MI
Mrs Ingrid Andersen, parent
June 2026
Verified
AMy son's TOK essay was a list of examples with no argument. His tutor rebuilt it around a clear position and genuine counterclaim analysis. He got an A — and 3 ...
IB Theory of Knowledge · Oslo
IB specialist tutoring
IB Theory of KnowledgeTutoring
Expert 1-on-1 IB TOK tutoring. Build the philosophical toolkit to write a top-scoring Essay and deliver a confident Exhibition — and earn all 3 bonus Diploma points.
3
bonus Diploma points at stake
A–B
most students' final grade
1,600
words — every one must count
Free
first session, no commitment
TOK EssayTOK ExhibitionTOK EssayTOK ExhibitionTOK EssayTOK Exhibition
Built around your exact paper, not generic tutoring.
We cover every major specification. Your tutor matches your board, tier, and mark-scheme language so every lesson points toward exam performance.
TOK EssayExternal Assessment+
A 1,600-word essay responding to one of six prescribed titles released each year by the IB. Externally marked. Worth 67% of the TOK grade. Must demonstrate genuine philosophical reasoning, not a summary of class discussions.
TOK ExhibitionInternal Assessment+
An internally assessed presentation of three real-world objects linked to a single IA prompt and a core TOK theme. Worth 33% of the TOK grade. Requires a 950-word commentary explaining how each object illustrates a TOK insight.
TOK Essay
External AssessmentA 1,600-word essay responding to one of six prescribed titles released each year by the IB. Externally marked. Worth 67% of the TOK grade. Must demonstrate genuine philosophical reasoning, not a summary of class discussions.
TOK Exhibition
Internal AssessmentAn internally assessed presentation of three real-world objects linked to a single IA prompt and a core TOK theme. Worth 33% of the TOK grade. Requires a 950-word commentary explaining how each object illustrates a TOK insight.
Lesson flow
From confusion to calm, one lesson at a time.
TOK rewards students who can identify genuine knowledge questions and reason through them rigorously — not those who memorise philosophical content. We build that reasoning skill.
Step 1
Pinpoint the gaps
We start with recent marks, confidence blockers, and the exact exam board so sessions feel personal from lesson one.
Step 2
Teach the mark scheme
Tutors connect concepts to examiner language, worked examples, and the habits that turn knowledge into marks.
Step 3
Track the lift
Parents see what changed after each session: topics covered, next steps, and the grade trajectory we are building toward.
What we cover
A syllabus map students can actually follow.
1Knowledge Questions+
A knowledge question is an open, contestable question about the nature of knowledge itself. Identifying and sustaining a strong KQ is the foundation of both the essay and the exhibition. We practise formulating and refining KQs from any starting point.
2Ways of Knowing+
Language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, intuition, memory, and faith. Understanding how each WOK produces and limits knowledge — and how to use WOKs as analytical tools in essay arguments.
3Areas of Knowledge+
Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, History, Arts, Ethics, Mathematics, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and Religious Knowledge Systems. Each has a distinct epistemological character. Essays often compare knowledge across two or more AOKs.
4Core Theme — Knowledge & the Knower+
The compulsory core theme. Questions about perspective, bias, personal knowledge, shared knowledge, and the role of the individual in knowledge communities. Relevant to all essay titles and the exhibition.
5Optional Themes+
Knowledge & Technology, Knowledge & Language, Knowledge & Politics, Knowledge & Religion, and Knowledge & Indigenous Societies. Your school selects two themes. We cover the arguments and examples relevant to your specific themes.
6TOK Essay Structure & Argument+
A strong TOK essay has a clear position, genuine counterclaims that are taken seriously, real-world examples that are genuinely illustrative (not decorative), and a conclusion that resolves the tension. We practise essay structure from outline to draft to final.
7TOK Exhibition+
Selecting three objects with genuine TOK significance, writing a 950-word commentary that makes a single argument, and connecting all three to one IA prompt. Many students select objects and then struggle to connect them — we start from the argument and work backward.
Knowledge Questions
A knowledge question is an open, contestable question about the nature of knowledge itself. Identifying and sustaining a strong KQ is the foundation of both the essay and the exhibition. We practise formulating and refining KQs from any starting point.
Ways of Knowing
Language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, intuition, memory, and faith. Understanding how each WOK produces and limits knowledge — and how to use WOKs as analytical tools in essay arguments.
Areas of Knowledge
Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, History, Arts, Ethics, Mathematics, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and Religious Knowledge Systems. Each has a distinct epistemological character. Essays often compare knowledge across two or more AOKs.
Core Theme — Knowledge & the Knower
The compulsory core theme. Questions about perspective, bias, personal knowledge, shared knowledge, and the role of the individual in knowledge communities. Relevant to all essay titles and the exhibition.
Optional Themes
Knowledge & Technology, Knowledge & Language, Knowledge & Politics, Knowledge & Religion, and Knowledge & Indigenous Societies. Your school selects two themes. We cover the arguments and examples relevant to your specific themes.
TOK Essay Structure & Argument
A strong TOK essay has a clear position, genuine counterclaims that are taken seriously, real-world examples that are genuinely illustrative (not decorative), and a conclusion that resolves the tension. We practise essay structure from outline to draft to final.
TOK Exhibition
Selecting three objects with genuine TOK significance, writing a 950-word commentary that makes a single argument, and connecting all three to one IA prompt. Many students select objects and then struggle to connect them — we start from the argument and work backward.
A–B
most students' final grade
Common blockers
Where students struggle, and how we fix it.
1Writing an essay that argues, not just explores+
Most TOK essays present 'on one hand... on the other hand...' without ever committing to a position. A strong essay takes a stance, supports it with evidence and reasoning, engages seriously with the counterclaim, and defends the position in the conclusion. We teach this structure through annotated past-paper essays and drafting practice.
2Using examples that genuinely illustrate+
Many students use examples (the black swan, Flat Earth Theory, Picasso) because they have heard them in class — without genuinely connecting them to their argument. We work on finding original examples from the student's own IB subjects and experience, and on explaining the connection precisely rather than assuming it is obvious.
3The Exhibition commentary+
The Exhibition requires three objects that all connect to one IA prompt through one consistent argument. Students often select three disconnected objects and then force the argument. We work backwards: choose the argument first, then find three objects that genuinely illustrate different aspects of it.
Real specialists
Meet tutors with examiner instincts.
Specialist tutors with board knowledge, strong academic backgrounds, and proven grade-improvement records.
IB TOK ExaminerMr Hugo Bauer
Cambridge Philosophy · IB TOK Examiner
IB Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay (Philosophy, History)
Average TOK grade: A/B
Essay Argument SpecialistMs Aisha Ibrahim
Oxford PPE · 8 Years Teaching TOK
IB Theory of Knowledge — essay structure, argument, and KQ development
91% of students achieve A or B
Science & Ethics SpecialistDr Sarah Lindqvist
UCL PhD Philosophy of Science
IB TOK — Natural Sciences, Ethics, and Knowledge & Technology themes
Exhibition average: 9/10
Proof that feels close to home.
OC
Olivia C., student
June 2026
Verified
BI couldn't understand what a 'knowledge question' was supposed to be. After one session it clicked completely. Everything about TOK became clearer once I unders...
IB Theory of Knowledge · Brussels
MJ
Mr James Lee, parent
June 2026
Verified
AOur daughter had chosen three exhibition objects that had nothing to do with each other. The tutor helped her build one clear argument and restructure around it...
IB Theory of Knowledge · Tokyo
Sarah M.
June 2026
Verified
Grade 4 → 6My daughter was struggling with IB Mathematics HL and had almost given up hope of getting a 7. After just two months of weekly sessions with her ComboTutors tut...
Parent of IB Student · London
James P.
June 2026
Verified
B → A*My son started tutoring for A-Level Physics about three months before his exams. His tutor was incredibly patient and broke down complex topics like electromagn...
Parent of A-Level Student · Manchester
Priya K.
June 2026
Verified
+2 GradesWe needed help with GCSE Science for my son who found chemistry particularly challenging. His tutor made the sessions engaging and relatable—using real-world ex...
Parent of GCSE Student · Birmingham
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Student Improvement Rate
4.97
Average Rating
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Why parents chose Combo.
Families usually want three things: a tutor their child respects, a plan that fits the real paper, and updates that make progress easy to follow.
Handpicked tutors
We shortlist tutors who know the curriculum, teach clearly, and can coach the exact exam habits that lift marks.
Top-university academics and exam-savvy specialists.
Clear weekly updates
Parents see what was covered, what improved, and what needs attention next, so progress never feels vague.
Structured feedback after every lesson block.
A plan built around your child's paper
Sessions are matched to the student's board, tier, topic gaps, and exam timeline instead of generic subject tutoring.
Board-specific support with a measurable target grade path.
Questions families ask before starting.
Why does TOK matter for the Diploma?+
TOK is combined with the Extended Essay for up to 3 bonus Diploma points. An A in TOK + A in EE = 3 bonus points. An E in either = automatic Diploma fail. Many students neglect TOK because it feels abstract — but the 3 points can be the difference between 40 and 43, or between meeting and missing a university offer.
What are prescribed titles?+
Each year the IB releases six prescribed titles for the external TOK Essay. Students choose one and write a 1,600-word essay. The titles are philosophical questions about knowledge — not subject-specific. We work through the current year's titles and select the one that best suits the student's thinking and subject background.
How do you get an A in TOK?+
A-grade TOK essays demonstrate: a clear and defensible position on the knowledge question, genuine engagement with a strong counterclaim (not a strawman), real-world examples that are precisely connected to the argument, and a conclusion that resolves the tension. We teach and practise this structure explicitly.
Can you help if I have already written a draft?+
Yes — most students bring a draft that describes rather than argues, or uses examples decoratively rather than analytically. We diagnose the gap between the current draft and a Grade A response, then work through a structured revision with feedback at each stage.
Why does TOK matter for the Diploma?
TOK is combined with the Extended Essay for up to 3 bonus Diploma points. An A in TOK + A in EE = 3 bonus points. An E in either = automatic Diploma fail. Many students neglect TOK because it feels abstract — but the 3 points can be the difference between 40 and 43, or between meeting and missing a university offer.
What are prescribed titles?
Each year the IB releases six prescribed titles for the external TOK Essay. Students choose one and write a 1,600-word essay. The titles are philosophical questions about knowledge — not subject-specific. We work through the current year's titles and select the one that best suits the student's thinking and subject background.
How do you get an A in TOK?
A-grade TOK essays demonstrate: a clear and defensible position on the knowledge question, genuine engagement with a strong counterclaim (not a strawman), real-world examples that are precisely connected to the argument, and a conclusion that resolves the tension. We teach and practise this structure explicitly.
Can you help if I have already written a draft?
Yes — most students bring a draft that describes rather than argues, or uses examples decoratively rather than analytically. We diagnose the gap between the current draft and a Grade A response, then work through a structured revision with feedback at each stage.
Ready to Excel in IB Theory of Knowledge?
Book a free consultation and we will match you with a specialist IB ib theory of knowledge tutor who can make a real difference.