This study examined whether the Learning Cycle 5E model was associated with stronger cognitive achievement in Islamic Religious Education (IRE) among Grade 11 students at Sungai Raya Public Senior High School 2 (SMA Negeri 2 Sungai Raya), West Kalimantan. A quasi-experimental, nonrandomized pretest–posttest control-group design involved two intact classes selected from six Grade 11 classes: 31 students in the experimental group and 34 in the control group. The intervention comprised four 90-minute sessions on the topic of keeping promises, with the experimental class taught through Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation, while the control class received conventional instruction with equivalent content, teacher, and duration. Cognitive achievement was measured with a 20-item multiple-choice test (Cronbach’s α = .763). Because score distributions departed from normality, between-group differences were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test. Baseline scores did not differ significantly (U = 423.00, Z = −1.374, p = .169). After instruction, the experimental group obtained a higher mean rank than the control group (38.42 vs. 28.06), and the posttest difference was statistically significant (U = 359.00, Z = −2.223, p = .026; r = .28). The findings support the 5E model as a promising student-centred approach for cognitive learning in IRE, while the single-school, intact-class design limits causal and generalizable claims.