
How to Tackle the Toughest IB Math Problems: A Step-by-Step Guide
What is IB Math
Have you been struggling with trying to get that high 7 in your IB Math class?
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Mathematics course is designed for students aged 16-19 to develop a deeper understanding of concepts and principles in Mathematics. Whether you are studying Mathematics: Analysis or Approaches and Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation, sometimes there are questions that seem too difficult to answer.
At Aegis Advisors, we specialize in guiding students through the intricate world of IB Math, offering personalized tutoring designed to help you excel. Here, we’ll discuss how to tackle the toughest IB Math Problems.
Identify the type of problem
Ok, so you’ve just opened your Math book or exam and you find the exercise you need to work on and feel completely overwhelmed by the prospect of it.
First step is to take a deep breath.
Try not to stress about the end result and look at ways in which you can slowly tackle the problem. Working on it brick by brick will get you further than tackling it all at once.
The first thing you want to do is figure out, what is this question asking me to do? Is it a trigonometry or geometry question? Am I trying to find x or simply looking to simplify an equation? Identifying what you are looking to answer will help you know what the end result will vaguely look like. Don’t forget about what the command terms mean as it can help you identify what the end result should look like.
Try something
Now that you have identified what the question is asking you to do, your next step is to just give it a go. Try using any formulae you know related to the questions and just give it a shot.
Sometimes the hardest thing is just to start.
Try writing something and that may give you inspiration to lead you in the right direction to solving the problem. Even if it is completely incorrect, it’s good to know what to not to do, which will help you narrow down what you have to do.
Take your time
Try not to rush through it.
One of the most common mistakes students make in their exams is rushing through questions and making silly mistakes. This can be easily avoided if you just make sure to take your time working through the questions and try not to rush through. If you’re rushing, that can lead to you becoming overwhelmed and messing up things you wouldn’t usually mess up. So just make sure to take your time and move through things slowly.
If you’re interested in other common mistakes made by IB students, check out our page on The Most Common IB Math Exam Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.
Break it up into steps
Looking at a question as one whole big piece can be quite daunting so why not break it up into steps?
Now that you have identified what it is that you need to work on, work towards splitting up the question into more bite size pieces that you can tackle. Trying to answer one whole question at once can be very intimidating, so why not try writing down all of the steps you need to do and number them so that you can tick them off as you go along.
This way, not only do you feel as though you can look at the problem and see all the steps needed to get to the end result, but you will also feel a sense of accomplishment and ease as you tick off each step.
Go back to basics
Although a math question may look extremely intricate and complicated, sometimes all you need is a simple solution. Try and recall some basic formulae as they might just be the key to solving your entire equation.
Why not try using the quadratic formula? Or try writing down some trigonometric identities?
Sometimes just looking at something that is familiar to you, may just lead you down the right path to solving something a lot more complicated.
Feel like you are struggling with your basics? Why not book a private tutoring lesson with one of Aegis’ IB Math tutors! They will help you go over some of the basics and foundations that you feel like you may be missing.
Come back to it
Do you think you have exhausted all of your possibilities? Why not let the question go for the moment and just move on to something else. Sometimes working on something for too long may just confuse you.
Remember: you can’t see the forest for the trees.
You just need to take a step back, leave it for a bit, and come back to it with a completely new set of eyes. This way, not only may you see something that you missed that could be the key to solving the problem, but you may also be able to catch any mistakes you made as you went along.
Start fresh
Ok, so you’ve come back to it but you are still completely lost.
Don’t stress.
First of all, remember you can always get points for showing your work. Even if you can’t find the solution, you can get points for trying and getting far.
However, if you feel completely stuck and as though you have messed up, why not try starting fresh? It won’t hurt you to attempt a different approach and that might lead you to the right answer. It will do you no harm and may also give you some extra points if you show a masterful use of different formulae.
Double check your answers
Ok, so now that you have finished trying to solve your problem, this is your chance to go over your work. Sometimes when we are working on a question for so long, we don’t realise we have made a simple computation error which messes up your answer.
To avoid issues like this, just make sure you are always looking over your work and checking back to ensure that you have not made any silly mistakes and that you feel like all of your answers make sense.
Conclusion
Lastly, try not to stress yourself out. We know that all of this can be very stressful, but if you just try and calm down and work through it, you can make it happen!
If you want to become more confident, and get that extra bit of help, why not look for an IB Math tutor who can help you work through all these steps? Familiarising yourself with the style and structure of the test will help you feel more confident when the day comes around.
Contact Aegis Advisors today and discover how our personalized tutoring can help you excel in IB Math!