What is the hardest IB Standard Level Subject in Your Opinion?

[khalid]

I want to know your views on the hardest Standard Level subject in IB

[Guest Soiboist]

History SL has a fairly big workload for being a SL subject, but for Swedish students Maths SL is probably the toughest since our previous Math education is so horrible. Though Chemistry SL had the lowest percentage of students getting a 7 for the last examinations if I remember correctly.

Anyway it is a subjective question and any subject could be mentioned really, it all depends on the student's strengths and weaknesses.

[Sandwich]

I think that if you're not good at Maths, Maths SL has got the highest expectations ability-wise of any of the SL subjects, so I would say it's the most challenging. I feel like it has similar expectations to a lot of HL subjects! It's certainly harder than all the HLs I took except for perhaps Chemistry.

And HL Maths is correspondingly out of this world

[dessskris]

obviously the hardest is Further Mathematics SL, but I'm actually interested to take it hehe

from the subjects I'm taking, my hardest SL is chemistry, but actually Language A1 is quite challenging too.

in the whole IB course, I think History would be the hardest (and most boring) subject.

[elmar]

obviously the hardest is Further Mathematics SL, but I'm actually interested to take it hehe

That didn't even pop in my mind, but I would assume that's the hardest seeing as you can only take it as a student taking Math HL.

Otherwise, I would assume Physics SL. My school, although my peers may be the outlier, didn't produce a 7 through the mock exams.

[Drake Glau]

My school in 8 years (we're number 9) has never produced a single SL physics 7 or HL math 7 or HL chem 7

Hardest SL besides further maths would probably be history in my opinion. There's soooo much stuff to remember for being only a SL class. I hate history though so take this how you will

[Guest Soiboist]

obviously the hardest is Further Mathematics SL, but I'm actually interested to take it hehe

That didn't even pop in my mind, but I would assume that's the hardest seeing as you can only take it as a student taking Math HL.

Technically you don't need Maths HL to take Further Maths, right? I can't see why the IBO would put such a regulation on the course. But obviously any sane person taking Further Maths will have taken Maths HL as well as Further Maths includes all its options.

[Drake Glau]

You have to take HL math to take further maths. Further maths is all of HL math's topics in one class so you'll need to also know the core from HL math to understand further maths I'd assume.

[Guest Soiboist]

That's exactly what I said in my latest post! However, my intention was to say that I don't think that the IBO would not approve of taking for instance Maths SL along with Further Maths. I still understand why no one would do it though.

[elmar]

That's exactly what I said in my latest post! However, my intention was to say that I don't think that the IBO would not approve of taking for instance Maths SL along with Further Maths. I still understand why no one would do it though.

No, I'm pretty sure the IBO enforces it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be such a common rule amongst IB. Additionally, why would IBO be willing to set up a student to fail? If Further Maths requires any of Math HL, then that would be further work for the candidate.

I'm deviating from the topic, but also after thinking a bit, I believe Chemistry SL could be tricky. Physics is taken by students who like physics - obviously - and the mark scheme is lower for Physics. However, Chem SL, although said to be "equal" to an introductory Chemistry class, is not that easy for a beginner. My school hasn't seen a 7 in Chem SL either.

[Emmi]

Math SL is quite challenging for an SL class, well at least for me it was. It kicked my butt.

[Summer Glau]

Math SL for me. Even though people get 7s in math SL at my school the chance of me getting a 7 is...quite slim

[Loeszie.]

From my SL's, I find math most challenging...

Although I did get a 7 last term, it's definitely the subject I have to work hardest for.

[Rigel]

I'd say Chemistry SL.

It's fun but sometimes i can't understand all of it.. Damn you Periodicity!

[goTiffany]

Well for me personally, Spanish SL is the hardest

I struggle with foreign languages and to learn 5-years of Spanish in 4 was unbelievably difficult for me. I hope I pulled through!

[James Hart]

Maths SL and Physics SL are definitely the hardest two that i take! I struggle more with them than my three Higher Level subjects (Economics, English and Spanish). Possibly due to the amount we have to cover in 5 lessons a fortnight.

[Wellsy]

For me, I'm saying either Business and Management SL or Danish B...

[Rigel]

I'd say Chemistry or Geography SL.

Geography is way too much, and it's boring, and you have to do half the course on your own account.

[Brian Hunt]

In my opinion it is Chemistry SL as we seem to end up doing a good amount of HL stuff too. I also take Math SL but I was recommended for Math HL so I have no trouble in Math SL.

[Jazmine]

French SL. This year we only had one graduate take the exam and the course. They were put in my french class, the class was classified as French 4/5 but I don't feel we were really up to par with the level we were suppose to be. Even though most of the students had A's the whole year, we didn't really learn much. Or well I guess you could say we didn't really retain much at all. After the exams we kinda just lost all the material we learned.

I'm not looking forward to taking that exam next year, especially the writing portions. I think I can read french well enough, can speak it if I know what to say, its just writing that worries me. That and the improv. speaking portions we will have to do. There just seems to be SO many verbs and tenses and they all seem to sound exactly alike even though they are spelled differently. It gets confusing after a while.