What is CAS?

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) is one of the three essential elements that you must complete as part of the Diploma Programme (DP). Participation in the IB CAS program encourages students to be involved in creative pursuits, physical activities and service experiences in the local, national and international context. 

How is CAS structured? 

The three strands of CAS, which are often interwoven with particular activities, are characterized as follows:

• Creativity: arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking

• Activity: physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the DP

• Service: an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected

In order to demonstrate these concepts, students are required to undertake a CAS Project. The project challenges students to:

• show initiative

• demonstrate perseverance

• develop skills such as collaboration, problem solving and decision making

CAS Requirements

• CAS Participation must continue for at least 18 continuous months. All CAS requirements need to be completed by the end of February in Year 13.

• Quality over Quantity: There is no longer any required number of ‘CAS Hours’ to be completed, the focus is now on the quality of experiences, not the quantity. However CCS requires an absolute minimum of 8 CAS experiences including the CAS project.

  • update experiences at least one time every two weeks

  • a minimum of 3 reflections for experiences lasting one month and at least one reflection for every month thereafter

• CAS Project: You must be involved in at least one – a major undertaking that involves much commitment over an extended period of time (a minimum of one month), involves significant collaboration, in at least one area of Creativity, Activity or Service. CAS Projects often allow more scope for achievement of Learning Outcomes.

• The 5 CAS Stages: Investigation, Preparation, Action, Reflection, Demonstration - these stages will be used for your CAS Project as well as selected CAS Experiences.

• Balance of Creativity, Activity, Service: You must take part in a range of experiences, with some degree of balance between the three areas of CAS.

• CAS Portfolio: You must use ManageBac for your portfolio, to maintain a running log of your reflections on and evidence of the learning outcomes.

• CAS Interviews:  Three interviews at the beginning, middle and end of your IB Diploma Programme with your CAS Coordinator are required. You will need to show evidence during your formal interviews with the CAS Coordinator, who will take notes from these discussions.

• Completion: Completing CAS is outlined in the CAS Completion Details document; the CAS Summary Narrative and the CAS Exit Interview Questions will be used to assess final student achievement.