How long should my first CAS entry on ManageBac be?

The IB does not prescribe a universal word count for a ManageBac CAS entry. Your school may set its own minimums or provide prompts that determine how much you need to write. For an initial description, aim to explain the activity, purpose, schedule, goals, and intended development without adding irrelevant detail. A short initial reflection can be one focused paragraph if it identifies your starting point, anticipated challenge, and next step. Ask your CAS coordinator whether your school has a required length, format, or reflection schedule.

Do I need evidence for my first ManageBac CAS entry?

You may not have evidence when you first propose an experience because the activity has not yet started. Once it begins, add relevant evidence according to your school's schedule and privacy rules. Appropriate evidence could include a plan, attendance confirmation, work sample, progress record, or photograph taken with permission. Evidence should support what you say, but it cannot demonstrate personal learning without an accompanying reflection. Check with your coordinator before uploading documents containing names, contact details, or identifiable images.

How many CAS learning outcomes should I select for my first experience?

There is no need to select all seven CAS learning outcomes for one experience. Choose only the outcome or outcomes that the planned activity can realistically help you demonstrate. For a first experience, one or two carefully justified outcomes are often more manageable than several weak connections. Achievement depends on what your later reflections and evidence show, not on how many boxes you select initially. Across the full CAS programme, however, your portfolio must provide evidence that you have achieved all seven outcomes.

Can a parent be the supervisor for my first CAS experience?

Supervisor rules are usually determined by your school, so you must ask your CAS coordinator before naming a parent. Schools may prefer an independent adult who has appropriate knowledge of the activity and can verify your participation objectively. A teacher, coach, club leader, or organization representative may be more suitable in many situations. The supervisor should understand the experience and be willing to provide accurate feedback when requested. Never enter someone's contact information without first obtaining permission.

Does my first CAS experience have to include creativity, activity, and service?

A single CAS experience does not normally have to cover all three strands. It may focus on creativity, activity, service, or a genuine combination of strands. The classification should reflect what you will actually do rather than an attempt to make the entry appear more substantial. Over the CAS programme, you should maintain an appropriate balance across creativity, activity, and service in line with your school's guidance. Your coordinator can help if an experience appears to fit more than one strand.

Can I edit my first CAS entry after submitting it on ManageBac?

ManageBac supports editing CAS experiences, but your ability to change an entry may depend on its approval status and your school's settings. If the plan changes before or during the experience, record the change honestly rather than leaving inaccurate information in your portfolio. Significant changes to the dates, supervisor, purpose, or nature of the activity may require renewed coordinator approval. Do not quietly rewrite an initial reflection to make your later results appear predictable. Preserving your genuine starting point makes subsequent reflection more meaningful and credible.

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What Should Your First CAS Entry on ManageBac Look Like?

Getting Started Core Timing CAS IB Study Guides

RevisionDojo Team

•Last updated: 21 Oct 2026•10 min read

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What Should Your First CAS Entry on ManageBac Look Like?

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What Should Your First CAS Entry on ManageBac Look Like?

Getting Started Core Timing CAS IB Study Guides

RevisionDojo Team

•Last updated: 21 Oct 2026•10 min read

Add as a preferred source on Google

For M28 students, who began DP1 in August 2026 and take IB examinations in May 2028, your first CAS entry on ManageBac should be a clear plan for a genuine experience. Include a specific description, the relevant CAS strand, one or two realistic learning outcomes, supervisor details, and an initial reflection explaining your goal and starting point.

Exact fields, deadlines, and approval procedures depend on your school. Some schools use ManageBac, while others use different portfolio systems, so follow your CAS coordinator's instructions if your screen or requirements differ from this example.

What the IB requires from CAS

Creativity, activity, service, known as CAS, is part of the DP core. The IB overview of CAS explains that students reflect on their experiences and provide evidence that they have achieved seven CAS learning outcomes.

The official IB CAS subject brief states that students must also complete a CAS project. This is a collaborative series of sequential experiences lasting at least one month. CAS completion depends on achieving the learning outcomes, not reaching a universal number of hours.

Your first entry does not need to be that project. It can be a smaller individual experience through which you begin planning, acting, collecting evidence, and reflecting. Schools determine administrative details such as deadlines, approval procedures, reflection frequency, acceptable evidence, supervisor reviews, and CAS interview schedules.

The basic structure of a first CAS entry

A useful entry allows your coordinator to understand what you will do, why it qualifies as CAS, and what development you expect.

Entry field	What to include
Experience title	A short, precise name
Dates	An honest start date and estimated end date
CAS strand	Creativity, activity, service, or a justified combination
Description and goals	What you will do, why you chose it, and what you hope to develop
Learning outcomes	Only outcomes the experience could genuinely demonstrate
Supervisor	An appropriate adult who can confirm participation
Initial reflection	Your starting point, expected challenge, and next step
Evidence	Material supporting what you later report

ManageBac's instructions explain how to add and edit CAS experiences. Your school's configuration may change which fields appear or are compulsory.

A complete first CAS entry example

Imagine that you plan to join a weekly beginner running group. This is an illustrative CAS entry example, not wording to copy.

Title, strand, and dates

Title: Beginner 5 km Running Programme
Strand: Activity
Dates: 7 September 2026 to 30 November 2026

This title is more informative than “Running” because it identifies the activity and its scope. Activity is appropriate because the experience involves physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle.

Description and goal

I will attend a beginner running group once each week and complete one additional independent practice session when my schedule allows. I have limited experience of sustained running, so I want to improve my pacing, consistency, and understanding of safe warm-up and recovery. I will record completed sessions and review my progress every two weeks. By the end, I aim to complete a 5 km route at a controlled pace without ignoring signs of injury or exhaustion.

This explains what, why, and how without guaranteeing an unrealistic result.

Learning outcomes

Two outcomes could reasonably apply:

Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth. The student will assess current fitness, pacing, and consistency before identifying areas to improve.
Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process. Sustained running presents a new challenge, while pacing can develop through practice.

Do not select all seven outcomes simply because ManageBac permits it. Outcomes must eventually be supported by reflection and evidence. The RevisionDojo guide to CAS learning outcomes explains how to connect each outcome to observable development.

Supervisor

Supervisor: Running group leader or school athletics coach
Contact details: An organizational or school email, entered with permission

The supervisor should be able to confirm that the experience occurred and comment on your participation. Check whether your school restricts who may serve in this role. ManageBac has a separate process for requesting a supervisor review, which is normally completed later rather than at the proposal stage.

Initial reflection

Before my first session, I am concerned about starting too quickly and losing motivation if progress feels slow. I have reasonable short-distance speed, but I cannot yet maintain a sustainable pace. My first goal is to complete each planned interval safely rather than compete with experienced runners. After two sessions, I will compare how I felt at different speeds and adjust my plan.

This establishes a baseline, identifies a strength and an area for growth, anticipates a challenge, and gives a next step. It does not falsely claim that a learning outcome has already been achieved. See RevisionDojo's guidance on writing your first CAS reflection for further examples.

What counts as appropriate evidence?

Evidence supports your account but does not replace reflection. For running, useful evidence could include a dated training plan, attendance confirmation, a screenshot of distance data, or a photograph taken with permission.

Avoid uploading private messages, sensitive personal information, identifiable images without consent, or fabricated records. ManageBac explains how to add CAS reflections and evidence, although your coordinator may apply additional privacy rules.

Common mistakes in a first CAS entry

Treating the proposal as a final report: Use future tense for intended actions. Make claims about development only after the experience provides evidence.
Writing vaguely: “I will run to become healthier” does not explain frequency, method, challenge, or purpose.
Selecting unsupported outcomes: Ticking an outcome does not demonstrate achievement. Later reflection must show what you did and learned.
Confusing an experience with a project: The required CAS project involves collaboration and sequential experiences over at least one month. See CAS project versus CAS experience for a fuller comparison.
Inventing an impressive reflection: Honest uncertainty and setbacks are more useful than a manufactured success narrative.

Check your entry before submitting

Ask yourself:

Is the experience genuinely connected to a CAS strand?
Have I explained what I plan to do and why?
Are the dates and goals realistic?
Have I selected only relevant learning outcomes?
Does my reflection establish a starting point and next step?
Has the supervisor agreed to the role?
Have I followed school approval and safeguarding procedures?

Build the portfolio gradually rather than reconstructing it near the end of the programme. The guide to building an authentic CAS portfolio can help you organize experiences, evidence, and reflections consistently.

Conclusion

A strong first CAS entry on ManageBac is specific, honest, and manageable. It identifies an appropriate strand, explains the planned experience, selects relevant learning outcomes, names a suitable supervisor, and records your starting point through a short reflection.

The IB defines the overall CAS framework, but your school controls many deadlines and procedures. Confirm local expectations with your coordinator. You can then create a free RevisionDojo account and use Jojo AI to turn your approved proposal into a practical weekly checklist.