All World Religions guides

World Religions IA Criteria Guide

Shape a tightly focused study with solid research, clear findings, and careful reflection.

Use this guide to keep your rationale, research question, findings, and evaluation aligned with the World Religions written analysis criteria from start to finish.

Assessment criteria

What each criterion measures, how many marks it carries, and what stronger evidence usually looks like.

Criterion names, marks and mark bands follow the IB subject guide. The band descriptions are our own summaries, so check your subject guide for the exact wording.

Criterion A: Rationale and preliminary research (8 marks)

How clearly you state and develop the rationale, and how thoroughly you research it with a range of sources.

Stronger evidence
Thoroughly researched from a wide range of sources with excellent evidence; a clear, well-developed rationale.
Early-stage evidence
A rationale with little research behind it, or limited research with no rationale.

Criterion B: Plan for study (3 marks)

How appropriate and focused the scope and plan are, and how closely the research question relates to them.

Stronger evidence
The scope and plan are appropriate and focused, and the research question is focused and closely tied to them.
Early-stage evidence
The scope or plan is stated but unfocused, and there is no research question.

Criterion C: Summary of significant findings (6 marks)

How clearly you state your significant findings and show how they relate to the question, rationale, and plan.

Stronger evidence
Significant findings are clearly stated and developed, and their relationship to the question, rationale, and plan is fully shown.
Early-stage evidence
Few significant findings, not related to the question, rationale, or plan.

Criterion D: Critical reflection and evaluation (10 marks)

How deeply you reflect on the findings and on religious experience or belief, and how well you evaluate your research methods.

Stronger evidence
Detailed, very well-developed reflection with sophisticated understanding; misconceptions developed and evaluated; thorough evaluation of methods including assumptions or bias; conclusions and future research considered.
Early-stage evidence
Very limited reflection with no link between the question and the findings; perhaps some recognition of misconceptions or a brief mention of methods.

Criterion E: References and compliance with format (3 marks)

Whether you meet the three formal requirements: the word limit, consistent referencing, and the required format.

Stronger evidence
The work is within the limit and meets both other formal requirements.
Early-stage evidence
The work stays within the 1,800-word limit.

Mark bands

Want to know where your IA sits in these bands? Upload your draft and get a mark for each criterion.

Grade my IA

How to build it

Most weak drafts fail on order, not on ideas.

  1. 1

    Set a defensible rationale

    State why the topic matters and show early evidence that the investigation has enough substance to support the final study.

  2. 2

    Keep the scope manageable

    Define a research question that matches the plan and stays narrow enough to produce meaningful findings.

  3. 3

    Present the findings clearly

    Select the strongest evidence, summarize it cleanly, and keep every finding tied back to the research question.

  4. 4

    Reflect critically on the process

    Evaluate how the research methods, assumptions, and any inconsistencies shaped what you learned.

Before you submit

  • The rationale is clearly stated and well supported.
  • The research question is focused and matches the plan for the study.
  • Significant findings are directly connected to the investigation.
  • Reflection shows what the study deepened about religious experience or belief.

Quick wins

  • Write the research question in a form that can be answered by evidence, not opinion.
  • Keep one note per criterion so you can see where each paragraph is earning marks.
  • Use the final reflection to explain how the research changed or refined your understanding.

Turn Your World Religions Draft Into A Stronger Submission

Marksy grades your World Religions written analysis against the rubric, highlights missing links between criteria, and shows what to improve before submission. The result includes a mark for every criterion, evidence from your draft, and the changes to make first.

Grade My DraftSee Pricing
  1. 1

    Upload your IA draft as a PDF

  2. 2

    Get a mark and feedback for every IA criterion

  3. 3

    Revise and grade the new version

A mark for every criterion
A mark for every criterionSee where the draft is now, criterion by criterion.
Comments on your sentences
Comments on your sentencesEach comment points at the passage it is about.
What to fix first
What to fix firstConcrete next edits instead of "improve your analysis".