Check your Computer Science syllabus before choosing materials
Separate current course content, programming practice and project requirements when older resources disagree.
Record the assessment session first
Write down your examination session, level and the guide supplied by your teacher. Computer Science changes for first assessment in May 2027. A resource with a recent publication date can still explain the older assessment model, so check its actual content and referenced guide. Make a course map with the requirements you have confirmed and the details you need to ask about. This map should help you select work, not become another folder of unexplained documents.
Understand the two broad themes
The revised course groups content around concepts of computer science and computational thinking and problem-solving. Use the current subject brief to organize your notes under the applicable themes. Ask what you must explain about a computing system and what you must be able to do when solving a problem. Those are related but different forms of practice. Definitions alone will not establish that you can trace an algorithm or develop a solution; programming fluency alone will not explain why a system behaves as it does.
Build a resource compatibility table
Give each textbook chapter, video or practice set a row showing topic, course version, level and intended skill. Mark older material that remains useful for a concept, but separate obsolete paper arrangements or option structures. Do not throw away a clear explanation simply because it is older; evaluate whether it addresses your current task. Conversely, do not practise an old assessment component just because a complete collection is available. Resolve uncertain mappings with your teacher before building a revision schedule around them.
Try a programming practice cycle
For an illustrative data-processing exercise, describe the required input, output and constraints before coding. Sketch an algorithm, choose test cases, implement it and explain the observed results. Include a normal case, an edge case and a case that should be rejected if validation is required. If the output is wrong, trace the relevant state rather than repeatedly changing code at random. The exercise develops a transferable problem-solving process; it is not a finished IA or an approved assessment project.
Keep project and examination preparation connected
Your coursework and written practice should both reveal whether you understand the decisions behind a solution. Keep a record of requirements, algorithms, test results and changes so you can explain your own work. Separately practise explaining concepts and working through the kinds of tasks your current course requires. Check the applicable case-study arrangements and programming guidance rather than assuming that all older advice transfers. Your school guide determines what you submit and which support is permitted.
Review the map when a resource conflicts
When two sources disagree, identify the exact issue: a topic name, paper arrangement, project requirement, level distinction or programming convention. Then locate the applicable official guidance and record the decision in your map. A contradiction does not always mean that one explanation of a concept is wrong; it may belong to a different cohort. Keep unresolved questions visible and bring them to the teacher. A useful transition plan ends with a small, reliable set of materials and a clear next practice task.
Your next-step checklist
Checklist choices stay in this browser.
Official references
This is an original practical guide from IBvia. The examples are illustrative; your subject guide, assessment year and school instructions determine the requirements.
Keep working on your next step
Choose your science subjects and levels with a realistic plan
Use entry requirements, subject experience and the full Diploma workload to choose sciences at HL or SL.
Read the guide ↗
Eight starting questions for a Biology investigation
Original investigation seeds with measurable outcomes, manageable boundaries and practical checks before collecting data.
Read the guide ↗