If you want your World Religions internal assessment finished before winter break, start during the first two weeks of September. Confirm the research question by the end of September, complete the investigation in October, produce a full draft by mid-November, and submit the polished version by November 30.
This IB World Religions IA timeline provides approximately 12-13 weeks for preliminary reading, fieldwork, analysis, permitted feedback, and revision. Always adjust it to match your teacher's actual deadlines.
Confirm which World Religions course you are taking
This timeline applies to the established IB World Religions SL investigative study, which is worth 25% of the subject grade. The official IB World Religions subject brief allocates 20 hours to the investigation.
The established task is 1,500-1,800 words and is marked out of 30. It investigates an aspect of the religious experience, practice, or belief of a group, individual adherents, or both. Students may investigate any religion, including one outside the nine traditions covered in the syllabus.
The IB has announced a replacement course, Religion and Society, with first assessment in 2029. Its inquiry report has different requirements and is worth 30%, according to the official Religion and Society subject brief. Students assessed in 2029 or later must follow their teacher's current guide rather than the older World Religions requirements.
Begin with your school's deadline
The IB does not provide one universal classroom submission date. Schools establish internal deadlines so teachers can complete marking, authentication, moderation, and administrative processes. Ask your teacher for the proposal, draft, and final deadlines before planning your work.
This schedule assumes a final target of November 30. If your deadline is earlier, move every stage backwards. RevisionDojo's explanation of how IA deadlines work clarifies why your school's date is the deadline that controls your schedule.
September-to-November IB World Religions IA timeline
| Period | Main task | Required outcome |
|---|---|---|
| September 1-7 | Read the task and criteria | Two or three feasible topics |
| September 8-14 | Complete exploratory reading | Initial sources and possible methods |
| September 15-21 | Narrow the focus and contact participants | Draft question and permission requests |
| September 22-30 | Finalize the investigation plan | Approved question, method, and calendar |
| October 1-12 | Complete preliminary research | Organized notes and citation details |
| October 13-26 | Conduct interviews, visits, observations, or source analysis | Usable evidence and immediate field notes |
| October 27-November 2 | Sort findings and limitations | Evidence table and detailed outline |
| November 3-9 | Draft the opening sections | Rationale, plan, and findings drafted |
| November 10-16 | Write the reflection and assemble the paper | Complete first draft |
| November 17-23 | Obtain permitted feedback and revise | Stronger analysis and evaluation |
| November 24-30 | Proofread and check compliance | Final IA submitted before December |
This is practical advice, not an official IB calendar. Adapt it around holidays, religious observances, school events, and teacher checkpoints.
September: choose an investigable question
A broad topic such as “Buddhist meditation” or “Christian worship” cannot be analysed effectively in 1,800 words. A workable question identifies a specific practice, community, or setting and can be answered using evidence you can realistically obtain.
For example, “What is the importance of sewa in Sikhism?” could become: “What does participation in langar reveal about the meaning of sewa for volunteers at one local gurdwara?” The revised question identifies a community, practice, and evidence source.
Test each idea against three considerations:
- Scope: Can you answer it precisely within 1,500-1,800 words?
- Access: Can you obtain suitable interviews, observations, artifacts, or varied sources?
- Analytical potential: Can you interpret and evaluate the evidence rather than merely describe it?
Use RevisionDojo's guidance on choosing a focus and research question to test your scope. By September 30, aim to have an approved question, preliminary bibliography, research plan, and confirmed access. If a participant has not replied, activate a backup method rather than waiting indefinitely.
October: collect evidence ethically
Complete background reading before interviewing or observing. This preparation helps you ask informed questions, notice significant details, and avoid presenting one person's experience as representative of an entire tradition.
The investigation may use interviews, worship observations, sacred-site visits, artifacts, participation where appropriate, or a range of documentary sources. The World Religions investigation methods guide explains the strengths and limitations of common methods.
Prepare open interview questions while allowing relevant follow-ups. For an observation, decide what you will record, such as leadership, participation, sequence, spoken words, symbolic objects, and use of space. Write up field notes immediately because details become less reliable over time.
Obtain informed consent, explain how quotations will be used, protect confidentiality where required, and represent beliefs fairly. Consult the ethics and permissions checklist before collecting evidence.
November: write to the assessment criteria
The established investigation uses five required headings:
- Rationale and preliminary research
- Plan for study
- Summary of significant findings
- Critical reflection and evaluation
- References and compliance with format
The criteria are not equally weighted. Criterion A is worth 8 marks, B is worth 3, C is worth 6, D is worth 10, and E is worth 3. RevisionDojo's World Religions criteria breakdown explains why critical reflection needs substantial attention.
The findings section should select evidence that answers the research question. It should not become an interview transcript, visit diary, or sequence of source summaries. The reflection should evaluate how far the question was answered, how the method shaped the findings, and what limitations affected the conclusion.
For example, one interview can provide valuable depth but cannot establish what every member of a diverse community believes. Identifying that limitation is useful; explaining how it restricts your conclusion is stronger.
Finish the complete draft by approximately November 16. This leaves one week for permitted teacher feedback and another for final quality control. The IA time-management guide explains how mini-deadlines and a revision buffer prevent last-minute work.
Use a realistic weekly workload
Schedule three sessions of 45-60 minutes each week, plus longer blocks for interviews or visits. Give each session a visible outcome, such as three evaluated sources, one drafted section, an evidence table, or a citation check.
Keep a live reference list from the first source onward. The five-heading and word-count guide explains the required structure. Under the established guide, assessment is based on the first 1,800 words, and excessive length also affects compliance with format.
Avoid common scheduling mistakes
Do not delay contacting participants or religious communities until October. Availability, safeguarding procedures, observances, and permission requirements can cause delays.
Other common mistakes include changing the question after evidence collection, leaving citations until the final weekend, writing conclusions before identifying significant findings, and spending too many words describing beliefs. Build in one backup, such as another participant, an alternative visit date, or a viable source-based method.
Final submission checklist
Before submitting, confirm that:
- The focused research question appears consistently throughout the analysis.
- Major claims are supported by identified evidence.
- Findings connect directly to the rationale, plan, and question.
- Reflection evaluates both the evidence and the method.
- Interview and observation material is cited consistently.
- The five headings, coversheet, and declared word count are present.
- The file follows your school's naming and submission instructions.
You can consult World Religions coursework examples without copying their questions or wording. The World Religions IA Grader can identify possible criterion-level weaknesses, although automated feedback must be checked against your teacher's instructions.
Conclusion
For a manageable fall finish, start in early September, confirm the question and access by September 30, collect evidence during October, and complete a full draft by mid-November. Reserve the final two weeks for permitted feedback, reflection, referencing, and formatting.
The stages must occur in the right order: preliminary research, focused planning, ethical investigation, analysis, reflection, and compliance checks. RevisionDojo's World Religions notes, coursework examples, and IA Feedback tools are most useful when paired with your teacher's current guide and school deadlines.
Sources and referenced URLs
- Official IB World Religions SL subject brief
- Official IB Religion and Society subject brief
- World Religions guide hosted by the City University of New York
- RevisionDojo explanation of school IA deadlines
- Choosing a World Religions IA focus
- World Religions investigation methods
- Ethics and permissions guidance
- World Religions IA criteria
- IA time-management guide
- Five-heading format and word count
- World Religions coursework examples
- World Religions IA Grader