Math B on havo

havo (hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs, senior general secondary education) is the middle level of Dutch secondary school, between vmbo and vwo. Wiskunde B is the math subject required in the Natuur en Techniek profile (N&T, nature and technology); the guide to the difference between math A and B explains how it compares with wiskunde A.

This page lists everything the syllabus for the 2027 central exam of wiskunde B havo names, domain by domain and subdomain by subdomain, in plain English. It is a map: each line links to the page on Wiskundehulp that explains that part, if there is one.

The syllabus says: “Het centraal examen heeft betrekking op de domeinen B, C en D in combinatie met de vaardigheden uit domein A” (the central exam covers domains B, C and D, together with the skills from domain A). The school exam covers domain A and domain D, and your school may add parts of the central exam or other topics to it. You can read the official Dutch text in the syllabus wiskunde B havo 2027 on Examenblad.nl.

Central exam and school exam per domain

The centraal examen (CE) is the central written exam; the schoolexamen (SE) is made up of tests set by your own school. The syllabus gives wiskunde B havo a study load of 360 study hours (studielasturen, SLU).

Domain A · Skills

School exam, and in the central exam together with domains B, C and D.

• A1–A3 General, profile-specific and mathematical skills. Knowing the role of mathematics in society and gathering and sharing information about it; analysing a problem from your profile mathematically, solving it and translating the answer back to the context; and mathematical thinking, such as modelling, manipulating formulas and logical reasoning, with practical use of ICT.

Domain B · Functions, graphs and equations

Central exam.

• B1 Standard functions. Working with power, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions: using them in a context, describing their graphs, setting up a function rule and applying simple transformations.
  On Wiskundehulp: exponential functions (practice: exponential functions). Not on Wiskundehulp yet: power functions, logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, transformations.

• B2 Equations and inequalities. Solving equations, inequalities and systems of two linear equations, graphically or with a numerical approximation where needed, and explaining the solutions in the context.
  On Wiskundehulp: linear equations (practice: linear equations), quadratic equations (practice: quadratic equations), systems of two linear equations (practice: systems of two linear equations). Not on Wiskundehulp yet: inequalities.

• B3 Proportional relationships. Recognising, using and drawing relationships of the form a = c · b^d, setting up a formula for them, finding the constant of proportionality and reasoning about scaling.
  Not on Wiskundehulp yet: proportional relationships.

• B4 Periodic functions. Describing periodic phenomena with sine or cosine functions, drawing the sinusoids, naming their features and finding all solutions of a trigonometric equation on an interval.
  Not on Wiskundehulp yet: periodic functions.

Domain C · Geometric calculations

Central exam.

• C1 Distances and angles in concrete situations. Calculating distances and angles with trigonometric ratios, the Pythagorean theorem, and the sine and cosine rules.
  On Wiskundehulp: sine, cosine and tangent (practice: sine, cosine and tangent), Pythagorean theorem (practice: Pythagorean theorem). Not on Wiskundehulp yet: sine and cosine rules.

• C2 Algebraic methods. Carrying out analytic and algebraic calculations for contexts and figures.
  Not on Wiskundehulp yet: algebraic methods in geometry.

Domain D · Applied analysis

Central exam and school exam.

• D1 Change. Describing how a function changes with increment diagrams and difference quotients, and calculating and explaining difference quotients.
  Not on Wiskundehulp yet: increment diagrams and difference quotients.

• D2 Derivative functions. Using the derivative as a concept and approximating a local change with a differential quotient or a numerical-graphical method.
  On Wiskundehulp: slope at a point (practice: slope at a point).

• D3 Finding derivatives. Finding the derivative of power functions with rational exponents, using the sum rule, the difference rule and the chain rule.
  On Wiskundehulp: power rule, sum rule and difference rule (practice: power rule, sum rule and difference rule). Not on Wiskundehulp yet: chain rule.

• D4 Applying derivatives. Carrying out analytic and algebraic calculations in contexts from your profile.
  Not on Wiskundehulp yet: applications of the derivative.

What “bereken” asks for on the exam

Exam questions use a fixed set of verbs. For berekenen (calculate), the syllabus says: “Het gevraagde uitrekenen. Uit de uitwerking moet blijken welke stappen zijn gezet.” In English: work out what is asked, and your written answer must show which steps you took. A correct number without the steps is not a complete answer.

That is why the calculators on this site show every step. Use them to check your own working, not to replace it: the quadratic formula, the linear equation solver, sine, cosine and tangent and the derivative calculator cover parts of domains B, C and D. If you only have the question, ask it with the numbers and the matching calculator opens.

Math B on havo next to vwo

Two parts of the havo syllabus have no subdomain of their own in the vwo syllabus: proportional relationships (B3) and increment diagrams with difference quotients (D1). The vwo syllabus goes further in other places, with integral calculus, vectors and inverse functions among others. The map for math B on vwo lists them. Moving up from vmbo? The map for math vmbo shows what you have already covered.