Real-Life Situation in IB TOK Essay | Choosing a RLS

Table of contents

  • Writing Metier

The TOK essay is a part of the IB program that many students find quite challenging. They spend a lot of time trying to learn more about it to increase their chances of scoring well. One of the very important parts of the IB TOK essay is the real-life situation (also known as RLS). In this guide, you will learn about a TOK RLS and how to choose one.

This is a crucial part of a TOK essay, which means you must learn all about it before you start writing your essay!

What is a TOK Real-Life Situation?

A real-life situation is anything like an experience or an event that has happened recently. This has to be one that exists in the real world. Not just that, but it should also be very concrete and identifiable, not something super conceptual , real, like the REAL real, if you know what I mean 😉

It can be from a personal experience or something that you have learned over time. You can even get some inspiration and ideas from your CAS hours . This situation should be one that you are very clear about, and it should not be ambiguous at all. You should be able to write about it in your TOK essay.

Need a Dope Paper Written? We've Got Your Back!

If you need assistance from knowledgable writers, you can order a custom IB TOK essay from our service. Our company has an experience of more than 4 years in the field of IB, so we can cover almost any TOK essay title you select.

What Should a Real-life Situation Be Like?

There are several ways in which you can choose a real-life situation. Here are a few of them:

It should be very specific

The real-life situation you choose should be something you have a lot of clarity on. It cannot be something that is vague. You have to base your entire essay on that, so you need to make sure that it is very relevant to what you are doing. At the same time, it also has to be concise. You cannot take up too many words explaining it, so you need to be sure that it is to the point.

It should be compelling

Your real-life situation should be very strong because it should interest you, the audience, and the examiner. If you choose something that is not intriguing for your TOK presentation or essay, the examiner will also not like reading about it.

It should be relevant

The real-life situation should be very relevant to what is going on around in the world; you should be able to defend it in all ways possible, in terms of the fact that it should be related to the topic. You need to expand on it and refer to it several times.

It should be controversial

Your real-life situation should be as such that you should be able to give several viewpoints on it. It is only when that is the case that you can actually speak about it in different ways, looking at it from different angles.

How to Choose a Real-life Situation?

There are several ways in which you can choose a real-life situation.

Search the Internet

You can search the internet to find out more about current affairs happening in the world. Like searching for the latest TOK presentation topics , when you do that, you will get to know more about this, which is, again, very important. You need to make sure that what you search for is highly relevant to current affairs.

Academic Subjects

You learn a lot from the subjects you study at school as well. So try to remember some essential things that you might have learned. This can also really help you analyze situations well.

Reading gives you more general knowledge than ever. So you must try to inculcate a habit of reading. It will allow you to understand so many things in detail. Maybe you could try to read the newspaper every morning or anything else that interests you.

Real World Situations Examples

Here are a few everyday life situations examples based on different areas of knowledge and ways of knowing that can help you better understand what is being said.

History How Mao Zedong played a part in changing China for the better or worse Memory
Human Sciences Several celebrities suffering from depression in the current day and age Emotion
Mathematics How several problems in mathematics are still unsolved to date Reasoning
Natural Sciences The discovery of gravity and how Isaac Newton discovered this just by an apple falling on his head so many years ago Reasoning
Arts Art is a way of expression that so many people today use Sense perception
History How Hitler ruled the whole world with his stringent strategies Sense perception
Human Sciences Several celebrities are suffering from anxiety issues in the current times Reason
Mathematics Deciphering complex equations in current times Imagination
Natural Sciences Photosynthesis and its effect on the environment Reasoning
Art The expression of one’s self through music Faith

Final Thoughts

So if you want to write a good TOK essay , you need to make sure that you write things in accordance with real-life situations. These situations have to be thought through first so that you can work your way through your essay very well. Without the usage of TOK RLS in your essay, high chance that IBO will say that it doesn’t follow the IB TOK essay marking rubric , so high chance that you will not get a good grade.

Order an Essay Online ✅

Now the choice is yours and I wish you to select the most exciting Freal RLS for your TOK essay. Good luck, plan your time well and do not miss the deadline , my friend 😉

Free topic suggestions

Vasy kafidoff.

Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

Similar posts

12 tok key concepts | explained.

This write-up is all about TOK concepts, what they are and how essential they are to help you work your way through things. In total, there are 12 TOK concepts. Let's figure out more about each

AOK and WOK in TOK Essays | Detailed Guide

Areas of knowledge and ways of knowing are two essential concepts that you need first to understand before you begin working on these. To find out more about areas of knowledge and ways of knowing, continue reading!

Breaking the Ivy League Barrier: Can IB Students Get into Harvard?

Wondering if Harvard accepts students from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program? The answer is yes, but it's not easy. In this article, we'll explore what IB students can do to improve their chances of being accepted to Harvard.

How to get an A in TOK essay? Rubric + A-grade SAMPLES

Writing a Theory of Knowledge essay can seem challenging to most students because they guess how hard it is to get an A in TOK. No matter how hard they try, they feel like they just can’t crack the IB TOK essay, and one of the major reasons for this is that the structure of this essay is very different from other essays.

How to Make Your Essay Longer? Tricky Techniques!

Most of the times, essays come with specific requirements. There are different types of essays that are taught at schools and colleges, serving different purposes in the academic lives of students. Each and every essay comes with certain guidelines that need to be followed. One of the most important guidelines includes the word limit requirement.

How to Write a Good TOK Essay | Steps & Tips

What is a TOK essay? A TOK essay is also known as a theory of knowledge essay. It is usually written when doing an IB diploma. The essay is a comparative one that discusses problems using various different sources of knowledge. If you’re wondering how to write a TOK essay, then there are a few things that you need to keep in mind for it.

We rely on cookies to give you the best experince on our website. By browsing, you agree to it. Read more

IB Better

How to Write A TOK Essay: 3 Key Parts

how many real life examples in tok essay

IB TOK Essay examples

Type a search phrase to find the most relevant TOK Essay examples for you

Not sure what to search for? You can always look through our example Theory of Knowledge coursework below for inspiration.

profile cover

All TOK Essay Examples

Filter exemplars, do we need custodians of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., want to get full marks for your tok essay allow us to review it for you 🎯, are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences., does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one area of knowledge., tok essay: 5. “how can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge”, nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them, how can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialization and generalization in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge., do we need custodians of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge, nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge., is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history discuss with reference to the arts and history., are we too quick to assume that the most recent evidence is inevitably the strongest discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge., is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history, do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history discuss with reference to the arts and history, nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them discuss with reference to the human sciences and the natural sciences..

COMMENTS

  1. ToK Essay: How to Choose and Explain Real-Life Examples

    A.1 Searching the web. When you google: 'History RLS', the results you are going to get will be from the many TOK websites out there. Most of them are filled with basic examples, probably not relevant to your point. Similarly, there are many over-used and general real-life examples that you should avoid. What you should do instead is to go ...

  2. ToK Essay: Balancing Real World Examples and Theory of ...

    RLS stands for Real Life Situation. It refers to real-world contexts or examples, providing the practical side to your ToK essay. ToK, on the other hand, represents the Theory of Knowledge content, which includes the discussion of knowledge acquisition, knowledge construction, methodology, scope, perspectives, and other related concepts.

  3. Real-Life Situation in IB TOK Essay

    Real-Life Situation in IB TOK Essay | Choosing a RLS. Vasy Kafidoff. September 3rd, 2023. IB. The TOK essay is a part of the IB program that many students find quite challenging. They spend a lot of time trying to learn more about it to increase their chances of scoring well. One of the very important parts of the IB TOK essay is the real-life ...

  4. Real Life Situation in TOK: Everything You Need To Know in 2022

    The first step in selecting a Real Life Situation is to identify an area of knowledge where the situation would apply and a way of knowing most relevant to it. Additionally, it won't matter where you get your RLS as long as it fits the following parameters. 1. Make Your RLS Compelling. Consider three individuals when selecting a Real Life ...

  5. TOK Essay strategy

    Overview of TOK Essay strategy. Here are the six cumulative sections: Unpack your prompt. Reconnect with the 5 Areas of Knowledge. Focus on your essay format. Using the TOK Framework to refine your planning. Returning to the Rubric. Finessing the quality of your analysis.

  6. PDF The TOK Essay: An In-Depth Guide

    The Basics. The following guide will provide you with an overview of what examiners look for in a TOK essay before breaking down the steps you need to take to complete yours to a high standard. Your essay will be marked by an external IB examiner and given a score out of 10. These 10 points are divided into 5 levels, ranging from 'excellent' to ...

  7. TOK essay guidance

    10 TOK essay starting points. 1 The TOK essay is an individual task. 2 It represents two thirds of the overall mark for TOK. 3 It is externally marked. 4 You choose your title from a list of six prescribed titles, which change every exam session. 5 The word count for the essay is 1600 words.

  8. TOK Essay essentials

    Three mandated formal interactions between the student and teacher are recorded on the Planning and Progress Form (TK/PPF): 1. Discuss the list of prescribed titles with the student. 2. Discuss the student's initial exploration of their selected title. 3. Comment on one draft of the student's essay.

  9. How to Write A TOK Essay: 3 Key Parts

    3. Relevant TOK Real-life scenarios: TOK Essay criteria states that your essay needs to have "arguments are clear, supported by real-life example and are effectively evaluated". Again, this statement has a few underlying assumptions: (a) You have arguments that you want to develop in relation to your knowledge questions and the prescribed ...

  10. Ultimate Guide: How to Write a TOK Essay Successfully

    6. Real-Life Examples: To illustrate and contextualize your arguments and analysis, real-life examples can be used in a TOK essay. These examples help to bridge the theoretical ideas with real-world situations, enhancing the reader's understanding and engagement with the essay. By understanding and applying these basic principles, you will be ...

  11. How to Structure and Format your TOK Essay!

    Give a general overview of what you will be discussing in your essay, potentially referring to the real life examples (RLE's) that you will consider, or the Ways of Knowing (WoK) that you will discuss further in your body paragraphs. Body Paragraph 1 (250-350 words) Explore the first AoK you chose.

  12. How To Write A ToK Essay

    Word limit of a TOK essay is 1600 words (excludes extended notes, footnotes, ... Use real-life examples to support your claims and counterclaims. These examples need to be documented researched examples like studies, experiments, articles, presentations by well-known people, etc. Examples that stem from your diploma subjects are highly ...

  13. IB TOK Essay examples

    Discuss with reference to the human sciences and the natural sciences. High scoring IB Theory of Knowledge Essay examples. See what past students did and make your TOK Essay perfect by learning from examiner commented examples!

  14. ToK Essay

    TokToday offers everything you need to master the concepts and excel in writing your essays. Guidance notes contain knowledge arguments, real‑life examples, and evaluation points. In it's first year of publication the ToKToday e-book Write the ToK Essay in 6 Easy Steps has been used by hundreds of ToK students in many countries.

  15. Planning and structuring the TOK essay

    The three TOK essay interactions are a key part of planning and writing your TOK essay. Find out more about making the most of them here. Search for: ... Do I need to use real-world examples in my TOK essay? Yes, real-life examples help illustrate your points and make your arguments more tangible. They can be drawn from personal experiences ...

  16. How to Structure a Theory of Knowledge Essay

    Making sure your evidence actually supports your claims and counterclaims is one of the toughest aspects of the essay. The TOK Essay Structure. Our structure for the TOK essay has 4 sections (6 paragraphs) overall. First, write your introduction. (100-150 words) Paragraph 1-Say one or two interesting things about the prescribed title question ...

  17. TOK Essay Examples: Analyzing Key Writing Strategies

    When you begin writing your TOK essay, remember the strict requirements set forth by the IB curriculum. The minimum word count for a tok essay is 1,200 words, caps at 1,600 words. This range forced me to be concise yet thorough in exploring complex knowledge questions, ensuring I could present my arguments and analyses within these limits.

  18. Example essays

    Example essays. Last updated: 06 June 2023. As part of theory of knowledge (TOK), each student chooses one essay title from six issued by International Baccalaureate® (IB). The titles change in each examination session. Upcoming and past questions include:

  19. TOK Examples To Include In Your TOK Essay

    Type 3: Examples Taken from Your Daily Observations. These are examples which may require some Googling, but not to the extent as mentioned in the earlier one. These are real life situations which may ring a bell at the back of your mind when you've decided on your argument for TOK. Such situations are often deep within the recesses of your ...

  20. LibGuides: US IB Theory of Knowledge: TOK Essay

    Here are some questions that students and teachers frequently ask about the TOK essay. Read through these questions and the answers to check that you are doing the right thing. ... How many examples do I need? In terms of number of examples there is no set answer. However, in a 1600 word essay you should try to have about 4-6 main body points ...

  21. Writing & uploading the TOK essay

    Check out our three-minute explainer video on the TOK essay here. The video goes over the basics of the TOK essay, such as how it's assessed, the word count and other practical details, terms such as 'perspectives' and 'implications', and the role of real-world examples in justifying claims and arguments. You'll find more videos on ...

  22. IB TOK Presentation: how to choose a Real-Life Situation (RLS)

    Real-Life Situations (RLS) are fundamental to the ToK presentation. They are the main feature that differentiates this assessment from the essay. The ToK course literature highlights that real-life situations are often used as examples in the essay, but these are merely employed to illustrate an idea or reinforce an argument.

  23. Theory of knowledge

    Theory of knowledge. Theory of knowledge (TOK) is assessed through an exhibition and a 1,600 word essay. It asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. TOK is part of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) core, and is mandatory for all students.