IB World Religions is offered only at Standard Level (SL). There is no Higher Level (HL) syllabus, course, examination, or World Religions HL grade.
Why World Religions Is SL Only
World Religions is designed as a 150-hour SL course within IB group 3. Every student follows the same syllabus and completes three components: an introduction to world religions, two in-depth studies, and an investigative study.
Unlike subjects offered at both levels, World Religions has no additional HL content or separate HL assessment. A school may dedicate more teaching time to revision or enrichment, but this does not turn the subject into an HL course.
| Course component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Part 1: Introduction to world religions | Study five of nine religions through the questions: What is the human condition? Where are we going? How do we get there? |
| Part 2: In-depth studies | Study two of six religions, selected from different syllabus sections, through key concepts and five themes |
| Part 3: Investigative study | Complete a 1,500-1,800 word internal assessment about religious experience, practice, or belief |
The external assessment also has one common structure for all candidates. Paper 1 lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, is worth 30%, and assesses introductory religions through stimulus-response questions. Paper 2 lasts 1 hour 30 minutes, is worth 45%, and contains essays on the two in-depth religions. The investigative study is worth the remaining 25%.
A common misconception is that studying two religions in depth makes World Religions an HL subject. It does not. The in-depth studies are compulsory parts of the SL syllabus.
Exam Technique
When planning your IB Diploma subjects, count World Religions as one of your SL choices, never as one of the required HL subjects. For examination preparation, use the SL assessment structure and remember that Paper 2 still requires detailed knowledge, accurate religious terminology, internal diversity, reasoned argument, and developed evaluation.