LEVEL: Standard Level or High Level
LENGTH: Two-year course (DP1 & DP2)
RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND: A grade of B or higher in Year 10 Science, Mathematics and English.
PATHWAYS: University: engineering, medicine, banking and finance, accounting, business.
This course recognizes the increasing role that mathematics and technology play in a diverse range of fields in a data-rich world. As such, it emphasizes the meaning of mathematics in context by focusing on topics that are often used as applications or in mathematical modelling. To give this understanding a firm base, this course also includes topics that are traditionally part of a pre-university mathematics course such as calculus and statistics.
The course makes extensive use of technology to allow students to explore and construct mathematical models. Mathematics: applications and interpretation will develop mathematical thinking, often in the context of a practical problem and using technology to justify conjectures.
Mathematics: applications and interpretation: Distinction between SL and HL
Students who choose Mathematics: applications and interpretation at SL or HL should enjoy seeing mathematics used in real-world contexts and to solve real-world problems. Students who wish to take Mathematics: applications and interpretation at higher level will have good algebraic skills and experience of solving real-world problems. They will be students who get pleasure and satisfaction when exploring challenging problems and who are comfortable to undertake this exploration using technology.
Students will study the following Topics:
Topic 1 – Number and algebra
Topic 2 – Functions
Topic 3 – Geometry and trigonometry
Topic 4 – Statistics and probability
Topic 5 – Calculus
All students will study The “toolkit” and “Mathematical exploration”:
Investigative, problem-solving and modelling skills development leading to an individual exploration. The exploration is a piece of written work that involves investigating an area of mathematics.
The nature of IB mathematics courses
Assessment
| SL | HL |
Internal Assessment | |
| Individual Investigation This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. Internal assessment in mathematics is an individual exploration. This is a piece of written work that involves investigating an area of mathematics (20 marks) 20% | Individual Investigation This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. Internal assessment in mathematics is an individual exploration. This is a piece of written work that involves investigating an area of mathematics (20 marks) 20% |
External Assessment | |
| Paper 1 Exam | 1 hour 30 minutes Technology required Compulsory short-response questions based on the syllabus (80 marks) 40% | Paper 1 Exam | 2 hours Technology required Compulsory short-response questions based on the syllabus (110 marks) 30% |
| Paper 2 Exam | 1 hour 30 minutes Technology required Compulsory extended-response questions based on the syllabus (80 marks) 40% | Paper 2 Exam | 2 hours Technology required Compulsory extended-response questions based on the syllabus (110 marks) 30% |
| Paper 3 Exam | 1 hour Technology required Two compulsory extended response problem-solving questions (55 marks) 20% |