No longer need to count CAS hours?

[Charliepants]

Hello!

When I sent in my half-year CAS report to our CAS coordinator, he replied by saying that there is no longer a need to count the amount of hours in which you do CAS activities; the main point is to make goals and reach those goals by the end of the semester.

Is this true? I know I should trust my CAS coordinator, but I don't want to stop counting the hours and then suddenly realize that he misunderstood something about the criteria.

Thanks for any help given.

[StandardToaster]

You should count your hours until you reach 50h in C, A and S then you can stop counting. However our CAS supervisor said to us that we should at least have one CAS-activity that is ongoing during the course of 18 months, I do not know how reliable the 18months thing is but I think, at least, that it is the "new CAS criterion" from year 2011 or smth

[Nabz]

As the above post states, you have to or it's a "standard" to reach (50 CAS in each = 150 hours in total at least). You coordinator probably said that because you've already completed the minimum amount of hours?

[carpediem]

Actually, according to my CAS coordinator the counting hours part isn't needed anymore. (Whether that is my school policy or the change in the IB's, I don't know.) At my school to pass we need to have at least one activity over 18 months, and cover all the disciplines "Team work", "Global perspective", "Sourced this activity myself" throughout the CAS activities. I would follow whatever your CAS supervisor says, since they are the ones who actually determine whether or not you 'pass' CAS.

[Charliepants]

Actually, according to my CAS coordinator the counting hours part isn't needed anymore. (Whether that is my school policy or the change in the IB's, I don't know.) At my school to pass we need to have at least one activity over 18 months, and cover all the disciplines "Team work", "Global perspective", "Sourced this activity myself" throughout the CAS activities. I would follow whatever your CAS supervisor says, since they are the ones who actually determine whether or not you 'pass' CAS.

That's what my coordinator said too, that as long as you had a CAS project with a goal to reach within the time of the diploma, it wasn't necessary to count the amount of hours.

For those of you wondering whether I've finished CAS: I'm nowhere close. I'm half a year into the diploma and have around 15 hours on each part so far.

[TykeDragon]

At my school we don't have to have 50 exactly, but near enough (eg 45) and we need to write a portfolio with 8 CAS reflections/learning outcomes (though I think everywhere does that) and we need an extended joint activity where we do an activity that is two of the three (C, A & S) that lasts for at least one hour a week for ten weeks.

[onur basman]

At my school we don't have to have 50 exactly, but near enough (eg 45) and we need to write a portfolio with 8 CAS reflections/learning outcomes (though I think everywhere does that) and we need an extended joint activity where we do an activity that is two of the three (C, A & S) that lasts for at least one hour a week for ten weeks.

at my school we have to complete all 150 hours ( 50 each of C,A and S ) or we cant get the diploma but I've never heard of this extended activity.

though we have to have one international group project.

I don't understand how schools could have different policies when it comes to IB CAS hours

[Charliepants]

At my school we don't have to have 50 exactly, but near enough (eg 45) and we need to write a portfolio with 8 CAS reflections/learning outcomes (though I think everywhere does that) and we need an extended joint activity where we do an activity that is two of the three (C, A & S) that lasts for at least one hour a week for ten weeks.

at my school we have to complete all 150 hours ( 50 each of C,A and S ) or we cant get the diploma but I've never heard of this extended activity.

though we have to have one international group project.

I don't understand how schools could have different policies when it comes to IB CAS hours

Yeah, it sounds strange that some IB schools have different policies, considering it's an international program. (Edit: grammar, couldn't just leave it as it was)

Edited February 13, 2013 by Charliepants

[Liberal Lady]

Interesting. At my school you need the full 150 hours, however, it can be a little lopsided (ex. You could have 80 hours of C, 40 hours of A, and 30 hours of S.)

[Nikita K]

I would suggest that you keep a record of the hours. My coordinator said the same thing as yours, but she said that the way the new CAS guide explains it, the hours are supposed to even out and add up to about the previous limit that the IB had set. Just keep a record so that you know how much you need to do and, if your (and my) coordinators did screw up, at least you'll have a back-up.