International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) The DP Core Syllabus

The DP Core syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for The DP Core in International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

   4 topics

   • The core theme and knowledge questions
     • Knowledge and the knower
     • Formulating knowledge questions
   • Optional themes
     • Knowledge and technology
     • Knowledge and politics, language, religion or indigenous societies
   • Areas of knowledge
     • Natural and human sciences
     • History and the arts
     • Mathematics
   • TOK assessment
     • TOK exhibition with three objects
     • TOK essay on a prescribed title
2. 2

   Extended Essay (EE)

   4 topics

   • Choosing a subject and research question
     • Single-subject or interdisciplinary World Studies
     • Framing a focused, arguable question
   • Research process and methodology
     • Locating and evaluating sources
     • Referencing and academic honesty
   • Structuring the 4000-word essay
     • Argument, analysis and evidence
     • Conclusion and evaluation
   • Reflection and supervision
     • Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF)
3. 3

   Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)

   4 topics

   • The three strands
     • Creativity: arts and creative thinking
     • Activity: physical exertion
     • Service: collaborative community engagement
   • The seven learning outcomes
     • Identifying strengths and areas for growth
     • Demonstrating skills, perseverance and ethics
   • The CAS project
     • Sustained collaborative initiative
     • Investigation, planning, action and reflection
   • Reflection and portfolio evidence

The DP Core flashcards for International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB)

19 of 51 cards from the The DP Core deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the three compulsory elements of the IB Diploma Programme (DP) core?

   Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). All three must be satisfactorily completed to be awarded the diploma.

2. How many points can the TOK and Extended Essay together contribute to the IB Diploma score, and what is the maximum total diploma score?

   Together TOK and the EE can contribute up to 3 bonus points via a matrix of their grades. The maximum total diploma score is 45 points (42 from six subjects plus 3 core points).

3. In TOK, what is the central question that the subject explores?

   "How do we know what we know?" TOK critically examines the nature, scope and limits of knowledge and the process of knowing.

4. What is the single compulsory 'core theme' of the current TOK course?

   "Knowledge and the Knower" — it explores how individuals become knowers, the role of communities, perspectives, values, and personal/shared knowledge.

5. What is a 'knowledge question' in TOK?

   An open, general, contestable question about knowledge itself (e.g. how it is produced, justified or valued), rather than a question about a specific subject's content or facts.

6. Give an example of the difference between a knowledge question and a subject-specific question in TOK.

   Subject question: "What caused World War I?" Knowledge question: "How do historians decide which causes are most significant?" The knowledge question is about the process of knowing, not the content.

7. How many optional themes does the TOK course offer, and how many must a student study?

   There are five optional themes, of which students must study any two.

8. List the five TOK optional themes.

   Knowledge and Technology; Knowledge and Language; Knowledge and Politics; Knowledge and Religion; Knowledge and Indigenous Societies.

9. What are the five Areas of Knowledge (AOKs) in the current TOK course?

   History, the Human Sciences, the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and the Arts.

10. In the TOK framework, what four elements are used to explore each theme and Area of Knowledge?

    The knowledge framework's four elements: Scope, Perspectives, Methods and Tools, and Ethics.

11. In the TOK knowledge framework, what does 'Scope' refer to?

    Scope concerns the nature and extent of an area of knowledge — what it deals with, the kinds of problems it addresses, and how it differs from other areas.

12. In the TOK knowledge framework, what does 'Perspectives' refer to?

    How the area of knowledge is shaped by the perspectives of those who produce it, including historical, cultural and personal viewpoints and how knowledge changes over time.

13. In the TOK knowledge framework, what do 'Methods and Tools' refer to?

    The methodologies, conventions, instruments and practices used to produce knowledge within an area (e.g. the scientific method, proof, sources).

14. What are the two assessment tasks that make up the TOK course?

    The TOK Exhibition (internal assessment) and the TOK Essay (external assessment, on a prescribed title).

15. What is the weighting split between the TOK Exhibition and the TOK Essay?

    The TOK Exhibition is worth roughly one-third (about 33%) and the TOK Essay roughly two-thirds (about 67%) of the overall TOK grade.

16. What does the TOK Exhibition require a student to do?

    Select one of 35 IA prompts and choose three real-world objects, then write a commentary (about 950 words) explaining how each object connects to the prompt and illustrates how TOK manifests in the world.

17. What is the prescribed word limit for the TOK Exhibition commentary?

    A maximum of 950 words for the commentary on the three objects.

18. How is the prescribed title for the TOK Essay chosen, and what is its word limit?

    Students choose one of six prescribed titles issued by the IB for their examination session and write an essay of a maximum of 1600 words.

19. On what scale are TOK and the Extended Essay graded?

    Both are graded on a five-point letter scale: A (excellent) down to E (elementary). The two letter grades are combined in a matrix to award 0–3 bonus points.

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