I’m a freshman, going into IB Math HL in my sophomore year. My teacher advises students in my Alg. 2/Trig class to take SL if their grade is currently below 95%, but my grade is above that, or take Pre-Calculus over the summer to gear up for IB Math HL. I am really busy over the summer so I cannot afford time to go to summer school. Would I be unprepared for how hard IB Math HL is next year as a future sophomore? Or would using sources like Khan Academy gear me up to be prepared?
I guess HL is a 2 year sequence at your school? Where my kid went it was a 1 year course taken senior year and most kids who took it had had both pre-calc and calc, so I’m guessing the two year sequence would cover quite a bit of calc in Junior year. So, this is a long way of saying without pre-calc, you’ll likely struggle.
If you plan on being a STEM major in college, find a way to squeeze in pre-calc. If not, SL will do.
https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/recognition/5_mathhl.pdf describes the topics covered in IB math HL.
It does look like IB math HL is supposed to have 98 hours of instruction on precalculus topics (topics 1 through 4: algebra, functions and equations, circular functions and trigonometry, vectors), followed by 36 hours of statistics, 48 hours of calculus, 48 hours of additional topics (which may be more calculus), and 10 hours of exploration.
So (assuming that the 48 hours of additional topics are more calculus) it looks like a two year course covering precalculus and calculus, with some statistics and exploration thrown in. Assuming that IB math HL is actually a two year course at your school, since you are +2 on the math sequence (two years ahead), it looks like it should not be too hard for you, though IB courses are generally considered to be a lot of work.
You may want to check with both your current math teacher and the one teaching the IB math HL course that it covers precalculus starting from where your algebra 2 course left off.
IB Math HL and SL are both two-year courses at my school. I’m not allowed to take IB Math Studies (I wasn’t planning to) due to being so “advanced” in my math by two years. I’m taking IB Math HL due to my career options and also because as a sophomore, I have an easy load because I’m doing pre-IB work.
@nw2this I do plan on majoring something related STEM, most likely biochemical engineering since I want to go to medical school and need back-up options (I heard engineering majors have plenty of career optionsh) if I don’t make it. I will consider trying to make room for Pre-Calculus in my schedule over the summer.
@ucbalumnus Thank you for the information! I’ll be checking with my Alg. 2/Trig teacher on more information on the syllabus relating to Pre-Calculus. 
I thought that IB only allows SL tests your junior year - so would you actually be able to take the HL test as a junior? I know it’s not allowed at our school, but thought it was an actual IB rule not just a school rule.
Are you even allowed to take IB math as a sophomore? If so what will you take senior year, is dual enrollment for MVC/Discrete Math/linear algebra possible?
Note that a new IB Math curriculum is being phased in. I assume you’d be on the Math Analysis HL track
https://www.ibo.org/university-admission/recognition-of-the-ib-diploma-by-countries-and-universities/latest-curriculum-updates/maths-curriculum-changes/
@Darcy123 From what I know, yes, I’ll be able to take the HL test in my junior year.
@MYOS1634 I am. You test for this kind of stuff in your seventh grade where I live to be two years ahead in the curriculum. I’ll be taking any math course I’d like to in my senior year, which most people choose something like AP Statistics. I’m sure that my school’s rolling out the new curriculum, but I have no clue what exactly Math Analysis HL is. What exactly are the differences between this one and the other one mentioned in the site that you showed? We were never given the option to choose between the two, but I don’t think my school offers both, just one of them.
https://www.lmsd.org/uploaded/documents/Academics/IB/ib_mathematics.pdf describes the old and new IB math courses.
math studies SL → math AI SL
(no course) → math AI SL
math SL → math AA SL
math HL → math AA HL
(AI = applications and interpretations, AA = analysis and approaches)
The AI courses, like the old math studies course, are for students who will not need to take additional math in college. Most US high school students in IB programs should avoid math studies or math AI unless they are certain that they will not need to take more math in college for either their majors or general education requirements.
Actually, the AI HL course is considered equivalent in level to the AA HL course but with a different focus. It’s especially useful for pre-meds, business, Economics, social sciences, perhaps some sciences.
AI HL = calc AB+ AP stats+ further stats+ other math.
AA SL is very balanced. Can be used for stem (if followed by the right math sequence in college) or economics too although it covers less material than AI HL.
AA HL is like Maths/further maths. It’s designed for engineering, math, physics, CS majors.
Imperial will accept both AI and AA HL for instance.
Only AI SL is designed for students who will not need Calculus in college. However they will have studied precalculus and a little bit of calculus basics, plus enough stats to take a college course if need be. It’s a course suitable for Humanities, elementary education, even ok for less quantitative versions social sciences. Only this class can be logically followed with AP stats and even then a part of AP stats would have been covered through AI SL.
Further content than AP stats would be contained in the HL courses already, making calculus-based stats through dual enrollment a better choice then AP stats (which would just be a repeat). Alternatively AA could be followed by MVC, discrete math linear algebra from a nearby College.
You cannot take HL tests in year 1.
Using Khanacademy helps, but u cant argue if its a school req.
if its an advice… you shud b fine… my school, and i think IB math HL too… is designed to keep in mind of having no calc backgr.
taking ti certainly helps u keep upto speed… but ull be just fine without… as most of my classmates were.