Overview
The best IB Computer Science IA project solves a real problem for a real client and is complex enough to show genuine computational thinking — not a to-do list app you built for yourself. The IA (the "solution") asks you to identify a client or end-user, agree what they need, then design, build, and evaluate a working product. This post covers the rules that decide your mark and gives example project ideas by type, with how to judge whether each is complex enough. For the full write-up on documentation and criteria, see the [IB Computer Science IA guide](/blog/ib-computer-science-ia-guide).
The two rules that make or break a CS IA
This section covers The two rules that make or break a CS IA — what IB examiners reward most often in past papers and coursework.
- A real, identifiable client. You need someone (a teacher, a local business, a club, a relative) with an actual problem, who can be consulted during development and who will evaluate the finished product. "A generic user" is a red flag — the criteria reward real consultation and feedback.
- Enough complexity. A product that just stores and displays records rarely scores well. Moderators look for algorithmic thinking — searching, sorting, validation, calculations, relationships between data, or a non-trivial feature the client genuinely needs. Always check the required complexity against your current Computer Science guide.
What the IB Computer Science IA actually is
The IA is worth a significant share of your final grade (confirm the exact weighting for your syllabus) and is documented across stages: planning (client, problem, success criteria), design (records of tasks, test plan, structure), development (techniques used, with justification), a video of the product working, and evaluation against your success criteria plus recommendations for improvement. This article helps with the first hard step — picking a project that can score across all of it. For everything after that, read the [IB Computer Science IA guide](/blog/ib-computer-science-ia-guide).
What makes a strong project idea
This section covers What makes a strong project idea — what IB examiners reward most often in past papers and coursework.
- Real client, real problem — someone whose workflow is genuinely improved.
- Right size — buildable in the time available, but rich enough to need real logic.
- Data with structure — related records, searching/sorting, validation, or calculations.
- Testable success criteria — you can demonstrate each one in the video.
- Yours to justify — you can explain why you chose each technique, not just that you used it.
Example project ideas by type
For the IB Diploma Programme, treat these as starting points — the client and their specific needs must be your own, and identical online projects are an authenticity risk.
Management systems
- A booking and scheduling system for a local tutor, barber, or sports club — with clash detection, so it needs real validation and logic rather than plain storage.
- An inventory tracker for a school department or small shop — low-stock alerts, categories, and a simple usage report.
- A membership manager for a club — renewals, search, and automatic reminders for expiring memberships.
Complexity tip: add a feature the client actually needs (alerts, clash detection, a calculated report) so the project moves beyond create-read-update-delete.
Tools and utilities
- A grade or points calculator for a teacher that converts marks to grades using rules the teacher provides, with input validation and a printable summary.
- A rota generator that fairly distributes shifts subject to constraints — a natural home for a real algorithm.
- A revision-question bank for a teacher, with tagging by topic and a "practice weak topics" mode.
Education and games
- A quiz or flashcard system for a specific class, with topic selection, scoring, and progress tracking — the tracking logic is where the marks are.
- A small teaching game that models a concept (e.g. a simulation), provided the underlying model is non-trivial.
Data and analysis
- A results dashboard for a coach or teacher — importing data, computing summaries, and highlighting trends.
- A simple recommendation feature — matching users to options using a scoring rule you design.
Choosing your project on MarkScheme
Pin down the client and success criteria early, then build against them. Use the free [Computer Science HL](/ib/courses/computer-science-hl) and [SL](/ib/courses/computer-science-sl) lessons to strengthen the concepts your solution relies on, review [Computer Science past papers](/ib/past-papers/computer-science-hl) for the theory side, and [get an answer marked](/mark) to keep exam technique sharp alongside the IA.
Frequently asked questions
This section covers Frequently asked questions — what IB examiners reward most often in past papers and coursework.
Can my client be a friend or relative?
Yes, as long as they have a genuine problem, can be consulted during development, and will evaluate the finished product. What matters is real, documented interaction — not who they are.
How complex does the solution need to be?
Enough to show algorithmic thinking — searching, sorting, validation, calculations, or meaningful data relationships. A pure storage-and-display app usually caps your mark. Check the specific requirement in your current guide.
Which programming language should I use?
One you can develop a working, testable product in and justify your techniques for. The language matters less than the quality of the solution and the documentation.