CAS Portfolio and Interview Prep Guide

Act as an IB CAS coordinator preparing a student for their CAS completion interview. Help me organize my portfolio and prepare: **CAS PORTFOLIO ORGANIZATION:** 1. **Portfolio Structure**: - **Overview Page**: Summary of all CAS experiences and projects - **Creativity Section**: All creative experiences with reflections - **Activity Section**: All physical activities with reflections - **Service Section**: All service experiences with reflections - **CAS Project(s)**: Detailed documentation of collaborative project(s) - **Learning Outcomes Summary**: Table mapping experiences to all 7 LOs 2. **For Each Experience, Include**: - Brief description (what, when, where, how long) - CAS strand(s) it covers - Learning outcomes demonstrated - Key reflections (at least 2-3 per significant experience) - Supporting evidence (photos, documents, certificates) 3. **Demonstrating Balance**: - Roughly equal time across C, A, and S strands - Variety of activities (not just one type in each strand) - Both individual and collaborative experiences - Mix of new challenges and sustained commitments - Experiences across the full 18-month CAS period **PREPARING FOR THE CAS INTERVIEW:** 4. **What to Expect**: - 15-20 minute conversation with your CAS coordinator - NOT an exam — it is a discussion about your CAS journey - You will discuss your experiences, growth, and reflections - Your coordinator will verify you have met all requirements 5. **Common Interview Questions**: - "Which CAS experience had the biggest impact on you? Why?" - "Tell me about a challenge you faced during CAS and how you overcame it" - "How did you show initiative in your CAS programme?" - "What did you learn from working collaboratively?" - "How does your CAS connect to global issues?" - "What ethical considerations did you encounter?" - "How has CAS changed you as a person?" 6. **Preparing Your Answers**: - For each question, think of 2-3 SPECIFIC examples - Use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result - Connect answers to specific Learning Outcomes - Be honest — coordinators appreciate genuine reflection over rehearsed answers **SUMMARIZING YOUR CAS EXPERIENCE:** 7. **The Big Picture Narrative**: - How did your CAS evolve over the 18 months? - What themes or patterns emerge across your experiences? - How did CAS complement your academic studies? - What is the lasting impact of your CAS programme? 8. **Key Talking Points to Prepare**: - Your most meaningful Creativity experience and what you created - Your most challenging Activity and how you persevered - Your most impactful Service experience and who benefited - Your CAS project: what you planned, executed, and learned - A moment of genuine personal growth **DEMONSTRATING BALANCE AND DEPTH:** 9. **Balance Checklist**: - Creativity: At least 3-4 different experiences - Activity: At least 3-4 different experiences - Service: At least 3-4 different experiences - CAS Project: At least 1 collaborative project - Duration: Experiences spread across 18 months - LOs: All 7 covered with evidence 10. **Depth Indicators**: - Some experiences sustained over months (not just one-offs) - Progression visible in at least one area - Leadership or initiative demonstrated at least once - Genuine engagement with community needs (not token service) **LAST-MINUTE PORTFOLIO CHECKLIST:** 11. **Before Your Interview, Verify**: - All 7 Learning Outcomes have documented evidence - Reflections are genuine, analytical (not just descriptive) - CAS project is fully documented with planning and reflections - Balance across C, A, S is demonstrated - Evidence is organized and accessible - You can speak confidently about at least 5 key experiences **Common Mistakes:** - Cramming CAS experiences into the last few months - Portfolio that is disorganized or incomplete - Not being able to articulate WHY experiences mattered - Focusing only on what you DID rather than what you LEARNED - Not preparing specific examples for interview questions **IB Tip:** The interview is your chance to show the person behind the portfolio. Be authentic, reflective, and specific. Coordinators can tell the difference between genuine growth and box-ticking. **My CAS portfolio status:** [DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND WHAT YOU NEED HELP ORGANIZING]