IB CAS Explained: Requirements, Hours & Ideas

If your child is starting the IB Diploma, you'll hear three little letters a lot: CAS. It sits right next to the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge at the heart of the programme. But unlike those two, CAS has no exam and no grade — which is exactly why so many families find it confusing.

IB CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, Service. It's the part of the IB Diploma where students learn by doing, not by sitting a test. This guide explains what CAS is, how many hours it really takes, the seven things students must show, and dozens of ideas your child can actually use. Everything here matches the official IB rules, checked against ibo.org.

Let's start with the short version.

Quick answer: what is IB CAS?

CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) is one of the three core parts of the IB Diploma Programme, alongside the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge. Students take part in creative, physical, and community activities outside their normal lessons, then reflect on what they learned. CAS is not graded, but every student must complete it to earn the IB Diploma. There is no longer a fixed number of hours — instead, students must show evidence of seven learning outcomes over about 18 months, plus complete one month-long CAS project.

That's CAS in a nutshell. Now let's unpack each piece so nothing catches you off guard.

What does CAS stand for?

CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, Service. Those are the three "strands" your child's experiences must cover.

The idea is simple. School spends most of its time on the mind — essays, exams, and grades. CAS makes room for the rest of a young person: their creative side, their body, and their place in a community. The IB calls it "an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the DP." In plain English, it's the part of the Diploma that keeps students human while everything else is testing them.

CAS is a required part of the DP core. It runs beside the six subjects your child picks, not instead of them.

The three strands of CAS

CAS is built from three strands. Every student must engage with all three across their two years.

Here's what each one means, straight from the IB.

A few things to notice. Service must be unpaid and voluntary — a summer job doesn't count. It also has to respect the "rights, dignity and autonomy" of everyone involved, so genuine help beats a photo opportunity. And the strands often blend. Teaching a free art class to younger children touches all three at once.

Your child doesn't need an equal split between strands. They just need real, ongoing engagement with each one, backed by evidence and reflection.

How many CAS hours do you need?

Here's the part almost every parent gets wrong: the IB no longer sets a required number of CAS hours.

For years, the rule was 150 hours — 50 each for Creativity, Activity, and Service. That target was removed from the syllabus in 2015, and the change took full effect for students who finished in 2017 and later. So if you read an old blog or an outdated school handout saying "150 hours," it's simply out of date.

Why did the IB drop the hours? Two reasons. First, counting hours pushed students to chase numbers instead of meaning — 50 boring hours beat 10 great ones on a spreadsheet, which is backwards. Second, hour-logging invited fraud, with students claiming time they never spent.

So what replaced hours? Evidence of the seven learning outcomes (more on those next), shown across roughly 18 months. As a rough planning guide, many schools still suggest something like three to four hours a week of CAS. But that's guidance, not a rule. Your child could hit every learning outcome brilliantly in fewer hours, or take longer — what matters is the growth, not the clock.

One caution: some schools set their own internal hour targets to keep students on track. That's a school choice, not an IB requirement. Always check what your specific school expects.

The 7 CAS learning outcomes

The seven CAS learning outcomes are the real "pass" test. To complete CAS, your child must show evidence they've achieved all seven at some point during the programme.

Think of them as seven kinds of growth, not seven boxes to tick once. Here they are, in the IB's own order.

Notice how these mirror the traits schools want students to build anyway. In fact, CAS is one of the main ways students live out the IB learner profile — the ten qualities the IB wants every learner to grow.

Your child doesn't hit all seven in one activity. They gather evidence across many experiences. One long service project might cover commitment, collaboration, and ethics. A solo creative project might cover strengths, new skills, and initiative. The portfolio ties it all together.

What is the CAS project?

The CAS project is one required, longer experience that must last at least one month and involve working with others.

Every student has to complete at least one. It's the centrepiece of CAS, and it's where the biggest growth usually happens. The IB says the project must challenge students to show initiative, stick with it through problems, and build skills like collaboration, problem solving, and decision making.

A CAS project can sit in any strand or blend several. Some real examples:

• A group of students plans and runs a charity fun-run (Activity + Service)

• Friends write, rehearse, and stage a short play to raise money (Creativity + Service)

• A team builds a simple website to help refugees find local resources (Creativity + Service)

• Students organise a school recycling scheme from scratch (Service + Activity)

The "one month" rule is about duration, not total hours. A project can run for two or three months at a gentle pace and still count. What the IB wants to see is planning, teamwork, and follow-through over time — not a single busy weekend.

The 5 CAS stages

The IB gives students a five-step framework to run any CAS experience or project. It's called the CAS stages, and using it is part of doing CAS well.

The five stages are:

1. Investigation — Work out your interests and the need. What do you want to do, and why?

2. Preparation — Make a plan. Sort out roles, resources, timelines, and any skills you need to learn first.

3. Action — Do it. Make decisions, solve problems, and work with others as you go.

4. Reflection — Look back. What happened, how did you feel, what did you learn, what would you change?

5. Demonstration — Show your learning. Share what you did and what changed, using evidence in your portfolio.

Students who follow these stages tend to write far stronger reflections, because they've actually thought each experience through instead of just showing up.

The CAS portfolio and reflections

Every student keeps a CAS portfolio — a running record of their experiences, evidence, and reflections. It's how they prove they've met the seven learning outcomes.

The portfolio isn't a graded essay. It's more like a scrapbook with purpose. It can hold photos, plans, feedback, certificates, videos, and — most importantly — written reflections. Reflection is the heart of CAS. The IB cares less about what your child did and more about what they learned from it.

Good reflection is honest and specific. "I helped at the shelter" is weak. "I was nervous talking to strangers on day one, but by week four I could run the intake desk alone" is strong. That second version shows real change over time, which is exactly what the learning outcomes ask for.

Across the two years, students also have around three formal check-in conversations with their school's CAS coordinator. These aren't exams — they're friendly progress chats to make sure your child is on track and covering all three strands.

How long does CAS last?

CAS runs across roughly 18 months of the two-year Diploma. It starts near the beginning of Year 1 and wraps up in the second half of Year 2, before final exams.

That long stretch is deliberate. CAS is meant to be a steady drumbeat alongside studies, not a last-minute scramble. A student who starts early and does a little each week finds it easy. A student who leaves it until the final term finds it stressful — and risks running out of time to show all seven outcomes.

Here's the rough shape of a well-paced CAS journey.

The main message for parents: encourage an early, gentle start. It removes almost all the stress later.

Do you get graded on CAS? Can you fail?

CAS is not graded, and it earns no points toward the score out of 45. But — and this matters — your child must complete CAS to receive the IB Diploma.

This surprises a lot of families. CAS gives you zero marks, yet it can cost your child the entire Diploma. If a student doesn't complete CAS, they can pass every exam and still walk away without the full IB Diploma. The school's CAS coordinator confirms completion based on the portfolio evidence and reflections.

So CAS sits in a special place. It won't lift your child's number (for how the points actually work, see our guide to the IB points system). But skipping it is one of the few ways to fail the Diploma outside the exam hall. The good news: almost no one fails CAS on ability. Students who fail it usually just left it too late or didn't reflect enough. Both are fixable with an early start.

CAS experience ideas by strand

Struggling for ideas? You're not alone — the blank page is the hardest part of CAS. Below are dozens of realistic ideas, sorted by strand. Your child should pick things they genuinely care about, because interest is what carries a project through the boring middle bit.

Creativity ideas

• Learn a musical instrument and perform at a school event

• Start a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel on a topic you love

• Design posters or branding for a school club or charity

• Join or start a drama, dance, or debate group

• Learn photography and document a community event

• Code a small app or game that solves a real problem

• Write and illustrate a children's book

• Cook your way through a cuisine and share recipes

Activity ideas

• Join a school or local sports team

• Train for a 5k, 10k, or charity run

• Take up swimming, cycling, or rock climbing

• Learn a martial art or yoga

• Start a regular hiking or trail-walking habit

• Organise lunchtime fitness sessions for classmates

• Train for and complete a dance performance

• Take up a new sport you've never tried before

Service ideas

• Tutor younger students in a subject you're strong in

• Volunteer at a food bank, shelter, or care home

• Run a beach, park, or neighbourhood clean-up

• Help at an animal rescue centre

• Teach basic tech skills to elderly community members

• Fundraise for a cause you believe in

• Mentor new students settling into school

• Support a local environmental or conservation group

A quick tip: the strongest CAS students often turn a subject they love into service. A student who's strong in maths, for instance, might tutor struggling classmates — building teaching skills while helping others. Whatever the subject, our specialist tutors can help your child get strong enough to teach it, whether that's IB Maths or another Higher Level.

How CAS fits with TOK and the Extended Essay

CAS is one of three parts of the DP core. The other two are Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and the Extended Essay (EE). Together they make the IB Diploma more than a stack of subjects.

Here's how the three differ.

TOK and the EE are academic and graded. Between them they can add up to three bonus points to your child's total. CAS is the practical, human counterweight — no grade, but no Diploma without it.

Many families underestimate the two graded parts and then scramble late. If that sounds like a risk, our team offers focused Extended Essay coaching and TOK essay support so those pieces don't derail the final score.

Tips to make CAS easier

CAS is one of the least stressful parts of the IB — if you play it right. Here's how the calmest families do it.

• Start in the first few weeks. The single biggest predictor of easy CAS is an early start. Late starters do all the same work under time pressure.

• Reflect little and often. Jot a few honest sentences after each experience. Waiting until the end means forgotten details and weak reflections.

• Pick things you actually like. Passion beats duty every time. A bored student writes boring reflections; an interested one writes gold.

• Blend strands where you can. One good project can cover several outcomes at once, saving time and effort.

• Keep evidence as you go. A quick photo or a saved message now is worth an hour of hunting later.

• Use the coordinator. They've seen hundreds of students. If your child is stuck, ask early.

Done this way, CAS becomes the part of the IB students actually enjoy — and the part they remember years after the exams are forgotten.

Frequently asked questions about IB CAS

What does CAS stand for in the IB?

CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, Service. It's one of the three core parts of the IB Diploma Programme, alongside Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. Students take part in creative, physical, and community experiences outside their normal classes, then reflect on what they learned. CAS is required for the Diploma but earns no grade.

How many CAS hours do you need for the IB?

There is no required number of CAS hours. The old 150-hour rule (50 each for Creativity, Activity, and Service) was removed from the syllabus in 2015 and no longer applies. Instead, students must show evidence of achieving the seven CAS learning outcomes over about 18 months. As a rough guide, many schools suggest three to four hours a week, but that's guidance, not an IB rule.

Is CAS graded in the IB?

No. CAS is not graded and adds no points to the score out of 45. However, every student must complete CAS to earn the full IB Diploma. A student could pass all their exams and still not receive the Diploma if CAS is incomplete. The school's CAS coordinator confirms completion based on portfolio evidence and reflections.

Can you fail the IB because of CAS?

Yes, in effect. If a student does not complete CAS, they will not receive the IB Diploma, even with strong exam results. Almost no one fails CAS on ability, though. Students who fail it usually started too late or didn't provide enough reflection and evidence. Starting early and reflecting regularly makes failure very unlikely.

What are the seven CAS learning outcomes?

The seven outcomes are: identify own strengths and develop areas for growth; undertake challenges and develop new skills; initiate and plan a CAS experience; show commitment and perseverance; work collaboratively with others; engage with issues of global significance; and recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions. Students must show evidence of all seven across their CAS programme.

What is a CAS project?

A CAS project is one required, longer experience that lasts at least one month and involves working with others. Every IB Diploma student must complete at least one. It challenges students to show initiative, stick with a plan through problems, and build collaboration and decision-making skills. A project can sit in any strand or blend several, such as running a charity event or building a community website.

How long does CAS last?

CAS runs across roughly 18 months of the two-year Diploma Programme. It usually begins near the start of Year 1 and finishes in the second half of Year 2, before final exams. The long duration is intentional — CAS is meant to be a steady weekly habit, not a last-minute rush. Starting early is the easiest way to keep it stress-free.

What are some good CAS ideas?

Good CAS ideas match a student's real interests. For Creativity: learning an instrument, blogging, coding, or joining drama. For Activity: sports teams, running, swimming, or martial arts. For Service: tutoring younger students, food-bank volunteering, clean-ups, or fundraising. The strongest ideas often blend strands, like teaching a free art class, which touches creativity and service at once.

What is the CAS portfolio?

The CAS portfolio is a running record of a student's experiences, evidence, and reflections. It's how students prove they've met the seven learning outcomes. It can include photos, plans, feedback, certificates, and written reflections. The portfolio is not graded like an essay, but it must contain enough evidence for the coordinator to confirm CAS is complete.

How is CAS different from TOK and the Extended Essay?

All three are parts of the DP core, but they're very different. Theory of Knowledge is an essay and exhibition about how we know things. The Extended Essay is a 4,000-word research paper. Both are graded and can add up to three bonus points. CAS is practical Creativity, Activity, and Service work that isn't graded but is still required to pass the Diploma.

When should my child start CAS?

Your child should start CAS in the first few weeks of Year 1. An early start is the biggest predictor of stress-free CAS. Beginning early gives plenty of time to try activities, launch the required CAS project, cover all three strands, and reflect properly. Students who leave CAS until the final term face the same workload under far more pressure.

Does a part-time job count for CAS?

No. Service in CAS must be unpaid and voluntary, so paid work does not count as Service. However, skills you build at a job could sometimes support other outcomes if organised as a genuine, reflective CAS experience. Always check with your CAS coordinator before assuming any activity counts.

CAS can feel vague at first, but it's really just this: try things, help people, stay active, and think about what you learned. Start early, reflect honestly, and it becomes the most enjoyable part of the IB. If your child needs support with the graded, higher-pressure parts of the Diploma, our specialist tutors are one-on-one and IB-focused — book a free trial class and we'll match them with the right person.