IB Math or AP Math?

[Danbo]

Hey guys,

I have a friend who is conflicted on whether or not to take the IB Diploma program because of the math offered in our school. Only math SL is available but they say he can take courses online for math HL. He says he may want to become a computer engineer so he'll need a lot of math and in another school they offer Precalc, Calculus, and AP math (I don't really know how American systems work so as far as I know they're all separate classes but Precalc and Calculus can be in AP math).

So should he transfer to another school because of this? I heard from another friend that Math SL is similar to AP math but I don't know how true that is... :|

[dessskris]

I don't know about AP Math but I've heard that AP classes in general are far easier than IB classes.

if he wants to study Comp Eng he definitely needs Math HL so IMO it's best to move to a school that actually offers Math HL.

online courses may even be more expensive and troublesome. not so recommended.

best solution IMO is to move school.

Edited June 16, 2011 by Desy Glau

[+Agastya]

We do not have enough information to help your friend with a decision on this matter. Before anything else, he or she should decide where exactly they plan to apply to college. Generally, European colleges will require certain courses and will give you a conditional acceptance whereas American colleges won't require any particular course and will give you unconditional acceptances. It is also important to realize that AP Calculus (which is the course I assume you are referring to by AP Math) has two distinct year-long portions to it: AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC. I would like to say that AP Calculus AB is roughly equivalent to IB Math SL and AP Calculus BC is roughly equivalent to IB Math HL; but, I think that AP Calculus AB covers more calculus, and IB Math HL covers more topics than AP Calculus BC. I would suggest if the other school is able to offer AP Calculus BC, definitely make the move, otherwise it really isn't worth it.

[timtamboy63]

If your school offers AP Calc BC, that is harder than Maths HL, so he should take that, and just do IB Cert if he's aiming for a US school.

[Jchh44]

If your school offers AP Calc BC, that is harder than Maths HL, so he should take that, and just do IB Cert if he's aiming for a US school.

I disagree. My school offered AP Calc BC and IB Math HL. Actually, all the math HL kids took AP Calc AB, then did half a year of Just HL math, then the last half was AP Calc BC. Everybody in my HL class got a 5 on the BC test, even though some of them even failed HL math. I (and all of my classmates) think that AP calc is nothing compared to IB math.

[Peanut Butter Jelly]

AP Calc BC is a joke. 49% get a 5. That's equal to a 5-7 (which 47% get).

[Guest IMBATMAN]

AP Math is easier,

Some of my friends were in AP Math, and they said it was easy compared to people who took IB Math SL and said it was hard

[Danbo]

Thanks for the input everyone

[Austin Glau]

I actually think AP Calc BC is pretty hard, from what i've seen its around the same difficulty. Math SL is a joke though compared to Calc AB.

[dubyawhy]

Take Calculus BC. It is so much easier to get a 5 in that than HL math, and you even get the same recognition for it.

PLUS, you finish it in one year. Which helps if you don't like a slow curriculum.

[najem]

IB HL Math and AP Calculus BC can't really be equated, because AP is only Calculus, while HL Math also covers Functions, Vectors, Statistics, Algebra, Trigonometry and an option. That said, AP is easier than IB because of more topics in IB. The amount of Calculus you do in both however, is close to the same (although IB moves through it at a faster pace). However, if you do the Calculus option in IB, you will cover far more than anything you would have learned in AP Calculus BC.