Prescribed Titles (DP IB Theory of Knowledge): Revision Note

Understanding the prescribed titles

• The prescribed titles give you a single knowledge question to explore

• The titles are designed to be debatable, so you should expect more than one reasonable answer depending on assumptions, perspectives and selected areas of knowledge

• A strong response is selective and precise:

  • it discusses fewer ideas, but links each one clearly to the title

  • it tests each claim with examples to show its strengths and limits

Identifying command terms

• Command terms within each title tell you what kind of judgment is required, e.g.:

  • “To what extent” requires a reasoned judgement about scope, conditions and limits

  • “Discuss” requires you to explore different viewpoints and weigh them

  • “...agree” requires you to take a clear position while still considering alternatives

Identifying key concepts and assumptions in the title

• The key concepts in ToK are: certainty, evidence, interpretation, truth, power, justification, explanation, objectivity, perspective, culture, values and responsibility. You should identify them in the title before developing your ideas

• The title also contains assumptions, because it often treats an idea as already true and asks you to explore this

  • E.g. in “To what extent is interpretation a reliable tool in the production of knowledge?”, the title assumes interpretation is something we use to produce knowledge, so you should consider whether interpretation is always present and whether it functions differently across areas of knowledge

Maintaining sustained focus on the title

• Sustained focus means every paragraph explores the title in its exact terms, rather than drifting into a general discussion of a theme

  • The essay is marked against the title exactly as it is written, so you should not change the wording of the title

  • Any quotation marks in a title should be treated as part of the task wording, even when you disagree with the viewpoint

• You should keep returning to the same key concepts as the essay develops, because the essay is judged on how well you explore one title, not on how many ToK ideas you mention

  • Material that does not help answer the title weakens the line of argument, even if it is interesting

2026 prescribed titles

• The prescribed titles are the six official essay questions set by the IB for your examination session, and your ToK essay must respond to one of them

• The titles for 2026 can be found below: