IB Mathematics refers to maths in the International Baccalaureate curriculum. For many people, this is where their knowledge of IB Maths ends. Luckily, IB Super is here to give you an in-depth look into this programme.

The goals 

IB Mathematics aims to be a bit more holistic in its approach to learning. When you take IB Maths, you learn to fulfil more needs and interests and pick up different skills along the way. This allows students to transition seamlessly into University and achieve beyond those academic in nature.

The main goals of the IB Mathematics course are to:

– Gain knowledge of mathematical concepts and principles

– Learn how to think critically, logically, and out of the box

– Become able to utilise and hone abstraction and generalisation skills

Students can also learn about maths on a deeper level and even explore different cultural and historical perspectives on the subject.

The different courses

The IB curriculum contains six subject groups. Mathematics in group 5 consists of four distinct maths courses. To get your IB diploma, you must pass at least one of the courses (IB Applications and Interpretations (AI) – Standard Level and Higher Level, and IB Mathematics Analysis and Approaches (AA) – Standard Level and Higher Level).

1. IB Maths Analytics and Approaches (AA) – Standard Level

This course is for students who want to study economics, business, or chemistry in the future. The subject will be focused on algebra and calculus. Subjects like vectors, however, have been removed, making it less content-heavy than its predecessor syllabus.

2. IB Maths Analytics and Approaches (AA) – Higher Level 

IB Maths (AA) – Higher Level is for students with a sufficient history with math and who possess a certain level of skill in the analytical and technical. It’s designed for those who show exceptional aptitude at proofs, calculus, and algebra. These students take this course in preparation for studying technology, engineering, and physics at University. The content covered in this course is an extension to what is covered in IB Mathematics Analysis and Approaches Standard Level. In fact, the same Standard Level questions are found in Higher Level examinations papers. This means that Higher Level students will have a better chance of getting higher marks due to the relatively simple nature of these Standard Level questions.

However, it is undeniable that with the recent update, the chasm of difficulty between IB Mathematics (AA) Standard Level and Higher Level has widened. The Higher Level syllabus has greater focus on calculus with topics ranging from Maclaurin Series, Differential Equations to L’hopital’s Rule which are not covered in the Standard Level Syllabus.

3. IB Maths Applications and Interpretations (AI) – Standard Level 

This slightly more foundational course is designed to help students familiarise themselves with maths and eventually learn to love the subject. However, since the last update, this course has become more thorough than before. Brought into the curriculum that once consisted of just algebra, trigonometry, numbers, geometry, financial maths, and statistics are subjects like; Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient, Math Modelling, Voronoi Diagrams, and Binomial Distribution. The Topic of Logic has been removed from the syllabus, however.

4. IB Maths Applications and Interpretations (AI) – Higher Level 

This course is the newest subject offered in the IB curriculum. In fact, many schools have yet to adapt it to their syllabus. Similar to IB maths (AA), many questions from IB maths (AI) standard level will appear in the higher level exam papers, giving students an opportunity to score easily. Unlike IB maths (AA) HL, in this course, there will be a larger emphasis on statistics and a smaller amount of calculus content.

Conclusion

IB Mathematics is a programme that grants you many options, each with its individual benefits and drawbacks. If you find yourself interested but need a little bit of help, IB Super is an IB tuition centre in Singapore that’s here to guide you through this decision. With our years of experience and many IB-educated tutors on staff, there is no one better equipped to do so. Contact our team today to find out more!