The international schools of Paris -- the American School of Paris (ASP), the International School of Paris (ISP), the British School of Paris (BSP) -- deliver excellent education within Anglo-Saxon frameworks. Their mathematics programs, whether IB, American AP, or British IGCSE/A-Level, are solid and effectively prepare students for higher education in the English-speaking world. But these programs do not prepare students for one thing: French mathematics. And this is a problem for a significant proportion of their families.
Because many families enrolled in these international schools will not remain in the Anglophone circuit forever. Some are considering a transfer to the French system -- to Jeanine Manuel, to a lycee with international sections, to the BFI track. Others want their child to keep the option open of studying in France after high school, at EPFL, at a French university, or in a classe preparatoire. In all these cases, mastery of French-style mathematics is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And a generic math tutor cannot bridge the gap between what ASP, ISP, or BSP teaches and what the French system demands.
What distinguishes IB/American/British math from French math
The fundamental difference does not lie in content. The major domains are the same: algebra, geometry, analysis, probability, statistics. The difference lies in method. The French system teaches mathematics as a discipline of proof. Every exercise demands a structured demonstration with stated hypotheses, theorems cited by name, rigorous logical chaining, and a formal conclusion. An answer without justification is worth nothing. The reasoning is everything.
The IB system, particularly through its MYP/DP approach, teaches mathematics conceptually and applicatively. The emphasis is on understanding ideas, making connections between domains, and applying knowledge to real-world problems. This is high-quality education. But it does not train students in formal French mathematical writing. An IB student who "explores" a problem, who "investigates" a conjecture, who presents their conclusions in an Internal Assessment-style report has mastered valuable skills. But they do not know how to write a five-step geometric proof with theorem citations. They do not know how to present a variation table. They do not know how to factor, without a calculator, an expression like 9x^2 - 24x + 16 by recognizing a perfect square.
The American system, with its AP (Advanced Placement) courses, emphasizes procedural fluency. Calculate quickly, solve efficiently, find the right answer. AP tests are partially multiple-choice. Written justification is minimal. The graphing calculator is permitted and often required. The exact opposite of what the French system demands.
The British system (IGCSE, A-Level) is methodical and structured, with a strong level of technical rigor. But the tradition of formal proof is virtually absent before Further Mathematics, which few students take. A student with an A* in A-Level Mathematics may be completely unable to write a proof in the French format.
Why ASP, ISP, and BSP students need French math
The need for French-style mathematics arises in several concrete scenarios that we encounter regularly at Carmine Admission.
Scenario 1: Transfer to the French system
A family in Paris decides to leave ASP or ISP to enter Jeanine Manuel, the Lycee International de Saint-Germain, or another school with international sections. The child must pass admission tests that are largely French-style math exams. Without specific preparation, failure is nearly certain, even for an excellent math student at their current school. The format is too different, the methodology too distant.
Scenario 2: EPFL preparation
EPFL accepts IB students, but the math requirements are steep. A student taking IB HL Mathematics has a solid foundation, but if they are considering EPFL, they would benefit from mastering concepts in their French formulation as well, especially if they are francophone. The first-year analysis and linear algebra courses at EPFL are delivered in a style heavily influenced by the French mathematical tradition. Preparing during high school means gaining a significant head start. For a detailed analysis of EPFL requirements, see our article on getting into EPFL from a French high school.
Scenario 3: Returning to the French system post-bac
IB students who grew up in France and decide, after graduation, to apply to French universities or classes preparatoires. Their IB diploma is accepted, but their lack of training in French mathematics penalizes them in first-year courses. French math tutoring during high school gives them the tools to succeed in this transition.
Scenario 4: Keeping options open
Some families do not yet know where their child will study after high school. France, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom -- everything is possible. For these families, ensuring their child masters mathematics in both traditions -- Anglophone and Francophone -- means maximizing future options without closing any doors. The debate between IB and French mathematical approaches is at the heart of this reflection.
The specific challenges of IB HL Mathematics
IB Higher Level Mathematics is a demanding program. It covers advanced domains -- integral calculus, abstract algebra, advanced probability -- that sometimes go further than the French Terminale curriculum. But "further" does not mean "better prepared for the French system." HL Math produces excellent calculators, excellent intuitive reasoners, but not proof writers.
The problem crystallizes around several precise points. Calculator dependency, first. In the IB, the graphing calculator (TI-84, TI-Nspire, Casio fx-CG) is a daily working tool. Students use it to plot functions, solve equations, compute integrals. In the French system, the calculator is often banned or severely restricted. Students must know how to factor, expand, simplify, and differentiate -- all by hand. For an IB student, this deprivation is destabilizing.
Then there is the writing. The IB asks for "solutions" -- calculations presented with minimal justification. The French system asks for "demonstrations" -- structured proofs where every step is explicitly justified. The difference is substantial. An IB student who presents a "solution" on a French exercise systematically loses marks, even when the answer is correct.
Physics and chemistry: a parallel challenge
Students at ASP, ISP, and BSP who are considering a transition to the French system or targeting EPFL face the same type of gap in physics and chemistry. French physics demands rigor in writing scientific reasoning, in dimensional analysis, in the formal resolution of problems, that goes beyond what most international programs require. An IB Physics HL student who excels at solving quantitative problems can find themselves struggling with a French exercise that asks them to "prove that" rather than "calculate."
Chemistry raises similar vocabulary and convention challenges. French nomenclature, reaction equation writing conventions, and the presentation of experimental results all follow specific standards that students must learn if they want to succeed in the French system.
Carmine's tutors: bridging two mathematical worlds
The tutors we select at Carmine Admission for international school students in Paris specialize in this interface between systems. They know the IB program, the American AP curriculum, and the British curriculum. And they know the French system in its every requirement. They therefore know exactly where the gap lies for each student and how to bridge it in the most efficient way possible.
Our tutors do not ask an IB student to start over in mathematics. They capitalize on the skills the student already has -- conceptual understanding, computational fluency, the ability to solve complex problems -- and add the missing layer: French methodology. Proof writing, formalism, specific vocabulary, calculator-free work. This is bridge-building, not demolition.
Sessions can be conducted online or in person in Paris. For students at ASP (Saint-Cloud), ISP (16th arrondissement), or BSP (Croissy-sur-Seine), in-person sessions are available and often preferred. Online sessions offer the same quality for families who prioritize flexibility.
The Carmine advantage: tutoring informed by admissions expertise
At Carmine Admission, we do not give math lessons in a vacuum. Every tutoring session fits within a comprehensive orientation strategy. An ASP student in Year 10 considering a transfer to Jeanine Manuel in Seconde: we know exactly what the admission test demands in mathematics, and we prepare accordingly. An ISP student in IB1 targeting EPFL: we know the admission thresholds, the CMS (Cours de Mathematiques Speciales) requirements, and we calibrate the preparation level accordingly.
This dual expertise -- high-level tutoring and admissions consulting -- is unique in the Paris market. It enables our tutors to not only help the student understand mathematics but to help them master it at the exact level their post-bac objective requires. No time wasted on secondary topics. No generic preparation. Targeted, strategic, efficient work.
An excellent IB HL Math student is not automatically prepared for French mathematics. The content is there. The method is not. That method is what Carmine teaches.