Lesson format
Weekly 1.5-hour live online class
Targeted online practice with instant marking supports work between lessons.
SEC 4 IB MATHEMATICS
Bridge Year 4 directly into the IB Diploma pathway.
Year 4 of the IB-track Integrated Programme is the bridge into the IB Diploma. Core Math consolidates the upper secondary content — set theory, congruency and similarity, circle theorems, vectors, statistics — while Advanced Math introduces calculus: differentiation, rates of change, maxima and minima, integration, and kinematics. Our class follows the Year 4 IB-track curriculum so students arrive at Year 5 ready for AA or AI at HL or SL.
Syllabus
What we cover (Year 4 Core + Advanced Mathematics)
Year 4 IB-track students continue with two parallel mathematics courses. Core Math covers algebraic manipulation, set theory, congruency and similarity, circle theorems, arc length and sector area, vectors in 2D, linear law, three statistics units, mathematics in practical situations, graphs in practical situations, number patterns, and probability. Advanced Math is the calculus year — binomial theorem, further trigonometric identities, differentiation, rates of change, maxima and minima, derivatives of trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions, integration, and applications of integration including area between curves and kinematics.
Year 4 Core Mathematics
- Algebraic Manipulation
- Set Theory: notation, language, Venn diagrams
- Congruency and Similarity: congruent and similar triangles, area and volume of similar figures
- Circle Theorem: symmetric and angle properties of circles
- Arc Length, Area of Sector, and Radian Measure
- Vectors in Two Dimensions: vectors on the coordinate plane, applications in geometry
- Linear Law
- Statistics (I): frequency distribution, histograms, frequency polygons; mean, median, mode
- Statistics (II): cumulative frequency curves; box-and-whisker diagrams
- Statistics (III): standard deviation
- Mathematics in Practical Situations: profit and loss, simple and compound interest, hire-purchase, utility bills, money exchange, taxation
- Graphs in Practical Situations: tables, charts, and graphs; distance–time and speed–time graphs
- Number Patterns
- Probability
Year 4 Advanced Mathematics
- Binomial Theorem: introduction and binomial expansion
- Further Trigonometric Identities: addition formulae and double-angle formulae
- Differentiation: first principles, basic differentiation, chain rule, product rule, quotient rule, equations of tangent and normal
- Rates of Change: increasing and decreasing functions; rates of change
- Maxima and Minima: stationary points; maxima and minima problems
- Derivatives of Simple Trigonometric Functions
- Derivatives of Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
- Integration: basic integration, linear factor, trigonometric functions, exponential functions, 1/x, definite integrals
- Application of Integration — Area of a Region: area between a curve and an axis
- Application of Integration — Kinematics: displacement, velocity, acceleration
Note
The Year 4 Core and Advanced Mathematics syllabus is consistent across local IB-track schools.
Common challenges for Year 4 IB students
Year 4 brings calculus into the picture and is the last year before the IB Diploma. Students often share these pressure points:
Calculus arrives all at once
Differentiation rules, rates of change, maxima and minima, integration, area between curves, and kinematics — Year 4 Advanced packs them in. Students who treat them as a series of formulae rather than a coherent system tend to plateau.
Core breadth competes with Advanced depth
Statistics (three units), set theory, circle theorems, vectors, probability — Core Math is wide. Students juggling that with calculus often under-prepare for one or both.
IB papers reward setup, not shortcuts
IB-style questions reward clear definitions, justified working, and full solutions. Students who jump to answers lose marks even when the answer is right.
Year 5 IB transition needs a clean handoff
AA and AI start in Year 5, building straight on Year 4 calculus and statistics. Gaps now mean catch-up later, against IB Diploma deadlines.
How DeepThink helps Sec 4 IB students
Our Sec 4 IB class is built around the calculus year and the IB Diploma transition:
Teach calculus as a connected system
Differentiation, integration, and their applications fit together. We make those connections explicit so students reason from principles, not from a list of formulae.
Built around the Year 4 IB-track scheme
The Year 4 Core and Advanced Mathematics syllabus is broadly consistent across local IB schools. Our class teaches that scope directly.
Match Core breadth without dropping depth
Statistics, set theory, vectors, and probability all need targeted practice. We sequence Core revision so nothing is left under-prepared at exam time.
Set up the IB Diploma transition
Year 4 is the runway into AA / AI. We focus on the calculus, statistics, and reasoning skills that Year 5 IB classes assume from day one.
Year 4 is the launching pad for the IB Diploma. We make sure students take off cleanly.
Program facts
What families should know about Secondary 4 IB support
The details parents usually want before deciding whether to book a trial.
Class size
Maximum 4 students
Students are grouped by learning pace, not just by level — if no existing session matches your child’s pace, we open a new one.
Syllabus focus
MOE Secondary Mathematics
Full curriculum and chapter list shown in the syllabus section above.
Pricing
$50 per live class
Same fee across levels and streams.
Trial
Free trial class available
Parents can see the teaching pace, structure, and student experience before committing.
Best fit
Secondary 4 IB students who need weekly support matched to their exact stream and exam syllabus.
Decision support
When Secondary 4 IB support is the right fit
These are the situations where extra support tends to make the biggest difference.
Year 4 calculus is exposing Year 3 function and trigonometry gaps
Differentiation, integration, and kinematics all assume fluent function thinking and trigonometric identities from Year 3. When Year 4 results slip, the cause is almost always upstream — and the fix is targeted Year 3 repair, not more calculus practice.
Internal assessments now decide AA vs AI and HL vs SL placement for Year 5
Year 4 internal results carry real weight at ACS(I) and SJI — they determine which IB Diploma course (Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation) and which level (Higher Level or Standard Level) a student is placed into for Year 5–6. Underperformance here narrows Diploma options.
The bridge into the IB Diploma is now imminent
Year 5 AA and AI courses build directly on Year 4 calculus, statistics, and probability. Students who finish Year 4 with secure foundations enter Year 5 ready; those with gaps spend Year 5 doing catch-up against IB internal assessment deadlines.
If any of these patterns sound familiar, this is likely the right level of support for your child — a trial class is a good next step.
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers for parents
What does Sec 4 IB Math (Year 4 Core and Advanced) cover at ACS(I) and SJI?
Year 4 continues with Core and Advanced Mathematics in parallel. Core Math covers algebraic manipulation, set theory and Venn diagrams, congruency and similarity, circle theorems, arc length and sector area with radian measure, vectors in 2D, linear law, three statistics units (frequency distribution, cumulative frequency, standard deviation), mathematics in practical situations (interest, hire-purchase, taxation), graphs in practical situations, number patterns, and probability. Advanced Math is the calculus year — binomial theorem, further trigonometric identities (addition and double-angle), differentiation (chain, product and quotient rules, tangent and normal), rates of change, maxima and minima, derivatives of trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions, integration, and applications including area between curves and kinematics.
Do Sec 4 IB students sit the O-Level Math exam?
No. ACS(I) and SJI students do not sit O-Levels or the new SEC. Year 4 ends with internal school assessments that determine readiness for the IB Diploma — including which mathematics course (Analysis and Approaches, or Applications and Interpretation) and which level (Higher Level or Standard Level) a student is placed into for Year 5. Year 4 results carry real consequence, but the assessment is internal rather than national.
How does Year 4 IB Advanced Math compare with O-Level A-Math?
The two overlap on calculus, trigonometric identities, and binomial theorem, but Year 4 Advanced reaches further. Differentiation of trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions, applications of integration to area between curves and kinematics, and the depth of further trigonometry sit at or beyond A-Math. Many Year 4 Advanced topics are normally H2 Math content. Year 4 Advanced is a deliberate bridge into IB Diploma mathematics, so the depth and pace exceed what an O-Level Sec 4 student typically encounters.
My child's Year 4 IB results are slipping — what's the right response?
Slipping results in Year 4 almost always trace back to Year 3 — usually to the function and algebraic fluency that calculus assumes, or to Year 3 trigonometric identities that resurface throughout Advanced. Differentiation looks like the symptom; the cause is upstream. The fix is to identify the specific Year 3 gaps rather than re-teach calculus from scratch. Once those foundations are repaired, Year 4 calculus typically clicks back into place.
How does Year 4 prepare students for AA or AI in the IB Diploma?
Year 4 is the runway. Differentiation, integration, kinematics, statistics, set theory, vectors, and probability all map directly onto Year 5–6 IB content — AA picks up calculus and analysis; AI picks up statistics, modelling, and applied probability. Students who consolidate Year 4 cleanly enter Year 5 ready; students with Year 4 gaps spend Year 5 doing catch-up against IB internal assessment deadlines.
When is the AA vs AI and HL vs SL decision usually finalised?
Schools typically formalise the decision late in Year 4 once internal exam results are in. The factors are: comfort with calculus and abstract reasoning (AA HL is the most demanding pure-math path), strength in modelling and data interpretation (AI plays to those strengths), and post-IB plans (some overseas STEM programmes prefer AA HL). Students who try sample AA and AI internal questions in Year 4 tend to get the cleanest read on which course fits.
How many students are in each class?
Four, at most. Students are grouped by learning pace, not just by year level, so each lesson moves at the speed of the students actually in it. When no session matches a child’s pace, we open a new one. In a class that size, every child answers questions, gets their working checked, and gets help the moment they need it.
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