Hi, Amber. You are either a real person or a very intelligent spambot that has developed sentience. (Kidding.) Anyway, thanks for the question. It's easy to find out how KI is tested and what exactly is covered — you can find it here in the syllabus document.
The subject itself is bathed in an aura of mystique much like Mata Hari at the turn of the century — mysterious, exciting, dangerous and sometimes downright skanky. Many people have asked me "KI" questions like "Why is snow white?" in a smug register that we KI students later ridicule, occasionally behind their backs. It's true that KI is one of the most challenging subjects in the syllabus, but it's also true that I'm saying this primarily because I've done it before and suddenly feel as if I have the license to comment extensively on it.
As such, here's a general list of misconceptions that scare young 16 to 17 year olds at the start of their lives in JC.
Myth #1: KI students answer questions such as "Why is a table a table?" and "When is a cat not a cat?" at the A levels.
If you think you can write an essay based solely on these questions, YOU ARE WRONG. Our questions are far more abstract, including things like "Why is?" and "What can be?" (OK sorry, I lie. KI students do not really have to deal with these. Instead, we're concerned with epistemological concerns, i.e. questions related to the nature of knowledge — what does truth entail, what constitutes knowledge, how knowledge is constructed, who really constructs knowledge anyway, etc. We also have a critical thinking paper, where we evaluate arguments. It's fun. Just read the syllabus document.)
Myth #2: KI is like philosophy at A levels.
Again, some areas of philosophy are relevant to our exploration of epistemology and epistemology is a branch of philosophy, but the pedagogy of KI is quite different from that of most philosophy courses.
Myth #3: KI is really subversive and you'll definitely lose your religion, etc.
A very, very fundamental assumption in not just KI but any A level course is that most students have brains, and that these brains enable them to possess faculties for cognition. KI is where people re-examine, evaluate and grapple with their own beliefs, strengthening these beliefs or finding new ones. Essentially, it teaches students not to be overly, unhealthily and irresponsibly dogmatic. Because dogmatism ain't cool.
Myth #4: KI is stressful, and people die.
The Independent Study component is not a terrible thing. In fact, it's the most enjoyable thing about KI, because you can research on a topic of your own choosing. Most students do topics that they are genuinely interested in. No, people do not die. (Unless you're doing five other coursework-based H2s/H3s. In which case, you may die, or you are James Franco.)
Myth #5: KI is easier than GP in that comprehension skills aren't tested.
I would rephrase that. KI is more interesting than GP in that comprehension skills aren't tested, but rather expected of the candidate. You have to read passages and then comment and evaluate them, freestyle. It's neither easier nor more difficult. It's just different and that perhaps that makes it more interesting.
Myth #6: KI students are elitist pigs.
KI students are generally misunderstood. People think they are geniuses who can prove the existence of God in three minutes. People also think they are tightarses who voluntarily hole themselves up in a KI classroom but are really crying bitter tears of loneliness and exhaustion. It's not true. (Well, most of the time, anyway.) Like most other subjects, KI people take pride in their knowledge about knowledge and critical thinking skills. Unlike most other subjects, the candidature is small and, perhaps, select. ("Select" only insofar as passing a diagnostic test is concerned.) Minorities have it really hard.
Ultimately, KI is a really fun subject. The workload is usually OK (save for countless journal articles from JSTOR, but hey, that's the nature of the game) and small classes make for a close-knit community, (in my college, at least.) If you're up for it, KI will be one of the best things that will happen to you in JC.
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