, for example in terms of the cover sheet requirements and the reflections, but this post is up-to-date (and it includes a lot of helpful links).

Before you start writing...  

Here are a few key points and other helpful links you’ll want to use:

• Be careful about choosing your research question. You’ve got a lot of options, but these generally fall under two categories 1) Evaluating the effects of a policy or 2) Determining the structure of a certain market. There are a lot of aspects that go into choosing a perfect EE question and it's worth taking your time to do this properly. (I'd be happy to meet with you to help you get your question right.
• Decide on your citation style. Most people go with MLA. It's best to decide this early on, so you gather the right info as you go. I recommend doing your citations as you write, so you don't loose track of which
...

Here are the Theory of Knowledge Essay prescribed titles for the November 2022 session. 

The  video analysis of these titles is already available in the member's area (here) and there are already discussions posted in our community area. So you'll find lots of help inside IBMastery, with topics and ideas to consider for each title, some tips for the new rubric and helpful advice for each title.

The November 2022 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

1. Within an area of knowledge is it more important to have credibility or power? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

2. If pushed too far, can open-mindedness itself become restrictive? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

3. Is it better to “have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned” (adapted from Richard Feynman)? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

4. Why do we seek indisputable evidence when it is so often unattaina...

Our full video on the Peacewick University case (May 2022 - Paper 1) is ready for you  in the member's area.  

We've gone through the May 2022 Paper 1 case and created an exhaustive video analysis (around 27 minutes of clear analysis) explaining everything we think you'll need to know to master the paper 1 exam. 

This is the best analysis you'll find anywhere, so this video will save you time and stress, as you prepare for your May IB Business Management exams. 

To subscribe: Click here

And then, once you're logged in click here to start watching the video. 

Our full video on the Megamin Mining case (November 2021 - Paper 1) is already streaming in the member's area.  

We've gone through the November 2021 Paper 1 case and created an extremely exhaustive video analysis (around 27 minutes of clear analysis) explaining everything we think you'll need to know to master the paper 1 exam. 

I promise this is the best analysis you'll find anywhere, so these will save you time and stress, as you prepare for your November IB exams. 

To subscribe: Click here

And then, once you're logged in click here to start watching the video. 

Here are the Theory of Knowledge Essay prescribed titles for the May 2022 session. 

Tim has made a full, May 2022 TOK Essay Titles Analysis, which you can watch inside IBMastery. It will help you understand how to approach each of the titles (i.e. things to avoid, things to consider and some tips and helpful advice for each title).

The May 2022 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

1. Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

2. To what extent do you agree with the claim that “there’s a world of difference between truth and facts” (Maya Angelou)? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

3. Is there solid justification for regarding knowledge in the natural sciences more highly than knowledge in another area of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

4. How do historians and human scientists give knowledge meaning through the telling of stories? D...

Here are the TOK Essay prescribed titles (for the November 2021 session). 

I've created an in-depth November 2021 TOK Essay Titles Analysis, which you can watch inside IBMastery. It will help you understand how to approach each of the titles (i.e. things to avoid, things to consider and some tips for each title).

I know you'll really benefit from the video.

It is already available here (that's a Member's Link). If you're not yet a member, you can watch it by signing up here. 

The November 2021 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

1. Why is it so difficult to identify a clear line between accepted and disputed knowledge within a discipline? Answer with reference to two disciplines, each taken from a different area of knowledge.

2. “Knowledge gained through direct experience is powerful but problematic.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

3. “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact” (Arthur Conan Doyle). Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge...