Find an answer
Common questions, exactly how words are counted, tips and final checks, and the official sources.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
Can I use any programming language or only Python and Java?
- Any language is allowed, including Python, Java, JavaScript, C++, C#, Swift, and others. Most students use the language they studied in the course.
- IB FAQ Two conditions: the code listing must be provided in a readable format (such as PDF), and the language or tool must not trivialise the solution with minimal or no coding.
- What matters is that you write the code yourself and clearly demonstrate algorithmic thinking.
Can I use existing libraries or code?
- Yes, you may use libraries, but you must document and justify their use.
- You cannot submit copied code or templates without major, properly documented modifications.
Can I make a web app, mobile app, database project, or game?
- Yes. All are explicitly acceptable.
- They must still be coded by you and meet the required complexity level.
Do I have to use OOP?
- No. OOP is one valid approach, but it is not compulsory.
- IB FAQ The IA does not require OOP, for SL or HL. A database solution programmed in Python and SQL without classes is fine.
How complex does it need to be?
- It must be commensurate with DP Computer Science level.
- It should allow you to show innovation and clear algorithmic thinking.
- IB FAQ Complexity is about the problem, not the techniques: use what you learned in the course, and avoid techniques beyond it. SL-level programming is enough, because SL and HL are marked on the same criteria.
- IB FAQ Too simple: static websites; databases that only store and display data; basic add/edit/delete exercises with no persistence (data only in memory); websites or databases built from templates; programs built from tutorials; a prototype instead of an actual solution.
Is the 2,000-word limit strict?
- Yes. The IB says the documentation must not exceed 2,000 words.
- IB FAQ There is no overrun allowance: teachers and moderators are instructed to stop reading after 2,000 words.
- Code excerpts, comments and diagrams are excluded (IB). The IB FAQ adds that diagram labels, success criteria written as bullet points and tables of short entries are not counted either. See how words are counted.
- State the word count on the front page. See planning your 2,000 words.
What must be in the video?
- The full functionality of the final product
- Clear examples of your testing strategy: it does not need to show comprehensive testing, because the strategy is marked from your documentation
- IB FAQ The video is not marked on its own, but it is evidence for Criterion D. Every IA needs one: a missing video counts against you.
- Maximum length: 5 minutes
- See planning your video, with a worked shot list
Can I work with others?
- Collaboration is allowed in the broad sense, but the final product and documentation must be your own individual work.
- Collusion is malpractice.
Can my teacher help me?
- Yes. You are encouraged to discuss ideas and ask questions.
- Your teacher gives feedback on one draft only.
What if I use AI tools?
- All work must still be your own.
- Any use of AI must follow your school's academic integrity policy and be referenced properly if used as a research tool.
- The final code and documentation must be authentically yours.
How words are counted
What counts
IB requirement “The total word count must not exceed 2,000 words, excluding code excerpts, comments or diagrams” (IB Diploma Programme Assessment procedures 2027). The overall word count must be written on the first page.
IB FAQ The IB's Computer science FAQ (updated November 2026) explains how this rule is applied to diagrams, tables and success criteria. This guide follows it.
Not counted:
- code excerpts, including screenshots of code, and the comments in them;
- pseudocode, which counts as a code excerpt;
- diagrams, and all the text inside them: flowcharts, decomposition diagrams, Gantt charts drawn as diagrams, UML and class diagrams, ERDs, annotated wireframes;
- words that label or identify a diagram or its parts, such as figure captions IB FAQ;
- success criteria written as bullet points IB FAQ;
- tables used in design or the testing strategy (test plans, evaluation tables, plans written as tables), as long as each cell is a short entry IB FAQ.
Counted:
- all your prose: paragraphs of description, explanation, evaluation and justification;
- extended writing in a table IB FAQ: on this site, any cell of more than about ten words School convention;
- success criteria written as extended text rather than bullet points IB FAQ;
- other bullet points and numbered lists (for example a list of improvements) School convention;
- headings and titles, and the cover page, so keep it to the title and the word count.
Use diagrams to save words in B and C. IA Guide Because the text inside a diagram and pseudocode are not counted, Criteria B and C can be mostly diagrams, with a few sentences of explanation: a decomposition diagram and a Gantt chart for B; for C, a system model drawn as diagrams and the algorithms as flowcharts or pseudocode. Prose that describes what a diagram could show costs words and is usually less clear. See the diagram examples for worked examples of each type.
Use success-criterion codes. IA Guide List your success criteria once, in Criterion A, each with a code: SC1, SC2, SC3… From then on, refer to them only by the code, never repeating their text. That keeps your test plan and evaluation cells short, so the tables stay uncounted, and saves words in your prose.
Keep headings short and avoid a contents page: they count. Use tables for facts (test data, verdicts, references) and prose for reasoning: an explanation squeezed into a table cell counts anyway, and is harder for the examiner to follow. You can add arrows, labels, highlights and short comments to code screenshots in Criterion D. Used sensibly that is fine, but if they are obviously being used to get round the limit, your teacher or the examiner will use common sense and count those words School convention.
Going over the limit. IB FAQ The 2,000-word limit must not be exceeded. Teachers and moderators are instructed to stop reading after 2,000 words, so anything after that point earns nothing, and it is usually your evaluation (E). There is no tolerance: stay under 2,000.
How the allocation was worked out
- Start from the IB's recommended word counts: A 300, B 150, C 150, D 1,000, E 400. These assumed most of C and E would be diagrams and tables.
- Adjust for what doesn't count: bulleted success criteria (A), diagrams and their captions (B, C) and tables of short entries (the test plan in C, the evaluation table in E) are not counted. So A needs only 200, B 100 and C 100.
- Give the words saved to the criteria that need prose: D (12 marks) gets 1,120, for evaluating each technique and justifying its testing, and E gets 480, for evaluating the success criteria and justifying improvements.
- Split each criterion into subsections by where the words are needed (the table below).
These are planning recommendations, not separate IB word limits for each criterion or subsection. Only the 2,000-word total is a rule.
| Criterion / subsection | Marks | Proportional (2,000 × marks ÷ 30) | IB recommended | Final planning allocation (suggested range) | PracticePal example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: Problem specification | 4 | 267 | 300 | 200 | 186 |
| A1 Problem scenario (prose) | 110 (95–120) | 109 | |||
| A2 Computational context (prose) | 70 (60–80) | 65 | |||
| A3 Success criteria (SC1–SC10 as bullet points, not counted) | 20 (5–30) | 12 | |||
| B: Planning | 4 | 267 | 150 | 100 | 95 |
| B1 Decomposition (explains the decomposition diagram) | 45 (35–60) | 43 | |||
| B2 Plan (explains the Gantt chart) | 55 (45–70) | 52 | |||
| C: System overview | 6 | 400 | 150 | 100 | 75 |
| C1 System model (mainly diagrams, not counted) | 35 (20–45) | 26 | |||
| C2 Algorithms (mainly flowcharts and pseudocode) | 30 (20–45) | 27 | |||
| C3 Testing strategy (test-plan table with short cells, not counted) | 35 (15–50) | 22 | |||
| D: Development | 12 | 800 | 1,000 | 1,120 | 1,048 |
| D0 Structure of the product (one short opening paragraph) | 70 (50–80) | 69 | |||
| D1 Technique 1: No double bookings (code + GUI + test output in one figure) | 175 (150–185) | 166 | |||
| D2 Technique 2: The weekly limit (code screenshot) | 175 (150–185) | 158 | |||
| D3 Technique 3: The noise rule (code + GUI screenshot) | 175 (150–185) | 171 | |||
| D4 Technique 4: The waiting list (code screenshot) | 175 (150–185) | 164 | |||
| D5 Technique 5: Releasing no-shows (code + log output) | 175 (150–185) | 161 | |||
| D6 Technique 6: The usage report (code + report output) | 175 (150–185) | 159 | |||
| E: Evaluation | 4 | 267 | 400 | 480 | 453 |
| E1 Meeting the success criteria (prose; the short-cell verdict table is not counted) | 300 (260–320) | 267 | |||
| E2 Improvements (prose) | 180 (150–190) | 186 | |||
| Total | 30 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 1,857 |
The last column is the counted words in the fictional worked examples, counted by the IB FAQ's rule (prose, headings and long table cells counted; bulleted success criteria, captions and short table cells not): 1,857 words in total, within the 2,000 budget. Each example shows its own count on its page.
Try it: plan your 2,000 words
Drag the sliders to share out your words. Watch what happens when you go over, and where Bit thinks the words should go (there is no tolerance: the examiner stops reading at 2,000).
Tips and final checks
What usually helps most
- Start with a clear, measurable problem and success criteria. Everything else flows from this.
- Use diagrams generously for decomposition, system models, and planning.
- Keep the video focused and under 5 minutes. Plan exactly what you will show.
- In Criterion D, justify why you chose particular structures and techniques, then evaluate them.
- Link everything back to your success criteria.
- Submit the full source code in the appendices if you want full marks in D.
- Proofread for authenticity, word count, and clarity before submission.
- Check the IB formatting and anonymity rules: 11 pt or larger, numbered pages, and no name, session number or school anywhere in the work.
Before you submit: 5 things that cost the most marks
IA Guide From the analysis of real, examiner-graded IAs:
- Fewer than 8 success criteria drags down every later criterion, not just A. (A3)
- “Stated” isn't “demonstrated”: always show evidence, not just a claim. (D1)
- Test normal, extreme and abnormal data: the most repeated gap of all. (C3)
- Comment your code. Every time. (Appendix)
- Acknowledge AI use if you used it: a code comment and a documentation note. (D1)
Sources and the official PDF
What this guide is based on
- This guide is based directly on the official IB Computer Science Guide internal assessment section.
- The aim here is to make the requirements quicker to read and easier for students to act on.
- The step-by-step walkthrough also uses the IA Documentation Guide, your teacher's analysis of real, examiner-graded IAs supplied by the IB.
- Throughout the walkthrough, labels show where advice comes from: IB requirement IB FAQ IA Guide Teaching tip School convention
Full document
- If you want the full official wording, open the IA details PDF.
- Rulings labelled IB FAQ come from the IB's Computer science: Frequently asked questions (first assessment 2027), updated November 2026, which your teacher can download from the Programme Resource Centre.