The IB World Religions SL internal assessment (IA) is worth of your final subject result and is marked out of 30. It is an investigative study of religious experience, practice or belief, assessed by your teacher and moderated by the IB.
How the IA Contributes to Your Result
The IA accounts for one-quarter of the overall assessment. The two examination papers provide the remaining three-quarters.
| Assessment component | Weighting | Maximum marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 45 | |
| Paper 2 | 30 | |
| Investigative study (IA) | 30 |
A common misconception is that 30 IA marks mean the IA contributes . They do not: raw marks and assessment weighting are different. Your IA mark is scaled to its assigned share of the overall result.
For example, a final moderated IA mark of 24 out of 30 contributes:
This means 20 percentage points toward the overall weighted result, not an automatic final grade. Your examination results and the applicable grade boundaries also matter.
What Earns the IA Marks?
The study should answer a narrowly focused research question about lived religion. Its focus may involve any religion, not only those studied for the examination papers.
The five assessment criteria allocate marks as follows:
- Rationale and preliminary research: 8 marks.
- Plan for study: 3 marks.
- Summary of significant findings: 6 marks.
- Critical reflection and evaluation: 10 marks.
- References and compliance with format: 3 marks.
Critical reflection and evaluation carries the most marks. Evaluate your methods, source reliability, assumptions and how successfully your findings answer the research question, rather than simply describing what you observed.
Assessment Technique
Aim for 1,500-1,800 words, use the five compulsory headings and reference consistently. Because the IA is worth , prioritize both substantive analysis and format compliance. A detailed description of a religious practice cannot substitute for a focused investigation and critical evaluation.