Reflections and Evidence

Both Reflections and Evidence are central to your CAS portfolio and are a requirement for passing the program.

You will add these on Managebac under each CAS experience.


During our CAS classes, we will discuss the purpose of reflection and the key components of a good one.

Being reflective is an attribute of the IB learner profile...and is central to building a deep and rich experience in CAS.

IBO, CAS Guide, 2015 p. 26.

Check out the CAS Reflection Guide to learn more about When, What, and How to Reflect:

A good reflection asks deeper questions. For example:

What did I do? could become:

  • Why did I make this particular choice?

  • How did this experience reflect my personal ideas and values?

  • In what ways am I being challenged to think differently about myself and others?

How did I feel? could become:

  • How did I feel about the challenges?

  • What happened that prompted particular feelings?

  • What choices might have resulted in different feelings and outcomes?

Reflection IS:

  • honest

  • personal

  • done in many different ways

  • sometimes difficult

  • sometimes easy

  • sometimes creative

  • building self-awareness

  • necessary for learning

  • what I did, combined with how I felt

  • surprising

  • helpful for planning

  • done alone or with others

  • about thoughts, feelings, and ideas

  • adding perspective.

Reflection is NOT:

  • forced

  • right or wrong

  • good or bad

  • marked or graded

  • difficult

  • copying what someone else said

  • predictable

  • to be judged by others

  • only a summary of what happened

  • done to please someone else

  • a waste of time

  • only written

  • only discussion

  • only led by teachers.

Reflection can be a truly useful experience for you if you let it; for example, when a student could not attend yoga classes due to COVID, she reflected on how she could overcome challenges and persevere with CAS experiences and found ways to continue doing yoga at home by following YouTube tutorials.

Evidence for CAS

Along with reflections, you are required to upload evidence of your experience to ManageBac. Adding extended commentary on evidence could count as doing a reflection. You should also comment on the evidence you upload with your reflections.

Evidence shows you actively involved in the experience and could include but is not limited to the examples on the right.

You must be able to prove that you have legitimately completed the experience.

  • Photos

  • Videos

  • Certificates

  • Letters from a supervisor

  • Coach’s reports

  • Activity Logs

  • Membership in an organization

  • Showing the CAS Coordinator in Person

  • Links to a personal website