Math B on vwo
vwo (voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs, pre-university education) is the level of Dutch secondary school that prepares for university. On vwo, wiskunde B is the math subject required in the Natuur en Techniek profile (N&T). How it differs from wiskunde A, C and D is explained in the guide to the difference between math A and B.
Below you find every part of the 2027 central exam syllabus for wiskunde B vwo, grouped by domain and summarised in plain English. Each part links to the Wiskundehulp page that explains it, when such a page exists.
The syllabus states: “Het centraal examen heeft betrekking op de domeinen B, C, D en E in combinatie met de vaardigheden uit domein A” (the central exam covers domains B, C, D and E, together with the skills from domain A). Domain A, subdomain E1 and domain F (optional topics) belong to the school exam, and your school may move other parts into it as well. The official Dutch text is the syllabus wiskunde B vwo 2027 on Examenblad.nl.
Which domains are on the central exam
The central exam (centraal examen, CE) is the written exam the syllabus describes; the school exam (schoolexamen, SE) consists of tests from your own school. The syllabus sets the study load of wiskunde B vwo at 600 study hours (studielasturen, SLU).
| Domain | Central exam | School exam |
|---|---|---|
| A · Skills | yes, together with B to E | yes |
| B · Functions, graphs and equations | yes | only if your school adds it |
| C · Differential and integral calculus | yes | only if your school adds it |
| D · Trigonometric functions | yes | only if your school adds it |
| E · Geometry with coordinates | yes | subdomain E1 |
| F · Optional topics | no | yes |
Of the 28 parts below, 9 have their own page on Wiskundehulp. All formulas are together on the formulas page.
Domain A · Skills
School exam, and in the central exam together with domains B, C, D and E.
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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 original problem; and mathematical thinking, such as modelling, manipulating formulas, logical reasoning and proof, with practical use of ICT.
Domain B · Functions, graphs and equations
Central exam.
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B1 Formulas and functions. Interpreting and rewriting formulas, drawing a graph for a relationship between two variables, and deciding whether a formula can be written as a function rule.
On Wiskundehulp: drawing a graph for a formula. Not on Wiskundehulp yet: rewriting formulas. -
B2 Standard functions. Drawing and recognising the graphs of power functions with rational exponents, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions and the absolute value function, and using their features.
On Wiskundehulp: exponential functions (practice: exponential functions). Not on Wiskundehulp yet: power functions, logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, absolute value function. -
B3 Functions and graphs. Setting up, rewriting and combining function rules, drawing the graphs, and making qualitative statements about a function and its graph without tools.
Not on Wiskundehulp yet: setting up and combining function rules. -
B4 Inverse functions. Understanding, setting up and using the inverse of a function.
Not on Wiskundehulp yet: inverse functions. -
B5 Equations and inequalities. Solving equations, inequalities and systems of two linear equations and interpreting the solutions.
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. -
B6 Asymptotes and limits of functions. Finding the asymptotic behaviour of functions and showing it with a limit calculation.
Not on Wiskundehulp yet: asymptotes and limits.
Domain C · Differential and integral calculus
Central exam.
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C1 Derivative functions. Understanding the first and second derivative and using them to investigate a function, including in applications.
On Wiskundehulp: first derivative, slope and tangent line (practice: first derivative, slope and tangent line). Not on Wiskundehulp yet: second derivative. -
C2 Techniques for differentiation. Finding the first and second derivative with the rules of differentiation and algebraic techniques.
On Wiskundehulp: power rule and sum rule (practice: power rule and sum rule). Not on Wiskundehulp yet: other rules of differentiation. -
C3 Integral calculus. Setting up a definite integral in suitable applications and calculating it exactly.
Not on Wiskundehulp yet: integrals.
Domain D · Trigonometric functions
Central exam.
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D Trigonometric functions. Setting up and rewriting formulas for periodic phenomena, drawing the graphs and solving equations, with an understanding of periodicity.
Not on Wiskundehulp yet: trigonometric functions and equations.
Domain E · Geometry with coordinates
Central exam; subdomain E1 is part of the school exam as well.
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E1 Geometric skills. Investigating and proving geometric properties, with geometric and algebraic techniques and ICT.
On Wiskundehulp: Pythagoras for the distance between two points (practice: Pythagoras for the distance between two points), sine, cosine and tangent in a right triangle (practice: sine, cosine and tangent in a right triangle). Not on Wiskundehulp yet: similarity, sine and cosine rules, geometric proofs. -
E2 Algebraic methods in plane geometry. Investigating points, lines, circles and other figures with algebraic representations, setting up those representations and solving geometric problems with them.
Not on Wiskundehulp yet: lines and circles with coordinates. -
E3 Vectors and the dot product. Deriving properties of figures in the plane and carrying out calculations with vectors and dot products.
Not on Wiskundehulp yet: vectors and dot product. -
E4 Applications. Applying these techniques in scientific and technical situations.
Not on Wiskundehulp yet: applications.
Domain F · Optional topics
School exam only.
What vwo adds to the havo syllabus
Comparing the two syllabi line by line, these parts appear in wiskunde B vwo but not in wiskunde B havo:
- inverse functions (B4) and asymptotes with limits (B6);
- the second derivative (C1) and integral calculus with exact definite integrals (C3);
- lines and circles described with coordinates (E2), and vectors with the dot product (E3);
- proof, named in the skills of domain A and in geometric skills (E1).
On this site, the derivative calculator and the derivatives practice cover the first derivative, and the graphing calculator draws the graph of a formula. Integrals, vectors and limits do not have a page yet. The map for math B on havo shows the havo version of each domain.