Is Math HL as difficult as it is reputed to be?

[may135]

Math HL is rumoured to be one of the hardest subjects in IB. I love math, and got an A* at IGCSE level, but am worried by the prospect of higher level math at IB level. How hard is it in actuality? And what do you need to do in order to get a 6 or 7 in it?

[Rimbay]

Although everyone tells you its the hardest subject, it well may be, but it strictly depends on the person you are. But I believe if you got A* in IGCSE then the best you can do is go for it.

I take maths HL and to be honest I thought it would be harder than it really is. You just have to be consistent in terms of the work that you do. I try to sit down everyday and do at least 30-45min of maths. Once you are in HL maths you will realize how advantageous you are in terms of algebra skills compared to people of the same age as you. It is of a high level and you have to work to succeed, but with determination you will make it easily. Just don't be put of by getting bad grades at the beginning of the year. Its how you respond to those bad grades, if any, that you start to progress and grab a couple 6's and 7's.

But you should really consider it, if you love maths. Nevertheless, always take into consideration what you want to do at uni if you have any idea., if the course you want to do doesn't require it then don't go for it.

Good luck (:

[flinquinnster]

Maths HL can be hard, but really, many IB subjects are quite difficult. The key with maths is just to practice applying the knowledge you learn. Whilst it may not necessarily be hard to learn a whole stack of new formulae, the trick is to know when and how to use it. In that sense, Maths HL is a huge step up from SL because it does require less linear thinking - you have to think out questions a lot more. I can't comment on a comparison to IGCSE (because I never took them), but undeniably Maths HL was a huge, huge, huge leap from my prior maths learning. But that may have also been because my prior maths classes at school were a bit of a joke. Nevertheless, I found that I could keep up in IB, though many people couldn't and did end up making the choice to drop.

In terms of getting a 7, the range of percentages required goes from as low as 70% to as high as 81%. Recently, it seems the trend is towards the higher end, so around 77-78% for a 7. For a 6, around 65%. There are more details online with exact component grade boundaries. So from this, it seems that a 7 is hardly impossible. It is lower than the boundaries for SL and studies, but unfortunately not by much.

Even if you don't need maths, I think that Maths HL is fun. However, if it's too painful, then don't do it! So I'd suggest starting with Maths HL, keeping it for a while to see how you fare, and then making a decision from there. But if you are interested in maths, don't just not do Maths HL out of the fear of its difficult reputation.

[ctrls]

If you enjoy maths, I don't think it'll be too much of an issue. You will need to spend a fair bit of time doing questions to do well, so it helps to have some interest in the subject.

As some general advice, don't be surprised if you find a lot of the questions to be difficult at first. I personally took the MYP in grade 10 so it may be slightly different, but the style of questions tend to be very different, often requiring you to apply concepts to unfamiliar scenarios (at least, some do). If you keep working at it however, you'll slowly start to improve as you start to learn various tricks and what to look out for. Skills you learn in one topic are generally applicable to others, so improvement tends to be gradual.

As said however, difficultly is subjective. I find maths to be easier compared to several of my other subjects, though I'm sure there's people who think otherwise. Just give it a try and see how it goes, there's no point worrying about it before you even start the course

[rinik]

It's not hard it just requires you to like doing math problems. You need to spend time to understand the material and then spend time to understand some problems you have a hard time with. The purpose of the course is not just to teach you about mathematics. It's about teaching you critical thinking, logic and to enable you to apply the knowledge you have gained. You might have a hard time at the start but you will get used to the type of questions fast if you practice a little

[IBfreakingout!]

I definitely find Maths HL to be my hardest subject and the difference from SL to HL is greatest in maths than any other subject (or at least out of the ones my school offers) .

But, at the same time, I think it is going to be extremely useful for me (and no doubt for you too) even if I only get a 5 at the end of it...

Having gotten an A* in IGCSE means that you probably won't find it so bad at all, especially since you say you love maths. I think that willingness to practise is the most important (and I unfortunately lack in this department).

All in all, I think you should go for maths HL and you can always drop down to SL again if you do find that you aren't doing as well as you want to. It is much harder and maybe even not an option to move from SL to HL maths once you start SL as the HL students work quite fast. The grade boundaries are quite low to ge a 6 or 7 but that is mainly due to the difficulty of the questions, meaning that not too many people get in the 70- 80% even and that's why the boundary is lower.

Also, the questions might look quite different to the things you may be used to but you will learn the command terms etc as the year progresses, so don't get put off by that.