Is Maths Methods hard? It can be, and it helps to know why. Methods builds quickly on the algebra, equations and graphs you're learning in Year 10, and it expects you to use them without stopping to work out how. So how hard it feels in Year 11 often depends on how comfortable that Year 10 maths is by the time you start.
That's the part you can do something about now. Once you know which topics Methods builds on, you can spend some of Year 10 and the summer practising them.
What Methods expects you to know when you start
Most students take Methods Units 1 and 2 in Year 11 and Units 3 and 4 in Year 12. The figure shows the Year 10 topics Units 1 and 2 build on, including some from Level 10A.
The Year 10 maths that Methods builds on
Algebra
- Expand and factorise
- Exponent laws
- Algebraic fractions
- Rearrange formulas
- Harder quadratic factorising
- Surds and fractional indices
Equations
- Simultaneous linear equations
- More quadratic equations
- Simple trigonometric equations
Graphs and functions
- Match equations to curves
- Sketch, shift and stretch
- Function notation
Level 10A depends on what your school offers.
Your maths teacher can tell you which of these topics your school's Methods class goes over early and which it expects you to know already.
What you can firm up during Year 10
You can practise the algebra in that figure by hand, using questions from your classwork:
- Retrying recent test mistakes with the solutions closed, and noting where you get stuck.
- Keeping a short list of steps you find difficult, such as signs when expanding brackets or fractions inside an equation.
The CAS calculator and the exam without one
Methods uses a CAS calculator. CAS stands for computer algebra system: a calculator that can work with letters as well as numbers, so it can factorise an expression or solve an equation for you.
A calculator that solves equations might make algebra sound less important. But in Year 12, your study score (your result for the subject, out of 50) comes partly from two exams, and the first is technology-free: no calculator at all. That's one reason to keep practising Year 10 algebra by hand even once you own a CAS.
What makes up a Methods study score in Year 12
Assessed coursework at school40%
Exam 1, no calculator20%
Exam 2, with your CAS40%
These weights come from the study design (Word document): the official description of Methods from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), which runs the VCE. Your teacher can confirm the rules for the year you reach Year 12.
Using the summer before Year 11
The summer holidays before Year 11 are a break first. If your school sets holiday work for Methods, you can start with that. Beyond it, if you'd like to use some of the break for maths, a few short sessions a week on the Year 10 topics you found slowest give Unit 1 something firm to build on.
Our weekly study planner can help you fit those sessions around work, sport and time off, and you can print or save the plan.
Who can help while you prepare
Your maths teacher can go over a topic that hasn't clicked, and your list of difficult steps gives them something specific to explain. Some schools also run extra maths help, such as a lunchtime maths club or after-school homework sessions, so you can ask what yours offers. Your careers adviser can help you check whether Methods fits a course you're interested in.
If you're still finding a topic difficult, one-to-one tutoring can give you time to work through it. Our Years 7 to 10 maths tutors follow your school's current maths program. You can mention Methods when you get in touch if you've already chosen it for Year 11, and we can look for a tutor who teaches it too. Once Year 11 starts, our VCE Maths Methods tutoring covers Units 1 and 2.
Methods asks more than Year 10 maths, and the first weeks of Year 11 can feel like a step up. You don't have to get ready for all of it now: one topic from that table is enough to start with.
Other questions about getting ready for Methods
Do I need anything before I can start Methods?
Not from VCAA: the study design sets no prerequisites for Units 1 and 2. It does assume “a sound background in number, algebra, function, geometry, probability and statistics”. Your school may ask for something, such as a Year 10 result or a particular class, and your maths teacher or careers adviser can tell you.
Do I need Methods for university?
It depends on the course. Some list Methods as a prerequisite: for 2027 entry, Monash's Bachelor of Applied Data Science asks for a study score of at least 25 in Methods or Specialist Mathematics (Monash's 2027 entry guide, PDF). Requirements change, so you can check each course on VTAC's course search for the year you'd start. Our guide to choosing VCE subjects explains how to find and read prerequisites.
What if I'm not sure Methods is the right maths for me?
Your maths teacher knows how you're going, and your careers adviser can look at what you're aiming for, so between them they can help you weigh it up. Our guide to choosing between General, Methods and Specialist sets the three subjects side by side.
Which CAS calculator should I buy?
The one on your school's book or equipment list. VCAA approves which CAS calculators can be used in exams each year, so it's worth waiting for your school's choice before buying one.
Where to check the details
We checked these official sources on 6 November 2026.
Official sources
- VCAA, VCE Mathematics study design 2023–2027 (Word document)
- VCAA, VCE Mathematics accreditation period
- VCAA, Victorian Curriculum Mathematics Version 2.0, Levels 10 and 10A
- VCAA, approved technology for VCE Mathematics
- Monash University, a guide to entry in 2027 for Year 10 students (PDF)
- VTAC, CourseSearch
