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What is the difference between HL, SL, Studies? Which to take?

Guest El_Nano

By Guest El_Nano
in Mathematics

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ananya.agrawal95

ananya.agrawal95

Posted
Posted

Ok from the english system point of view (sorry for those not in the english education system!)

Maths Studies is approximately equal in standard to GCSE Higher Level Maths (if not just beyond)

Maths SL is at a level between AS Maths and Maths A2.

Maths HL is slightly beyond Maths A2 but not as hard as Further Maths A Level, although it contains some topics from FM.

Further Maths SL is equivalent to Further Maths A level (!)

Personally, I am taking Maths HL and it is quite challenging, a big jump from GCSE Higher but nonetheless its interesting!

If you have done GCSE, what you take depends on what grade you got and your interest in Maths.

Dont go for Maths HL or above if you havent got an A* at GSCE or an A with a REAL passion for Maths!

Just my personal opinion!

Math Studies is more like Additional Mathematics in the CIE IGCSE.

Math HL is supposed to be at par with A Level Further Maths with a few topics missing

Further Math SL and HL are supposed to be above A level Further Math

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
Lagosta

Lagosta

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Posted

Ok from the english system point of view (sorry for those not in the english education system!)

Maths Studies is approximately equal in standard to GCSE Higher Level Maths (if not just beyond)

Maths SL is at a level between AS Maths and Maths A2.

Maths HL is slightly beyond Maths A2 but not as hard as Further Maths A Level, although it contains some topics from FM.

Further Maths SL is equivalent to Further Maths A level (!)

Personally, I am taking Maths HL and it is quite challenging, a big jump from GCSE Higher but nonetheless its interesting!

If you have done GCSE, what you take depends on what grade you got and your interest in Maths.

Dont go for Maths HL or above if you havent got an A* at GSCE or an A with a REAL passion for Maths!

Just my personal opinion!

Math Studies is more like Additional Mathematics in the CIE IGCSE.

Math HL is supposed to be at par with A Level Further Maths with a few topics missing

Further Math SL and HL are supposed to be above A level Further Math

Dude, what the hell are you talking about?

There are four levels of mathematics.

Math Studies SL (no HL option)

Mathematics SL

Mathematics HL

Further Mathematics SL (no HL option)

Everyone seems to think Further Mathematics is a course harder than Maths HL. It is just a subject where you study the optional topics you didn't cover in Maths HL, as there are many to choose and teachers only choose some of them. In Further Mathematics you just study the others.

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The Economist

The Economist

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Everyone seems to think Further Mathematics is a course harder than Maths HL. It is just a subject where you study the optional topics you didn't cover in Maths HL, as there are many to choose and teachers only choose some of them. In Further Mathematics you just study the others.

Are you taking Maths HL? If not, do you know the level of difficulty of the options? Further Maths is harder than Maths HL simply because the options are tough. Most HL students struggle at the options because they are pretty demanding. Plus, the questions on the Further Maths paper are of greater difficulty than those on the Maths HL P3.

P.S. I took both Maths HL and Further Maths so I have some experience.

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  • 8 months later...
RainAL

RainAL

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I had a similar discussion with my Math teacher as I was filling my IB forms. In my school we only have Math Studies, Math SL, and Math Hl. I am planning to take Math HL, but I was a bit unsure in the beginning as Math HL is a very time-consuming course and it is not advisable if you do not like Math. Liking is not enough - you need to love Math and the challenge it offers. You need to be able to think critically and come up with your own methods or ways of understanding Math. It is advisable if you speak to a Math teacher before making your choice. It also depends on the other HL course you wish to take. For example, in my school, Math, Physics, and Chemistry HL are courses that combined are only meant for really dedicated students. However, I was also told that any University gives preference to those who have done a higher level of Math because Math involves lots of critical understanding. It's not about the grade, I mean it is, but at the same time if you challenge yourself, the University sees that. For example, if you're good at Math and decide to take it at SL just to be able to get 7s all year long, but another student took Math HL and got a 5, then the student taking Math HL would get preference. Math Studies is recommended if you have not done Extended Math at Pre-IB/MYP or do not need it in your career. I have also heard that if you take Economics at HL you can still take Math at SL and I have seen a person taking Math Studies, but take Economics HL.

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sarin

sarin

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Hi, I can't decide what maths level I should choose. The time goes by and I need to decide right now, but I'm still not sure! I was going to take Math Studies as I was never good at maths, I need more time to understand it. I want to take Biology and Chemistry both HL, and I'm planning to study medicine or something like biomedical engineering. I know that most of the universities on these courses require Math SL and that's the point in which I'm completely confused. Should I take SL and maybe have some problems to deal with next year, or take the easiest option - Math studies - but close some of the universities gates? Is SL really so hard? My math teacher tells that studies is really easy but SL & HL are very demanding... any advices? I know I'm probably not the first person with that kind of problem but I would be really grateful to hear some opinions. I would take SL but I'm afraid that I will get 3 or 4 at the finals, while I could be better at studies...

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Emmi

Emmi

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Hi, I can't decide what maths level I should choose. The time goes by and I need to decide right now, but I'm still not sure! I was going to take Math Studies as I was never good at maths, I need more time to understand it. I want to take Biology and Chemistry both HL, and I'm planning to study medicine or something like biomedical engineering. I know that most of the universities on these courses require Math SL and that's the point in which I'm completely confused. Should I take SL and maybe have some problems to deal with next year, or take the easiest option - Math studies - but close some of the universities gates? Is SL really so hard? My math teacher tells that studies is really easy but SL & HL are very demanding... any advices? I know I'm probably not the first person with that kind of problem but I would be really grateful to hear some opinions. I would take SL but I'm afraid that I will get 3 or 4 at the finals, while I could be better at studies...

If you want to do biomedical engineering, you should probably take HL math. Most universities require HL math for engineering. You might be able to get away with SL at lower ranked schools, but engineering is a lot of math and you should get as much as you can beforehand.

Some universities care if you have studies, some don't. You should probably look into the requirements at universities you're considering. If the main ones you like don't care whether or not you have math studies, then go ahead and choose it. If they do, or you're not sure where you want to study, you might want to try SL math. Don't eliminate schools before you even apply because you decided to take studies when they specifically said SL math.

SL math isn't too difficult. Even if you're weaker in math, it's still doable, you'll just have to invest a lot more time. Even though I'm in engineering I'm really not that great in math and it takes me a long time to get concepts sometimes. But since I have to power through it I work hard in math. It's the same for SL math. Do lots of extra problems, get tutoring, study often, and you should be OK. What I recommend is starting out with SL math and seeing how you do for the first part of IB1. If it truly is too hard and you're struggling even with doing lots of problems and getting help, then drop to studies. If you can manage, I'd stick it out to avoid eliminating universities when it gets to that time.

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lilianna009

lilianna009

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Hi, I can't decide what maths level I should choose. The time goes by and I need to decide right now, but I'm still not sure! I was going to take Math Studies as I was never good at maths, I need more time to understand it. I want to take Biology and Chemistry both HL, and I'm planning to study medicine or something like biomedical engineering. I know that most of the universities on these courses require Math SL and that's the point in which I'm completely confused. Should I take SL and maybe have some problems to deal with next year, or take the easiest option - Math studies - but close some of the universities gates? Is SL really so hard? My math teacher tells that studies is really easy but SL & HL are very demanding... any advices? I know I'm probably not the first person with that kind of problem but I would be really grateful to hear some opinions. I would take SL but I'm afraid that I will get 3 or 4 at the finals, while I could be better at studies...

If you want to study abroad than I think Maths SL but in Poland universities just don't care at all so I could take Studies and have an easy 6 or 7, ugh.

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sarin

sarin

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Hi, I can't decide what maths level I should choose. The time goes by and I need to decide right now, but I'm still not sure! I was going to take Math Studies as I was never good at maths, I need more time to understand it. I want to take Biology and Chemistry both HL, and I'm planning to study medicine or something like biomedical engineering. I know that most of the universities on these courses require Math SL and that's the point in which I'm completely confused. Should I take SL and maybe have some problems to deal with next year, or take the easiest option - Math studies - but close some of the universities gates? Is SL really so hard? My math teacher tells that studies is really easy but SL & HL are very demanding... any advices? I know I'm probably not the first person with that kind of problem but I would be really grateful to hear some opinions. I would take SL but I'm afraid that I will get 3 or 4 at the finals, while I could be better at studies...

If you want to do biomedical engineering, you should probably take HL math. Most universities require HL math for engineering. You might be able to get away with SL at lower ranked schools, but engineering is a lot of math and you should get as much as you can beforehand.

I know that biomedical engineering is much more related to maths in general than any other bio-similar course, it's actually my plan B because what I dream about is medicine (and I'm probably not a good candidate for any engineering because of the maths part). From what I read, math SL is an entry requirement on most of the universities that I was thinking about, so I guess it would be better for me to take SL. I'm afraid that I won't be able to change it into Studies in the future - my teacher said that it's not really possible because of the syllabus differences. So I need to decide now and just hope that I won't regret it later ;)

Hi, I can't decide what maths level I should choose. The time goes by and I need to decide right now, but I'm still not sure! I was going to take Math Studies as I was never good at maths, I need more time to understand it. I want to take Biology and Chemistry both HL, and I'm planning to study medicine or something like biomedical engineering. I know that most of the universities on these courses require Math SL and that's the point in which I'm completely confused. Should I take SL and maybe have some problems to deal with next year, or take the easiest option - Math studies - but close some of the universities gates? Is SL really so hard? My math teacher tells that studies is really easy but SL & HL are very demanding... any advices? I know I'm probably not the first person with that kind of problem but I would be really grateful to hear some opinions. I would take SL but I'm afraid that I will get 3 or 4 at the finals, while I could be better at studies...

If you want to study abroad than I think Maths SL but in Poland universities just don't care at all so I could take Studies and have an easy 6 or 7, ugh.

Unfortunately Polish universities are becoming more and more aware of the difference between Studies and SL. I contacted some of them to check if they require SL on medicine course and they answered that a minimum of SL is demanded (so it can be HL but Studies is not enough). Anyway I haven't decided where I want to study yet, so I should better take SL and not close myself the gate to the universities abroad.

Thanks for your opinions!

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IB*Dropout

IB*Dropout

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I know that prior to dropping the IB program, my IB school only offered IB Math SL & HL. Everybody started out by doing IB Math 11 SL. After that, during the middle of the first quarter, the "recommended" IB Math 11 SL students are respectfully marched to the IB Math 11 HL classroom in order to "be trained to become rulers of many lands." I think you know where I just went with that. It is all just a load of hype. All of the students who transferred to IB Math 11 HL had already taken Pre-Calculus prior to joining the IBDP, therefore, it does not really make it fair to the students who had come from other schools in order to take IB. My home school did not even come close to preparing me for IB Math SL 11 due to the fact that I came from a smaller school. That explains why I was the only soul from my school to attend the joke of an IBDP, which would be located in Wooster, Ohio. After reviewing the curriculum for IB Math Studies 11, I found that the course would have been a better fit for me. The curriculum coordinator, Richard Bellanco, should not recruit individuals from schools who did not prepare their students for their program. My former school that hosted the IB program has absolutely geared their curriculum for students who are coming from Wooster City Schools. Plus, my teacher, Mrs. Worth, would give you "bell quizzes" before going over the homework! That was a big struggle for me due to the fact that I had nobody else from my home school going to the program with me because they were intelligent enough to go through with the PSEOP. Additionally, I never really made any friends in that program. The "head" of the school, Tyler Keener, really had me irritated when he said that it was my fault by saying "Well, whose fault is that?" after explaining my situation. Yeah, I guess it would go well if you are one of the many Hillsdale High School students who are currently attending that IB school. I am positive that they probably even study together. Math was a major factor as to why I dropped the IBDP. Anyway, IB Math 11 SL appears to be a very "aggressive" version that can be remotely related to Pre-Calculus. The HL version has to be even worse. My teacher spoke in regards to how much extra detail it goes to as far as being more intellectual. From reviewing the curriculum of IB Math Studies 11 SL online, I see that it is more of an international version of Pre-Calculus. Anyway, I hoped that this helped you out!

Edited by IB*Dropout
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ElvenRanger

ElvenRanger

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^I'm sorry to hear that you had such a negative experience with the DP program and particularly in math, but that appears to be a more school- or region-specific problem rather than an issue with the overarching DP curriculum. (Also, please don't call people out by name!! This is the internet!)

I will say, though, that Studies is such a blowoff class that I'm not surprised universities don't look very highly on it. My friends who aren't very math-inclined say that it's their easiest IB class, and I've skimmed through some of their past papers. It's ridiculous how easy some of the questions are.

SL, on the other hand, is a step up from that. If you haven't built up a strong foundation in math, be prepared to work for your grade. And given the really annoying nature of some of their questions, I wouldn't downgrade its difficulty all the way down to pre-calc, more like a mix of the harder topics of pre-calc and the easier topics of Calculus I. Sure, some of the topics are really basic (factoring, functions, polynomials, etc.), but others can get nasty if you don't sit down and work at them (trig in particular seems to be a problem for most people; vectors; sequences and series; etc.). If it's not too late, have the teacher give you a past SL exam to judge your level. If you get a high 3 or above, I'd say HL quite possibly is a better fit. Below that, it depends on how much work you're willing to put in, as well as how strong of a mathematical background you have.

The gap between SL and HL is very noticeable. I'd say take this path if you're planning on majoring in mathematics or engineering or something of the sort at uni. At my school, the people who do best not only spend a lot of time practicing (doing different problems, working out homework/examples, going back over our lecture notes, etc.), but also love math. And honestly, to survive the workload, they kind of have to love math. A lot of people tend to burn out and drop back down to SL, but if you start just with SL it's very difficult to jump into the HL class later, so if it's not late, sign up for the HL class and try it out for several weeks. If you feel it's at the right level of challenge, and it fits with your career goals, then go for it and good luck! If not, there's no shame in dropping down to SL - people do it all the time. Either way, best of luck in your future IB endeavors! :)

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Jing

Jing

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You may like to check the University's requirements to help you make your decision. Different courses have different pre-requisites. As a rule of thumb, courses such as Economics, Business and Psychology would only admit students with a good score in Math SL. You may like to read about this by clicking the link below.
http://ibsuper.com.sg/difference-between-ibmath-studies-ibmathematicalsl-mathhl/

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leomessi

leomessi

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You should base the levels of your subjects on what you are planning to study in the future. If you are going to study medicine for example, you would want to take Chemistry and Biology/Physics in HL, and some universities may require Math in HL. I personally find SL not difficult at all for me and I am doing very well in DP2. Many people in our school dropped HL Math but it all depends on how much you can handle it. I highly recommend you to take 4 HL subjects at the start of DP1 so that you get to drop any HL subject if you find difficult. That's what I did!

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  • 11 months later...
dora95

dora95

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i've been uni hunting all summer and from what i saw the most UK universitys ask for is math SL, however most so require sl at least, so its the safer choice. i also know that german universities ask for a minimum of math sl.

 

Even if you apply for English?

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  • 3 months later...
anb2016

anb2016

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IB math is kinda like all other IB courses. SL goes over the same topics, but HL goes more in depth and has Options. Math Studies barely touches the same topics as the others and is more focused on the application, while the other two are focused on math by itself.

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  • 5 months later...
Enoch

Enoch

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How strong are you in maths. Math Studies is a every introductory level maths course, easy compared to Maths Stand level. However if you are good in maths i recommend taking Maths SL, as it allows you to a larger variety of things, and most universities do REQUIRE Maths SL, and will not accept studies, so be sure to consider that

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