Find out about the IA | IB Computer Science IA

What the IA is

A compulsory computational solution
It brings together the two main themes of the syllabus
It should be woven into normal classroom learning, not treated as a separate unrelated task

Select a topic within computer science
Specify a problem of your own choosing
Create a computational solution showing decomposition, pattern recognition, algorithmic thinking, programming, debugging, and testing

35 hours in total
This includes teacher explanation, class work, consultations, progress monitoring, and authenticity checks

Single PDF file
Five separate sections: A-E
Maximum 2,000 words
Not counted: code excerpts, comments, diagrams and their labels, success criteria written as bullet points, and tables of short entries. Prose and extended writing in tables count
No overrun allowance: the examiner stops reading after 2,000 words
See how to plan your 2,000 words
Write the overall word count clearly on the first page

Separate file in mp4, avi, or wmv
Maximum 5 minutes
Must demonstrate the full functionality of your product
Must show examples of your testing strategy, not comprehensive testing
Not marked on its own, but evidence for Criterion D: a missing video counts against you
See how to plan your video

Single PDF file
Include the full source code of your product
Include any other resources you developed and referred to in the documentation
Can hold extra material you refer to, such as full test results
Not marked: only the documentation and video are used for marking. But without the full source code you cannot get full marks in Criterion D
See what to put in your appendix

IB requirement From the IB's Diploma Programme Assessment procedures 2027:

Format: a font such as Arial, at least 11 pt; single (or greater) line spacing; numbered pages; portrait pages, except where a diagram needs landscape; PDF pages set to A4 or US letter.
Anonymous: do not put your name, your session number or your school's name or number anywhere in your work: not on the title page, in headers or footers, or anywhere else. Your name may appear in the file names only.
File size: keep files as small as possible without losing quality.

Criterion	Marks	IB recommended words	Main focus
A: Problem specification	4	300	Problem scenario, success criteria, computational context
B: Planning	4	150	Decomposition and a plan linked to success criteria
C: System overview	6	150	System model, algorithms, and testing strategy
D: Development	12	1,000	Functionality, techniques, decisions, and testing
E: Evaluation	4	400	How well the success criteria were met and what should improve

The same criteria are used at SL and HL, at the same level: IB moderation does not distinguish between SL and HL work IB FAQ.
Marking has two stages IB FAQ: first find the markband, checking each strand (bullet point) of the criterion and choosing the best-fit descriptor; then choose the mark within that band by how well the work meets the descriptors.
Teachers annotate the documentation to show where the evidence for each strand is, and may put a comment and mark sheet at the front IB FAQ. This tells the moderator why each mark was given.
Criteria A, B, C and E assess the process; Criterion D assesses the final product, including the testing strategy shown in the video.
The full official level descriptors for each criterion are on its walkthrough page.

The work must be entirely your own.
Your teacher can read and give advice on one draft only, either orally or in writing.
They will not edit it. The next version you hand in is the final version for submission.
You must not use the same piece of work for both the IA and the Extended Essay.