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Navigating the Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) component is one of the most rewarding parts of the IB Programme. However, it also requires strict accountability. Over your 18-month IB journey, you will sit through three formal CAS interviews with your coordinator or advisor. These interviews ensure you stay on track and deeply reflect on your experiences. To help you feel confident and fully prepared, this post will give you a complete breakdown of what to expect, along with a list of questions you could be asked across your three milestone interviews.
IB CAS Interview Questions
Initial Interview
The initial CAS interview takes place at the very beginning of DP1. The primary focus of this discussion is to gauge your baseline understanding of the CAS requirements and to map out your initial ideas. Your coordinator will help you set personal goals, discuss the seven learning outcomes, and look at how your current extracurricular interests can be adapted into valid, long-term CAS experiences. Here are some questions that could be asked at your first interview:
Do you have any immediate questions or concerns about the CAS requirements?
Which of the three strands (Creativity, Activity, Service) excites you the most, and why?
Which strand do you think will be the most challenging for you to fulfil?
What hobbies or after-school activities do you already do that could be registered as CAS experiences?
How can we take an activity you already do (like playing an instrument or a sport) and add a new challenge to it for CAS?
What personal goals do you hope to achieve outside of your academic classes over the next two years?
How would you summarize the seven CAS learning outcomes in your own words?
Which learning outcome do you think will come most naturally to you?
Is there a specific learning outcome that you think will require a conscious effort to achieve?
What initial ideas do you have for your collaborative CAS project?
Who are some peers you might want to collaborate with on your CAS project?
What issues of local significance in our city concern you the most?
How do you see those local issues connecting to broader global themes?
What organizational or time-management strategies will you use to keep your portfolio active?
How often do you plan on logging into your digital portfolio (e.g., ManageBac) to record evidence?
What different forms of evidence (photos, video, blogs) do you plan to collect?
How do you think participating in CAS will help you grow as a person?
Can you connect your personal goals to any specific attributes of the IB Learner Profile?
What skills or talents do you currently have that you would like to pass on to others through Service?
What new skill have you always wanted to learn that you could pick up for your Creativity strand?
Second Interview
The mid-point CAS interview occurs toward the end of DP1 or at the very beginning of DP2. This is a progress-check milestone designed to review your logged evidence and ensure a healthy balance between Creativity, Activity, and Service. Your advisor will check the status of your reflections, discuss any hurdles you have faced, and review your timeline for completing the mandatory collaborative CAS project. Here are some questions you could be asked at the second interview:
Looking back at your initial plans, how well have you managed to maintain a balance across all three strands?
Which CAS experience has been the absolute highlight of your IB journey so far?
What has been the most difficult obstacle you've encountered in an experience, and how did you handle it?
How is the planning or execution of your collaborative CAS project coming along?
What specific role are you taking on within your CAS project group?
How has your understanding of the "CAS Stages" (Investigation, Preparation, Action, Reflection, Demonstration) guided your project?
Have you noticed any gaps in your portfolio where you need to add more experiences?
Which of the seven learning outcomes have you successfully documented with evidence so far?
What is your strategy for meeting the remaining learning outcomes before the final deadline?
How have your time-management strategies held up against the heavy academic workload of the IB?
Have you had to alter or cancel any of your initial CAS plans? If so, why?
How do you feel about the process of writing reflections? Is it becoming easier for you?
Can you show me a reflection in your portfolio where you felt you gained genuine insight into yourself?
How have you actively collaborated with others outside of your formal CAS project?
In what ways have your Service experiences impacted the community or individuals you set out to help?
Have you discovered any new interests or hidden talents through your activities this past year?
How are you ensuring that your experiences show sustained, long-term commitment rather than just one-off events?
Where do you feel you currently need the most support from me as your advisor?
What adjustments do you need to make to your goals for the remaining months of the program?
How has your participation in CAS served as a healthy break or outlet from your academic stresses?
Final Interview
The final CAS interview is at the conclusion of your program, taking place a few months before your final DP2 written exams. This conversation is highly reflective. Your coordinator will review your completed portfolio to officially verify that all seven learning outcomes have been met, closing out this diploma requirement by focusing on your overall transformation and personal growth. Here are some questions that you may be asked at the final CAS interview:
What did you ultimately enjoy the most about your entire CAS program?
Do you feel that you successfully achieved the personal goals you set out at the beginning of DP1?
What was your absolute greatest challenge across the past 18 months, and what did it teach you about yourself?
How did your collaborative CAS project turn out compared to your initial expectations?
What did you learn about teamwork, leadership, and compromise while working on your CAS project?
Which of the seven learning outcomes ended up being the most meaningful or impactful for you?
Which learning outcome did you find the most difficult to authentically achieve and document?
In what ways did the routine practice of reflection help you understand your own learning habits?
How did completing a variety of activities help you improve your personal development?
How did your CAS experiences push you out of your comfort zone or force you to become a risk-taker?
Did any of your experiences change your preconceived notions about a specific community issue or culture?
How did your perspective on global relevance evolve through your local Service activities?
How did you balance your academic commitments with your long-term CAS goals?
Which specific attribute of the IB Learner Profile do you feel you developed the most through CAS?
Are there any activities or causes you started during CAS that you plan to continue into university and adult life?
How do you think you will apply the skills you learned here to your future academic or professional career?
Five or ten years from now, what is the single most memorable thing you will carry away from your CAS journey?
What aspect of our school's CAS organization or support did you find most helpful?
What advice would you give to the incoming DP1 students to make their CAS journey meaningful and stress-free?
Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would choose to do differently if you could start CAS over again?
We hope you found this post helpful in learning more about IB CAS interview questions. 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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