IB Computer Science IA, also referred to as “The Solution” requires students to use computing technology to solve real-life problems for real-life clients.
The course accounts for 30% and 20% of the final grade at SL (Standard Level) and HL (Higher Level) respectively.
This guide covers an overview of Computer Science IA, topic selection, the structure, and the assessment criteria used. We also offer writing assistance to IB students who need help with the subject.
What is IB Computer Science IA?
IB computer science internal assessment is a 5-part, 2,000 words assignment that accounts for 30% and 20% of the final grade at Standard Level and Higher Level respectively. IB assigns 150 hours of study time for SL and 240 hours for HL.
According to IBO, SL and HL students study the same core content. However, HL students dive deeper into some areas and cover additional study materials such as problem solving and computational thinking.
IB Computer Science IA Topic Selection
When it comes to computer science IA topic selection, you have to consider an idea that you’re passionate about.
At the same time, ensure the topic challenges your coding skills, especially if you wish to develop applications in the future.
There’s no right or wrong topic. You can focus on any idea, from game development and big data analysis to artificial intelligence and anything in between, provided you stay within the assessment’s guidelines.
What’s the Structure for IB Computer Science IA?
Base the structure (format) of your computer science IA on the assessment criteria used to grade the task.
Keep in mind that your task is to come up with a solution to a problem faced by a client. Your focus will be on creating a working product the client can use to fix their business or personal problems.
The solution you provide can be a new system that you’ve created from scratch. Alternatively, you can improve on an already existing solution.
How is Computer Science IA Assessed?
The following is a breakdown of the marking scheme used for Computer Science internal assessment:
Criterion A: Planning (6 Marks)
Your teacher checks if you’ve identified a client and described their problem. Additionally, they’ll determine whether you consulted the client and agreed on a suitable solution. The word count for the planning section shouldn’t exceed 500 words.
Criterion B: Solution Overview (6 Marks)
In solution overview, your teacher looks at whether you’ve developed a Record of Task (ROT) file. To increase your chances of scoring the 6 marks, your design document should:
- Include a test plan, a description of methods, and a design of the solution with detailed flowcharts and graphical visualization of the output.
- Use flowcharts to highlight all the processes used.
- Ensure your graphical representation is a design of what the output looks like. You can use speech bubbles to annotate lightly.
The solution overview section should be 500 words long.
Criterion C: Development (12 Marks)
To score 9 to 12 marks for development:
- Demonstrate a higher level of complexity in addressing the issue mentioned in planning and show appropriate use of relevant tools and techniques.
- Use Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams of program and include the programming language such as python or java.
- Include a clear screenshot of complex code (if any) and explain why the code is suitable for solving the problem.
- Use ADT (queues, linked lists, or 2D arrays) and Object Oriented Programming to score 3 marks or more.
- Add a list of sources used.
The development part of your CS internal assessment should be no more than 1,000 words long.
It’s important to note that you can’t score a 12 in this section even if you’ve done a perfect job. IB teachers can award only up to 11 marks for this section because nobody knows what complex code is, especially since opinions tend to vary from person to person.
Criterion D: Functionality (4 Marks)
Your teacher doesn’t expect any written content for functionality. Therefore, there is no word count assigned to this criterion.
Functionality requires you to include a video, either a screen capture or a video recorded by a different device. See the instructions below to increase your chances of scooping the 4 points for functionality:
- Make your video 2 to 7 minutes long.
- Ensure the video highlights the most important features, functions, and performance of your program.
- Include a clear explanation of how one can extend the program.
- Add a video narration (you speaking) so that your IB teacher can confirm that you worked on the project yourself.
One of the most important things when it comes to demonstrating functionality in your IB Computer Science IA is to be as authentic as possible.
In most cases, a high number of moderators will default to watching the video presentation and reading your documentation. You have to make sure your presentation is clear, otherwise they won’t understand your content or they might think you faked your project.
Criterion E: Evaluation (6 Marks)
For the evaluation section:
- Demonstrate that you have met the set success criteria for the project as specified in the planning stage.
- Show that the client loved your product or solution.
- Suggest feasible ideas that can help with the future improvement of the project where applicable.
Can I Pay Someone to Write My CS Internal Assessment?
Yes, you can pay someone on Help for Assessment to write your computer science IA for you if you don’t have the time to do the work yourself. Simply take advantage of our IA writing service and we’ll assign your order to an expert writer who can get the task completed on time.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve picked a topic or haven’t even started brainstorming yet. We’ll help you with every part of writing, so you can invest your time only on creating the 2 to 7 minutes video.
We charge $12.99 to $40 per page depending on the urgency of the assignment. Additional features such as expert proofreading, copy of sources, and subject expert are optional, but they add to the overall cost of our writing service.