IB Maths HL vs SL — should you take Higher Level?
240 hours vs 150. Paper 3 vs no Paper 3. An extra grade on the transcript vs an extra 90 hours of your life. Here's the honest teacher-written comparison — including when the answer is "definitely SL" and when it's "definitely HL".
Last updated: February 2026 · Written by IB Maths teachers
HL — depth & abstraction
240 teaching hours. 3 exam papers including Paper 3 (extended response).
Take HL if: you consistently score 6/7 in maths, need it for a target university, and enjoy the subject enough to spend 5-6 hours a week on homework outside class.
SL — solid foundation
150 teaching hours. 2 exam papers. Same IA weighting.
Take SL if: maths is not your favourite subject, your target university accepts SL, or you want to protect your total-points score by banking a 6 or 7 rather than gambling on HL.
Workload & papers
| Metric | HL | SL |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching hours | 240 | 150 |
| Homework per week (typical) | 5–7 hours | 2–3 hours |
| Exam papers | P1 (no GDC), P2 (GDC), P3 extended response | P1 (no GDC), P2 (GDC) |
| Total exam time | 5 hours | 3 hours |
| IA | 20% of final grade — 12–20 pages | 20% of final grade — 12–20 pages |
| Grade boundaries (recent) | 7 ≈ 76%, 6 ≈ 62%, 5 ≈ 49% | 7 ≈ 80%, 6 ≈ 66%, 5 ≈ 52% |
| Common student outcome | Bright students often drop from a predicted 7 in SL to a 5 in HL — the jump is real. | Students who take SL usually finish 1 grade higher than their HL-attempted counterpart. |
Which is right for you?
You're aiming for Oxbridge / Ivy / ETH engineering, maths, physics or CS
HL is functionally non-negotiable. Most top programmes list HL Maths (usually AA HL) at a 6 or 7 as a firm requirement.
→ Take HL.
You want medicine, law, humanities, most business/economics degrees
SL Maths is the standard baseline at almost every worldwide university. Taking HL will not open new doors for these degrees — but a low HL grade can close them.
→ Take SL and protect the grade.
You're borderline — 5-6 in DP1 but love the subject
Stay in HL if you can afford the time. HL students who work steadily improve dramatically between DP1 and the final exams. HL students who "hope" to improve — rarely do.
→ Take HL only if you'll do the weekly grind.
Your maths is fine, but you have IB Diploma total-points pressure
The IB is a total-points game. A 7 in SL is worth exactly the same 7 as a 7 in HL for your total. Bonus points come from EE + TOK, not from HL vs SL.
→ Take SL unless HL is a hard requirement.
Frequently asked questions
How much harder is IB Maths HL than SL?
Roughly 60% more content and closer to double the depth per topic. Official teaching hours: SL = 150, HL = 240. Most schools find HL students spend twice as much time as SL students on homework. The abstraction level jumps significantly — HL Paper 3 is a whole paper on extended-response investigations that has no SL equivalent.
Do I need HL Maths for engineering?
For most engineering programmes at UK universities you need at least SL Maths at a 5 or above. Top programmes (Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, ETH Zurich) require HL Maths AA at 6 or 7. In the US, HL Maths is a strong signal but rarely strictly required.
Can I get into medicine with SL Maths?
Yes. Most medical schools accept SL Maths (either AA or AI) at a 6 or 7. HL Maths is rarely a hard requirement for medicine.
Is it worth dropping HL Maths to SL in DP2?
If your predicted HL grade is a 4 or below and your target university accepts SL, dropping is often the smart call — you'll free up hours for other subjects and likely bank a 6 or 7. Talk to your DP coordinator before mid-January of DP2. After the mocks it's usually too late.
What's the difference between the IA in HL and SL?
Same criteria, same 20% of the final grade, same 12–20 pages. HL exemplars go deeper in modelling / analysis but the marks are on the same scale. HL students often over-engineer their IA — the moderators award depth of engagement, not depth of maths.
How does the IB HL Paper 3 work?
Paper 3 is a 1-hour HL-only extended-response paper worth ~30 marks. Two long questions require you to model an unfamiliar context and communicate your reasoning. Play with our free interactive HL AI Paper 3 mock to see the style.
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Also compare AI vs AA →