ToK Essay Assessment Criteria

AUnderstanding knowledge issues | marks | 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | | Treatment of relevant KIs … | very little | some | for the most part | consistently maintained as its focus | consistently maintained as its focus | | AOKs and/or WoKs … | merely mentioned | largely ineffective links | some effective links | effective links and some comparisons | effective links and comparisons are elaborated | | Understanding of KIs … | little understanding | rudimentary understanding | some understanding | good understanding | sophisticated understanding |

BKnower’s perspective | marks | 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | | Independent thinking about the KIs … | no evidence | very little evidence | some evidence | adequate evidence | much evidence | | Personal engagement with KIs … | limited | some | essay shaped in a way that shows personal engagement | essay shaped in a way that shows thoughtful personal engagement and some self-awareness as a knower | essay shaped in a way that shows personal reflective exploration and significant self-awareness as a knower | | Different perspectives … | no attempt to acknowledge or explore | mentioned, but no attempt to explore them | awareness they may exist, but little attempt to explore | acknowledgment, and some attempt to explore | serious consideration | | Examples chosen … | no appropriate | sometimes appropriate | appropriate, though may be little variety in sources | effective, with some variety | varied and effectively used |

CQuality of analysis of knowledge issues | marks | 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | | Exploration of KIs … | none, only description | partly, but largely description | explores KIs | some insight, in some depth and/or detail | high degree of insight, in considerable depth and/or detail | | Main points of essay … | few attempts at justifying | some justification; some coherent argument | most points justified; most arguments coherent | (nearly) all main points justified; arguments coherent | all main points justified; arguments coherent and compelling | | Counterclaims … | little evidence of any awareness | implicitly identified | some are considered | explored; implications of the essay’s argument are identified | explored and evaluated; implications and underlying assumptions of the essay’s argument are identified |

DOrganization of ideasNo relevance to PT: score 0Word limit not met: score ≤ 4 | marks | 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | | Essay structure and organisation … | very poorly structured; little overall organization | poorly structured; limited overall organization | satisfactorily structured; adequate overall organization | well structured; clear overall organization | very well structured; effective overall organization | | Clarity … | difficult to understand what the writer intends | sometimes difficult to understand what the writer intends; some attempt to explain/explore the meanings of terms, but this contributes little to conceptual clarity | concepts used clearly in general; generally adequate explanations if concepts are explained | concepts used or developed clearly; some explanations included where appropriate | concepts used clearly; refined by helpful explanations where appropriate | | Factual information used to support arguments … | may contain significant inaccuracies | not always reliable (may be minor inaccuracies; sources of more important information may be missing or unreliable) | mostly correct | correct | correct | | Sources of information and ideas … | may not be acknowledged | some are acknowledged | most are acknowledged | acknowledged | acknowledged | | Referencing … | no attempt | some attempt but not complete, nor sufficiently precise to permit tracing of sources | mostly permits tracing of sources, although some precision may be lacking | most referencing permits tracing of sources | all referencing permits tracing of sources |