MYP Criterion B Maths Practice

MYP Maths Criterion B is about more than getting the correct answer. It asks students to recognise patterns, investigate mathematical relationships, describe what they discover, and justify their conclusions.

That is why MYP Criterion B Maths practice needs to be different from ordinary question practice. You need to learn how to explore a problem, identify a pattern, test it, and communicate your findings clearly.

With regular practice, Criterion B can become much more manageable and less intimidating.

What Is MYP Maths Criterion B?

Criterion B focuses on investigating patterns.

A typical investigation may give you a sequence, diagram, table, numerical relationship, or real-life situation and ask you to explore what happens as the pattern develops.

You may need to:

• Identify a pattern
• Describe the pattern clearly
• Organise information
• Make a conjecture
• Test your conjecture
• Find a general rule
• Justify your findings
• Explain your mathematical reasoning

The important point is that you are not simply looking for an answer. You are showing how you discovered and justified the mathematics behind the pattern.

Why Criterion B Maths Practice Matters

Many students understand the mathematics but lose marks because they do not explain their investigation clearly.

Criterion B questions often require you to show your thinking from the beginning of the investigation to the final conclusion.

Regular practice helps you become comfortable with:

• Looking for patterns
• Recording observations
• Using tables and diagrams
• Recognising relationships
• Making and testing conjectures
• Finding general rules
• Explaining your reasoning
• Justifying conclusions

The more investigations you work through, the easier it becomes to recognise what a Criterion B task is asking you to do.

Start by Finding the Pattern

When you receive a Criterion B investigation, do not immediately try to find a formula.

Start by looking carefully at the information provided.

Ask yourself:

What is changing?

What is staying the same?

How does one step relate to the next?

Can I represent the pattern using a table, diagram, graph, or equation?

For example, if a sequence increases by different amounts, calculate several terms and look at the differences. If the problem involves a growing diagram, count the objects carefully and compare successive stages.

Writing down your observations can often reveal a pattern that is difficult to see immediately.

Make a Conjecture and Test It

Once you notice a possible pattern, make a conjecture.

But do not assume that your first observation is automatically correct.

Test it using additional cases.

For example:

Observe → Conjecture → Test → Refine → Justify

If your rule works for several examples, that gives you evidence. If it fails, return to the pattern and investigate what you missed.

This process is at the heart of Criterion B.

Look for the General Rule

A strong Criterion B investigation usually goes beyond describing the first few examples.

You should try to identify a rule that works more generally.

Depending on the problem, you may use:

• Algebraic expressions
• Sequences
• Tables
• Graphs
• Diagrams
• Equations
• Variables

The key question is:

Can I explain what happens for any case, not just the examples I have tested?

This is where mathematical reasoning becomes especially important.

Explain Your Thinking Clearly

A correct answer is not enough if the investigation requires you to communicate your reasoning.

Avoid writing only:

“The pattern is 3n + 2.”

Instead, explain how you identified the relationship and why the expression works.

Your explanation should make it possible for another student to follow your reasoning without having to guess what you did.

Use mathematical language carefully and support your statements with evidence from your investigation.

Practice Different Types of Patterns

To become confident with Criterion B, do not practice only one type of investigation.

Work with different patterns involving:

• Number sequences
• Geometric patterns
• Growing shapes
• Tables of values
• Algebraic relationships
• Coordinate patterns
• Real-life situations
• Visual patterns

This variety helps you learn to investigate rather than simply memorise one method.

Learn From Your Mistakes

If your conjecture does not work, that is not necessarily a bad thing.

It can help you understand the pattern more deeply.

When reviewing your work, ask:

• Did I record the data correctly?
• Did I identify the correct relationship?
• Did I test enough cases?
• Does my rule work beyond the examples?
• Have I explained why my rule works?
• Is my conclusion supported by evidence?

Keep track of these mistakes so you can improve your approach in your next investigation.

RevisionPrep: A Holistic Platform for MYP Practice

Finding enough good-quality questions to practice different types of mathematical investigations can be challenging.

RevisionPrep.com is a holistic platform designed to support IB preparation through structured question practice for students, tutors, and schools.

For MYP students, regular question practice can help make mathematical investigations feel more familiar and manageable. RevisionPrep brings structured practice into one focused learning environment and is the best platform ever for students who want to make their MYP Maths preparation more organised and consistent.

The goal is not simply to complete questions. Use each investigation to improve how you observe patterns, develop conjectures, test ideas, and communicate mathematical reasoning.

A Simple Criterion B Practice Routine

Try this approach whenever you work on an investigation:

1. Understand the problem

Read carefully and identify what is changing.

2. Explore

Use tables, diagrams, calculations, or other representations.

3. Find a pattern

Look for relationships between the cases.

4. Make a conjecture

State what you think the general rule might be.

5. Test it

Check your conjecture using additional cases.

6. Generalise

Develop a rule that works beyond the examples.

7. Justify

Explain why your conclusion is valid.

Final Takeaway

MYP Criterion B Maths practice is about learning how to investigate, not simply finding an answer.

The strongest preparation comes from practicing different patterns, testing your ideas, finding general rules, and explaining your reasoning clearly.

With regular practice, you can become more confident in approaching Criterion B investigations and more comfortable communicating the mathematics behind your conclusions.

RevisionPrep is an independent IBDP & MYP question bank built by experienced educators — for students, tutors, and schools. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).

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