IB Examiner Reports: Maths and Physics, Every Session

IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL

Flagged as difficult most often: proof by induction (6 of 6 sessions), vectors, lines and planes (6 of 6 sessions), complex numbers (5 of 6 sessions), differential equations (5 of 6 sessions), show that and proof reasoning (5 of 6 sessions), chain rule (4 of 6 sessions). The full ranking, with fixes.

IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches SL

Flagged as difficult most often: kinematics (8 of 8 sessions), conditional probability (7 of 8 sessions), integration by substitution (7 of 8 sessions), transformations of functions (7 of 8 sessions), laws of logarithms (6 of 8 sessions), normal distribution (5 of 8 sessions).

IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL

Flagged as difficult most often: complex numbers (7 of 8 sessions), rounding and accuracy (6 of 8 sessions), algebraic manipulation (5 of 8 sessions), chain rule (5 of 8 sessions), hypothesis testing (5 of 8 sessions), integration techniques (5 of 8 sessions).

IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation SL

Flagged as difficult most often: binomial distribution (8 of 9 sessions), upper and lower bounds (6 of 9 sessions), voronoi diagrams (6 of 9 sessions), conditional probability (5 of 9 sessions), domain and range (5 of 9 sessions), hypothesis testing (5 of 9 sessions).

IB Physics HL and SL

Flagged as difficult most often: photoelectric effect (4 of 4 sessions), significant figures (4 of 4 sessions), spacetime diagrams (4 of 4 sessions), uncertainty propagation (4 of 4 sessions), circular motion (3 of 4 sessions), electromagnetic induction (3 of 4 sessions).

How these summaries are made

Each report was read in full. For every paper I noted the areas the examiners found difficult and well prepared, and for every question discussed what it was about, how it went and where marks were lost, rewritten in my own words. Nothing from the reports or the exam questions is reproduced.

Independent work, not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate. The grade boundaries on each page come from the grade boundaries dataset. Corrections: pietro@pietromeloni.com.

Frequently asked questions

What is an IB subject report?

A report the IB sends to schools after each exam session, written by the senior examiners. It covers every paper and the internal assessment: the grade boundaries, which questions went well, where candidates lost marks and what teachers should work on.

Can students read the subject reports?

The IB distributes them to schools through the coordinators, so most students never see them. The pages here summarise them in my own words, question by question, so students and parents can use what the examiners say without the original document.

Which report should I read first?

The most recent session of your course, then the same paper across two or three sessions. The mistakes that come back every year are the ones worth fixing first; each course page lists the areas examiners flag most often.

IB examiner reports, session by session: what went wrong and what to practise