At the Standard Level, students are only expected to only take 150 hours of study for the subject. At Higher Level, the required hours of study go up to 240. While the course syllabus does not change, the HL courses require a deeper and more detailed understanding of the subject matter. When deciding which of the two levels to choose, the most important consideration is the university course requirement for your preferred degree. While some degrees will outright define the level of study required, most will not. In such a case, you should make a judgment call to decide if HL study will better prepare you for the degree. So, if you’re looking for a degree in math, the HL courses will definitely help you get through it even if it is not a requirement by the university. For a degree in business, you could do good with SL level math courses.