Math Pathways FAQ

IB Math FAQ: class of 2029 and beyond 

1. What’s the difference between IB Math AA and AI? 

Math AA focuses on theory and structure, helping students understand why methods work and how ideas connect across topics, while Math AI focuses on application, teaching students to interpret real data and solve practical problems. 

2. What’s the difference between IB Math AA SL and HL? (not including the SL+ content taught at ICS) 

SL covers: 

Core algebra 

Standard calculus (differentiation, integration) 

Functions and transformations 

Simple vectors 

Basic probability 

HL covers everything in SL, plus: 

More complex functions 

Advanced calculus 

Differential equations 

Series expansions 

Complex vectors 

Rigorous proofs 

HL questions require multi-step reasoning and a deeper understanding of the “why” behind methods.

3. If the student successfully completes all the courses listed in the ICS math pathways (IB AA SL+ Y1, IB AA SL+ Y2, IB AA HL) by the end of grade 12, will the IBDP show math AA HL? 

Yes. Students can choose to take the SL exam at the end of the second year of the IB Math AA SL+ course (11th grade), and then they can also complete HL internal assessments and take the Math AA HL exam at the end of 12th grade. If they do this, then they must forfeit their SL grade. If they decide not to complete the HL assessments/exam, then they still have their Math AA SL course completed to count towards their IB Diploma. This allows our students to have the maximum flexibility as they move through the math courses.  

4. If the 12th grade "optional" course is not completed, will IBDP show math AA SL+ or just SL? If only SL will be shown in the diploma, along with additional syllabus learned, any other benefits for students to take SL+ instead of SL? Any additional college credits the student might get from SL+ over SL? 

If a student stops after the second year of the Math AA SL+ course, their IB DP course will be Math AA SL. The “plus” course is an ICS-only designation showing that the course covers more calculus* than the IB AA SL course  (please see explanation on the sheet you referenced below). 

*the equivalent of 10 quarter credits of college Calculus I and Calculus II (aka Math 124 and Math 125 at the University of Washington) which students earn college credit for through the CiHS program with Edmonds College. The credits are automatic and provided by taking the CiHS-designated course, not based on IB exams.  

5. If the student opts out of the 12th grade optional course, does that mean the student won't have math class in the 12th grade? 

In this case, students have enough credits for both LWSD graduation and IB DP. In addition, they will have completed two quarters of college level Calculus and will get 10 quarter credits for Calculus I and Calculus II through Edmonds College / CiHS (College in High School program). They can choose to stop taking math or can take more math through Running Start (the following course would be Calculus III). This senior-year option is the same as Alternative Option A. 

Another beneficial option is to put the “elective” math in 10th grade, taking Math AI for one year as an elective to get the statistics-heavy course content (one year alone does not count as an IB DP course, but students do get math credit) and then starting the AA SL+ course in 11th grade. This puts the 2nd year of Math AA SL+ in the senior year, avoiding the gap between studying calculus in HS and college.  In this pathway, there’s no option to complete Math AA HL.  

Alternatively, after taking IB Math AI in 10th grade, students can also choose to continue the IB Math AI course and complete it in their junior year, leaving senior year open for a Running Start math course or a completely different course that might suit their university studies better.  

6. Instead of just offering the traditional IB two-year AA SL and two year AA-HL, may we know the rationale behind our school offering the current math curriculum?  

Ms. Sullivan and the ICS math department have been planning for several years to ensure ICS students have the best foundation for success in both IB Math and in college Calculus (which is the predominate pathway for most STEM fields). They also want to give students the opportunity to receive the highest possible number of university math credits for their HS math courses.  Students who complete the SL+ curriculum will be able to go directly into Calculus III in the university system (those in the quarter-term system, like the University of Washington).  

The IB AA HL course, although very rigorous, does not cover calculus thoroughly enough to earn 10 quarter credits at some universities (fulfilling both Calculus I and Calculus II). At the University of Washington, for example, students who score very high (a 6 or 7) on the HL exam can earn credit for just Calculus I **  

ICS students in AA SL+ would have already earned credit for both Calculus I and Calculus II (credit awarded through Edmonds College, similar to the way Running Start credits work) once completing the second year of the SL+ course. This is why Ms. Sullivan designed the special AA SL+ course and got certified to teach it as a CiHS course. Students fulfill requirements for 2 different programs together in the AA SL+ course. The AA HL year adds breadth and exposure to high level math beyond calculus.  

In addition, our school is not large enough to offer separate AA SL and AA HL courses. We also do not offer just the SL class in Analyses and Approaches (AA); we offer either the IB Math AA SL+ course (which includes the college credit) or the IB Math Applications and Interpretations (AI) SL course 

 ** See the University of Washington IB credit transfer page for reference 

	IB Math AA SL	ICS IB Math AA SL+	IB Math AA HL
University of Washington  College credit accepted	None	Calculus 1 (Math 124)  Calculus 2 (Math 125)  (credits awarded through Edmonds College)	Score 6-7 = Calculus 1 (Math 124)

 

University of Oregon IB credit transfer page for comparison (U of O offers more math credits for IB). You will always need to check the university you are attending or hoping to attend for accurate credit information. Some universities don’t offer significant credit for AP or IB courses.  

7. Will the current 10th grade AA SL+ year 1 and 11th grade AA SL + year2 cover all the knowledge points students need to proceed to 12th grade AA HL, which technically will be the AA HL 2nd year? 

Yes. And significantly more.  However, it is important to note that the remaining HL content that was not covered in the SL+ two-year course, even though quite engaging and of interest to highly motivated math students, does not follow the traditional calculus pathway. Students will have a one-year gap between completing Calculus I and II in their junior year and Calculus III once entering college (if they are on a STEM-career pathway requiring it).  For a highly motivated student this may not be a problem, but it should be pointed out.