No. Your IB World Religions SL internal assessment (IA) can investigate any religion, including one you have not studied in class and one outside the nine religions listed in the syllabus.
Why the IA Allows This Choice
The IA is an investigative study of an aspect of religious experience, practice or belief among individual adherents or a group. Unlike the examination components, it is not restricted to the religions selected for classroom study.
The misconception is that your IA must use one of your two in-depth religions. That restriction applies to your Part 2 studies, not to the IA.
| Course component | Religion choice |
|---|---|
| Part 1: Introduction to world religions | Five of the nine listed religions, including at least one from each syllabus column |
| Part 2: In-depth studies | Two of the six eligible religions, selected from different columns |
| Part 3: Investigative study | Any religion, whether studied in class or not |
What Makes a Suitable IA Choice?
Freedom of choice does not mean an unrestricted topic. You need a narrowly focused research question, preliminary research and an appropriate plan for gathering and analysing evidence. Your teacher must approve the topic and advise on research protocols.
For example, “What is Jainism?” is too broad. “What significance does observing ahimsa have for the dietary choices of members of a local Jain community?” focuses on a specific belief and its expression in behaviour. Ahimsa means non-harming.
Interviews, observations, visits and a study using a range of sources are possible approaches. Fieldwork is not compulsory. If you interview adherents, obtain permission to reproduce their material, protect confidentiality and avoid treating one person's views as representative of the entire religion.
Assessment Technique
Choose a religion because you can investigate a focused question effectively, not simply because it is unfamiliar. Strong work analyses findings and critically evaluates sources, methods and assumptions, rather than presenting a general description of the religion.