Rethinking the IB Core

Rethinking the IB Core
May 2, 2025

This week I want to take a moment to share a few thoughts about something that sits at the very heart of the IB Diploma Programme: The Core.

Traditionally, when we think of the Core, we think about three key components:

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
The Extended Essay (EE)
Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS)

If you’ve ever looked closely at IB literature, or any of the classic IB diagrams and posters, you know what I mean.

At the very center, there’s the student.

And surrounding them?

The Core.

But over time, and through experience and thought, I’ve started thinking about it differently.

And maybe it’s worth considering this:

What if, instead of three elements of the Core, we thought of increasing it to five?

Here's why...

The Five Elements of the IB Core

When you step back and think about what every IB Diploma student is required to do, it starts to make more sense.

We know that every student every student must take three Higher Level course, take three Standard Level courses, complete Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS), complete an Extended Essay (EE), and of course take the Theory of Knowledge course (TOK).

But inside Theory of Knowledge itself, there are two additional tasks:

The TOK Exhibition
The TOK Essay

Each of these pieces—the Exhibition, the Essay—are separate, required tasks that are actually nearly equal in importance to the Extended Essay. (Some have argued even more important.)

And...both of them are graded.

And…each of them contributes directly to the Diploma matrix that awards students bonus points.

So when you look at it that way, each student must complete five unique tasks:

Theory of Knowledge Course
The Extended Essay
Creativity, Activity, and Service
Plus, Theory of Knowledge Exhibition
Plus, Theory of Knowledge Essay

Seeing it this way changes things.

It changes the way we think about the responsibility of IB Coordinators, TOK teachers, Extended Essay Coordinators, and CAS supervisors.

When you break it down into five distinct tasks, you create a much clearer, more manageable structure.

It becomes easier to see where students need support.

It gives you a way to map out responsibilities more intentionally, for both you and the students.

And maybe more importantly—it honors the actual workload these components represent.

It also elevates the role of the Theory of Knowledge teacher—not just as a course instructor, but as someone responsible for overseeing and guiding students through multiple required elements of the diploma.

This shift in thinking—this simple reframing—transformed the way we managed the IB Core when I was working at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile.

It gave our Theory of Knowledge program new energy and clarity.

It brought better communication between Coordinators and teachers.

And it helped our students succeed.

Because ultimately, the Core is what sets IB Diploma students apart.

It’s what makes their educational experience deeper, more thoughtful, more holistic.

So, as you wrap up the IB exam session for May 2025, take a moment to think about the Core—not just as three broad components, but as five intentional, critical experiences that define the IB student journey.

Wishing you well wherever you are today.

See you next week.