May 2027 assessment changes
What changes for the May 2027 assessment cohort
Five Diploma Programme subjects or core components enter a new assessment model in the same session. This matrix is built to answer one practical question: which pre-2027 materials can mislead you because the task itself changed?
Five official update pages checked September 28, 2026
| Area | Assessment shift | Coursework shift | Why students should care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer science | Paper 3 and option papers are removed. The case study moves into Paper 1 and is included at SL as well as HL. | The computational solution remains the internal assessment, with a clearer focus on the computational-thinking process. | Students should verify that revision material matches the 2027 two-paper model rather than the outgoing options/Paper 3 structure. |
| Design technology | All students sit two external papers; optional topics and Paper 3 are removed. | The design project starts from redesigning an existing product, uses five criteria and a 3,500-word maximum report. | A project or checklist built around the previous IA structure can be materially wrong for a May 2027 candidate. |
| Psychology | The course is reorganized around concepts, content and four contexts. HL adds a data-analysis Paper 3. | The internal assessment becomes a research proposal for both SL and HL rather than the outgoing experimental-study task. | The IA change is large enough that pre-2027 exemplars should not be treated as a structural template. |
| Visual arts | The three-task model remains, but the tasks are redesigned and the amount of resolved work/screens is reduced. | SL and HL share an art-making inquiry portfolio; SL has a connection study, HL an artist project, and both submit five resolved artworks for internal assessment. | The outgoing comparative-study/exhibition workflow is not a safe checklist for the 2027 assessment model. |
| Extended essay | The essay moves to a 30-mark model across five redesigned criteria and supports subject-focused or interdisciplinary research pathways. | Language A/B categories are removed and reflection places more emphasis on growth and transferable skills. | Use the dedicated 2027 guide for criterion-level detail; this matrix keeps only the cross-course transition facts. |
Using a pre-2027 exemplar? Check three things first
- Task name: confirm the exemplar was produced for the same assessment task you now have.
- Criteria: compare the criteria or mark structure before borrowing the exemplar's organization.
- Paper / submission structure: make sure the number of papers, components or required outputs still matches the 2027 model.
Sources & verification
Primary-source references used to verify key assessment facts on this page. Last source check: September 28, 2026.
Only changes stated on the official subject update pages are included. This matrix does not infer unpublished grade boundaries or examiner behaviour.
- International Baccalaureate: computer science updatesOfficial course and assessment changes for first assessment May 2027.
- International Baccalaureate: design technology updatesOfficial course, examination and internal-assessment changes for first assessment May 2027.
- International Baccalaureate: psychology updatesOfficial course, research-method and internal-assessment changes for first assessment May 2027.
- International Baccalaureate: visual arts updatesOfficial assessment-task changes for first assessment May 2027.
- International Baccalaureate: Diploma Programme extended essay updatesOfficial research-pathway and assessment-criteria changes for first assessment May 2027.