IB Examinations CAS EE TOK
IB Examinations
In order for IB students to receive the IB Diploma, they must complete core coursework with accompanying examinations, CAS, the Extended Essay, and Theory of Knowledge.
What is CAS?
CAS is a continuous, 18 month adventure that starts the first day of Junior year in which students engage in:
- Creativity
- Activity
- Service
The whole purpose of this program is to encourage growth and development through reflection as well as becoming an active participant in the community. By the end of the student's CAS, they should feel a sense of responsibility to make their community and world a better place. Most importantly, though, the student should feel like they have matured into a reflective scholar who is ethical, mindful, and is intrinsically motivated to improve themselves and help lift up others.
What is the Extended Essay (EE)?
The Extended Essay is a 4,000 word research paper on a topic of the student's choice that is written over the course of their junior and senior year under the supervision of a teacher of their choice. This paper is meant to give students the opportunity to engage in undergraduate level researching and writing, and aims to develop the student's capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.
You can learn more about the Extended Essay at this site.
What is Theory of Knowledge (TOK)?
Theory of Knowledge is a cornerstone course for the IB Program and is based entirely on inquiry. TOK aims to have students engage in thoughtful and purposeful inquiry into different ways of knowing and into different kinds of knowledge.
The TOK course is assessed through an oral presentation and a 1600 word essay. The presentation assesses the ability of the student to apply TOK thinking to a real-life situation, while the essay takes a more conceptual starting point.