You will study five distinct religions in IB World Religions SL. All five are covered in Part 1, and two of those five are then studied in much greater depth for Part 2.
How the five religions are selected
The syllabus includes nine possible religions, arranged into three sections. Your school selects five, including at least one religion from each section.
| Syllabus section | Religions available |
|---|---|
| Section A | Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism |
| Section B | Judaism, Christianity, Islam |
| Section C | Taoism, Jainism, Bahá'í Faith |
In Part 1: Introduction to world religions, each selected religion is studied through three fundamental questions: What is the human condition? Where are we going? How do we get there?
In Part 2: In-depth studies, two of the five religions receive more detailed study. One must come from Section A and one from Section B. These are examined through key concepts and five themes: rituals, sacred texts, doctrines and beliefs, religious experience, and ethics and moral conduct.
Taoism, Jainism and the Bahá'í Faith cannot be selected for Part 2. They are Part 1 religions only.
The common misconception
A common misconception is that you study seven religions because the course lists five introductory religions plus two in-depth religions. This is incorrect: the two in-depth religions are revisited from your Part 1 selection, so the total remains five distinct religions.
Exam technique
For Paper 1, prepare all five selected religions and answer five stimulus questions, including at least one from each section. For Paper 2, prepare the two in-depth religions and answer two essays from different sections. Use accurate religious terminology, connect beliefs to believers' behaviour, and identify differences between denominations, schools, cultures or geographical contexts where relevant.