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Getting started on your Computer Science IA for the first assessment in 2027? This guide provides an essential overview of the five updated criteria based on the rubric from the official 2027 syllabus. Understanding these requirements is the first step toward successfully demonstrating your computational thinking and software engineering skills.
Computer Science IA Criteria and Checklist
Criterion A: Problem Specification - 4 Marks
This criterion serves as the foundation for the entire project, requiring students to clearly define the problem they intend to solve through a computational lens. The description must be detailed enough to include measurable requirements that directly relate to a real-world issue, another field of knowledge, or a specific problem within computing. Students must explain why a computational context is appropriate for their chosen scenario. This section ensures that the student has considered technical feasibility, including access to necessary hardware, software, and relevant data before beginning development.
For a maximum of 4 marks:
Describe the problem scenario in detail, including its measurable solution requirements.
State appropriate success criteria that are measurable outcomes derived from the solution requirements.
Explain the choice of a specific computational context selected for the solution.
Ensure the problem is of personal interest and allows for sufficient complexity and innovation.
Adhere to a recommended word count of approximately 300 words for this section.
Criterion B: Planning - 4 Marks
The planning phase focuses on the decomposition of the complex problem identified in Criterion A into smaller, manageable sub-problems. A high-quality response will present a reasonable decomposition, often through diagrams, that supports the construction of a comprehensive project roadmap. This plan must address all identified success criteria and provide a clear chronology for the various stages of the project, including design, development, and testing. Using structured tools like GANTT or AGILE charts can help students effectively organize and present their proposed development timeline.
For a maximum of 4 marks:
Construct a reasonable decomposition of the problem scenario into essential sub-components.
Develop a plan that specifically addresses the success criteria identified in Criterion A.
Include a proposed chronology of key stages: planning, designing, developing, testing, and evaluating.
Mention any relevant research conducted, such as investigating the use of existing code libraries.
Aim for a recommended word count of roughly 150 words for this criterion.
Criterion C: System Overview - 6 Marks
In this section, students must provide a clear blueprint of their product that is detailed enough for a third party to theoretically recreate it. The overview includes a system model typically represented through diagrams, which shows key components, their relationships, and the rules governing their interaction. Furthermore, the student must construct algorithms for these components and design the user interface. A vital part of this criterion is the description of a testing strategy, which establishes a systematic approach to evaluating whether the product handles inputs correctly and functions as intended.
For a maximum of 6 marks:
Construct a complete system model using diagrams that show components and their connections.
Include the design of the user interface as part of the overall system model.
Construct algorithms for system components using natural language, flow charts, or pseudocode.
Describe a testing strategy that aligns with the success criteria to ensure the solution works as intended.
Keep the written documentation for this section to a recommended 150 words.
Criterion D: Development - 12 Marks
This is the most significant criterion, assessing the actual implementation of the algorithms and the technical ingenuity of the final product. Students must justify the structure of their product and explain why the selected techniques, such as specific data structures, loops, or integrated software tools, were appropriate for the solution. The documentation must highlight key code segments, ensuring they are readable and include relevant comments. Students must demonstrate the effectiveness of their testing strategy by showing examples in the video that confirm the product's correctness and efficiency.
For a maximum of 12 marks:
Construct a fully functional product that uses appropriate techniques to implement the planned algorithms.
Evaluate the specific choices made during the coding process to implement the algorithms.
Justify the effectiveness of the testing strategy, covering correctness, reliability, and efficiency.
Reference code excerpts in the documentation to the full source code provided in the appendix.
Follow the recommended word count of 1,000 words for this detailed section.
Criterion E: Evaluation - 4 Marks
The final stage of the IA requires a critical appraisal of the finished product based on the original goals established at the beginning of the project. Students must evaluate the extent to which the final product met each success criterion from Criterion A. This is not merely a summary but a reflective assessment that identifies strengths and limitations. Additionally, students must justify realistic improvements or future developments for the product, providing valid reasons or evidence to support why these changes would benefit the overall solution.
For a maximum of 4 marks:
Evaluate the extent to which the success criteria identified in Criterion A were successfully met.
Justify specific, realistic improvements that could be made to the product in the future.
Ensure the evaluation is consistent with the initial problem specification and success criteria.
Provide valid reasons or evidence to support the suggested improvements.
Adhere to a recommended word count of 400 words for this final evaluation.
We hope you found this post helpful in learning more about the IB Computer Science IA criteria. For more useful materials associated with the IB, check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify and other guides available on our blog.
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