Analysis & Approaches SL
Algebraic and calculus-led, at Standard Level. The common route for students who need mathematics for university but not as their main subject.
Year 12–13 · Berlin & online
IB Mathematics, SL and HL
Analysis & Approaches and Applications & Interpretation, at both Standard and Higher Level — exam preparation, Internal Assessment guidance, and help with the jump in difficulty from IGCSE to IB.
Book a free introductory sessionThe four courses
IB Mathematics splits two ways: which subject, and at which level. Not every school offers all four combinations.
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Analysis & Approaches HL
The most demanding of the four. Frequently required for mathematics, engineering, physics and some economics degrees.
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Applications & Interpretation SL
Modelling, statistics and technology-led. Suits students heading towards social sciences, design or the humanities.
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Applications & Interpretation HL
The same modelling emphasis at greater depth, with substantial statistics and a heavier technology component.
Not sure which your child is taking? Bring a recent worksheet or the subject name from their timetable to the introductory session.
What we work on
Most students arrive with one of two problems. Either the IGCSE foundations aren't solid enough to carry the new material — IB assumes fluency where IGCSE only asked for familiarity — or the content is understood but the reasoning demanded in the papers isn't there yet. The two need different work, so the first job is establishing which one it is.
From there, sessions typically move between the current classroom topic, the gaps underneath it, and past-paper technique. Where the Internal Assessment is live, it takes priority — deadlines don't move.
Topic areas
- Number & algebra
- Functions
- Geometry & trigonometry
- Statistics & probability
- Calculus
All five run through every course; the depth and the balance between them differ by subject and level.
The Internal Assessment
The mathematical exploration is coursework every IB Mathematics student writes, and it carries a fixed share of the final grade regardless of course or level. It is also the piece students most often leave too late.
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Choosing a topic
The most important decision, and the one most often rushed. A topic needs genuine personal interest and mathematics at the right level — too simple and it caps the marks, too ambitious and it never gets finished.
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Building the exploration
Understanding what the assessment criteria actually reward, checking the mathematics is sound, and keeping the scope realistic against the deadline.
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Draft and submission
Reading the draft against the criteria and being specific about what would raise it — while the writing, the analysis and the conclusions stay the student's own.
On academic integrity: I guide, question and check. I do not write, rewrite or edit the exploration. That is a condition of IB academic honesty rules and of working with me — and examiners are experienced at spotting work that isn't the student's.
Common questions
What is the difference between Analysis & Approaches and Applications & Interpretation?
Analysis & Approaches leans towards algebraic and calculus work and suits students heading into mathematics, engineering, physics or economics. Applications & Interpretation leans towards modelling, statistics and technology use. Schools usually guide the choice, and not every school offers all four combinations.
Should my child take Standard Level or Higher Level?
Higher Level covers more content in greater depth and carries an additional paper. The right answer depends on university plans as much as current ability — many degree courses specify HL Mathematics. I can give an honest view of where your child sits relative to the demands of each.
Can you help with the Internal Assessment?
Yes, as guidance. I help with choosing a workable topic, checking that the mathematics is appropriate for the level, and understanding what the assessment criteria reward. The exploration must be the student's own work, and I do not write or rewrite it — that is a condition of IB academic integrity and of my working with you.
Why is IB Mathematics harder than IGCSE?
The step up is real. IB expects fluency with content that IGCSE only introduced, adds unfamiliar topics, and asks for reasoning rather than recall. Students who coasted through IGCSE on memory often meet difficulty in the first term of Year 12.
Do you teach online or in person?
Both. In person across Berlin, and online for students elsewhere in Germany and Europe. Past papers and Internal Assessment drafts both work well online, annotated together on screen.
When should we start?
The first term of Year 12 is the most useful moment, because that is where the gap between IGCSE and IB opens up. Support later in the course is still effective, focusing on past papers, the Internal Assessment and the topics costing the most marks.
Still at IGCSE stage? See the IGCSE & GCSE page.
Ready to start?
Drop me a message and I'll get back to you within 24 hours to arrange a free introductory session.