11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi all,

At my son’s school they only teach the IB. My son may have to do higher Maths due to the university courses he may pursue.

His school requires a level 8 at GCSE in order for the student to be allowed to do higher Maths. The reason, I gather, is because it’s a lot harder than A level Maths and quite close to further Maths. Is this accurate? Any teachers out there who have taught both and could actually confirm this belief?

Many thanks!

Salsa

If he's going to do a science degree then I would not suggest the IB route. I would say HL not as hard as Further Maths but 'difficulty' can be subjective. I doubt many people will have taught both but I have looked at the HL Maths spec.

Guest55 wrote:If he's going to do a science degree then I would not suggest the IB route. I would say HL not as hard as Further Maths but 'difficulty' can be subjective. I doubt many people will have taught both but I have looked at the HL Maths spec.

Thanks Guest55,

He’s looking at robotics, engineering, product design, etc. He’s still to see what’s out there, but he’s always been very interested in technical subjects and although he’s doing very well at Computer Science, he still would see himself as building something tangible.

Would it be fair to say that the IB Maths is harder than A level? If so, how much harder?

Thanks,

Salsa

I'd avoid IB - it will be difficult to get the best combination of subjects for Engineering.

'How much harder' is difficult to quantify - Maths, Further Maths, Physics + 1 would be a better preparation.

DS is doing HL maths and was a little apprehensive about it but it’s his favourite subject. He wants to apply for engineering at university so is also doing Physics at HL.

Thanks Bondgirl,
The 6th formers keep telling him how much harder it is than A level. I’m not sure whether this is a myth or not. So, as the school requires a 7 for all the other subjects, except for Maths, I’m beginning to think that they may be right.

@ Guest55,
Students at DGS go onto doing all sorts of degrees and I’ve been looking at some of the requirements and he may end up doing: Physics, DT and Computer Science which are his favourites. He would still need to do Maths at standard level anyway. However, he may end up having to do Maths at higher and drop one of the other subjects he loves to standard level. The good thing is that with the IB he could still do the other loved subjects at standard level if necessary.

Right now, we’re also looking at A levels as some schools do electronics, which include robotics. His school teaches DT, but doesn’t include it.

I’ve always liked the IB and wouldn’t want him to leave his school, but we’re keeping an open mind.
Would the IB Physics, DT and Computer Science be a good combination for robotics? Considering that he would still need to do a project, which would probably involve something technical, as well as English, Maths and a language at standard level.

Thanks,

Salsa

Salsa - DS was under this impression too from previous sixth formers but he says he’s finding HL maths ok so far. I’m not sure how they can compare HL to A level maths when they haven’t studied it, unless the teachers are telling them this? There will be interviews for sixth form after Christmas (I think!) where you can ask specific questions about subject choices and whether they are the right options for future university courses. There is also a UCAS coordinator who should be able to provide you with some guidance on IB options as well.

bondgirl wrote:Salsa - DS was under this impression too from previous sixth formers but he says he’s finding HL maths ok so far. I’m not sure how they can compare HL to A level maths when they haven’t studied it, unless the teachers are telling them this? There will be interviews for sixth form after Christmas (I think!) where you can ask specific questions about subject choices and whether they are the right options for future university courses. There is also a UCAS coordinator who should be able to provide you with some guidance on IB options as well.

Thanks Bondgirl, I agree. I’m not sure where they get that information from. I’ll talk to the UCAS coordinator.

Salsa

What options are the school offering for IB? Check uni offers too - they are usually much higher for IB ...

Do you mean what he could study at DGS? He could do higher Maths, Physics, DT or Computer Science. He’ll have to choose 3 of those at higher level and do the other at standard level. He would need 2 more at standard level, but one has to be English and the other a foreign language.

So far the university offers have been comparable. Assuming IB Maths is the same level of complexity as A level.


Salsa