| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 34 | 47 | 60 | 74 |
| Internal assessment | 20 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 |
| Paper 1 | 110 | 30 | 45 | 60 | 76 |
| Paper 2 | 110 | 33 | 48 | 63 | 80 |
| Paper 3 | 55 | 23 | 29 | 35 | 41 |
HL Paper 1
Plenty of clear, well-presented work, but proofs and show-that parts were often imprecise, and counting and multi-solution trig equations caused trouble.
Found difficult
- equations reducible to quadratics
- trigonometric equations
- graphical methods
- conditional probability
- counting principles
- proof by induction
- maclaurin series
Well prepared
- straight lines
- tree diagrams
- discriminant
- polynomial roots and factors
- l'hopital's rule
- sequences and series
- vectors, lines and planes
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | trigonometric equation with multiple angles | Mixed | missed some solutions in the interval; expanded tan of a sum unproductivelyTip: Adjust the interval for the multiple angle first, then list every solution before dividing back. |
| 2 | hidden three-term quadratic in an exponential | Mixed | took logs of a sum of termsTip: You cannot take logs term by term; look for a substitution that makes a quadratic. |
| 3 | equation of a line and its use | Answered well | used overly complicated methods in (b) |
| 4 | quadratic roots show-that | Answered well | verified the roots instead of deriving the resultTip: A show-that needs a derivation; substituting the answer back is not enough. |
| 5 | rational function asymptotes and tangency via the discriminant | Mixed | gave the vertical instead of the horizontal asymptote; used algebra instead of reading the graph; misidentified the discriminantTip: Use the given graph to guide your reasoning about how many intersections there are. |
| 6 | normal distribution symmetry and conditional probability | Mixed | gave 5% where symmetry gave a different valueTip: Sketch the normal curve and shade the region before reading off a probability. |
| 7 | complex conjugate roots of a quintic | Mixed | did not include all five roots in the root relationships; substituted into h(z) instead of using root relationshipsTip: With real coefficients, every non-real root brings its conjugate; count all roots before using sum and product. |
| 8 | limit by repeated L'Hopital's rule | Answered well | chain rule errors differentiating sec 4x; applied the rule to a non-indeterminate formTip: Check the form is 0/0 or ∞/∞ every time before applying L'Hopital again. |
| 9 | choosing groups with combinations | Most struggled | did not see that picking the first group fixes the secondTip: Ask whether a choice automatically determines the rest, to avoid double counting. |
| 10 | show-that results, arithmetic series and logarithms | Mixed | circular arguments or working on both sides at once; asserted a > 0 without justificationTip: Start from one side and transform it step by step into the other. |
| 11 | planes, parallel and perpendicular vectors | Mixed | overcomplicated parts with unnecessary products; misread how the planes were related in (e)Tip: Draw a quick sketch of the planes and lines to see the relationships. |
| 12 | induction then integral inequality by substitution | Most struggled | assumption for n = k not stated clearly; skipped steps in deriving expressions; rarely obtained the correct inequalityTip: Treat induction as a formal proof with precise wording at each stage. |
What to practise
- Teach the full syllabus, SL topics included.
- Practise laying out show-that questions and formal proofs rigorously.
- Expose students to unusual problems so they learn to choose suitable tools.
- Encourage diagrams and train exam technique: command terms, key information and timing.
HL Paper 2
Calculator use improved and angle mode errors were rare, but early rounding was frequent and several HL statistics and calculus parts were left blank.
Found difficult
- binomial distribution
- continuous random variables
- volumes of revolution
- rational functions
- differential equations
- reading the question
- increasing and decreasing functions
Well prepared
- related rates
- graphing with the calculator
- linear regression
- exponential and logarithmic models
- kinematics
- complex numbers
- trigonometry in triangles
- chain rule
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | intersections and area with the calculator | Answered well | answer not in the required form; computed the area by hand |
| 2 | regression equation and forming a second equation | Mixed | could not derive the second equation |
| 3 | best answered question | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 4 | kinematics: change of direction and acceleration | Mixed | calculator in degrees; found time of maximum velocity instead; used a rounded time causing errors; computed acceleration by handTip: A particle changes direction where velocity changes sign; find it on the calculator and keep full accuracy. |
| 5 | binomial distribution with unknown n | Most struggled | left blank; tried a normal model or guessingTip: Set up the binomial inequality in n and use a calculator table to find the smallest n. |
| 6 | related rates for a sphere | Answered well | used the surface area formula instead of volume; early rounding |
| 7 | solid rotated about the y-axis | Most struggled | missing π or not squaring the function; wrong limits; rotated about the x-axis; expanded by handTip: About the y-axis: π times the integral of x^2 with respect to y, using y-limits. |
| 8 | trigonometric identities with modulus | Most struggled | could not derive the required equation in (b) |
| 9 | rational function parameters from its features | Most struggled | found only two of the three equations; did not solve the system with the calculatorTip: Turn each given feature (asymptote, intercept, point) into one equation, then solve the system with technology. |
| 10 | continuous distribution: mode, median and expectation | Most struggled | mode given as a probability instead of an x-value; solved for the median by hand; used zero as a wrong lower bound; could not set up the expectation integralTip: The mode is the x-value where the pdf is greatest, not the greatest probability. |
| 11 | sine rule and motion problem | Answered well | matched wrong sides in the sine rule; gave labels instead of calculations; gave the time but not the distanceTip: Re-read the final part to answer every quantity it asks for. |
| 12 | Euler's method table, trig identities and integrating factor | Most struggled | did not show every row of the Euler table; skipped steps in a show-that; forgot the constant of integration or did not use the boundary condition; left the final parts blankTip: With an integrating factor, include + c and use the initial condition to find it. |
What to practise
- Avoid premature rounding and use the calculator instead of long algebra.
- Make sure students can tell binomial and normal settings apart and use inverse distributions on the calculator.
- Read questions carefully and answer exactly what is asked.
- Show all steps in show-that questions; deduce means an analytic argument.
- Use reading time to review every question.
HL Paper 3
A good share of candidates tackled both unfamiliar questions within the hour; difficulties came from constants of integration, trig integrals, systematic case analysis and normal-distribution inequalities.
Found difficult
- integration constants
- integration techniques
- systematic problem solving
- inequalities
- normal distribution
- calculator use
Well prepared
- differentiation rules
- algebraic manipulation
- discriminant
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | functional equations, differential equation and integrating cot x | Mixed | sign error using the chain rule; dropped or mishandled the constant of integration; could not differentiate x e^x; integrated cot x wrongly or lost a factor of 2Tip: Recognise f'(x)/f(x) integrals: the answer is ln|f(x)| + c. |
| 2 | counting quadratics with integer coefficients and normal probabilities | Mixed | missed the extra restriction on ac; could not solve the quadratic inequality in Z; poor notation and wrong significant figures; did not see the conditional probability in (h)Tip: Solve Z^2 > 1 as Z < -1 or Z > 1 before computing a normal probability. |
What to practise
- Give students Paper 3 style tasks with several valid answers that need a systematic search.
- Discuss command terms and what an exact answer requires.
- Clarify what three significant figures means.
- Discourage working backwards from given answers and build GDC skills for tables and multiple graphs.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. introductions with a written plan, repetition and sections unrelated to the aim
- B. * for multiplication, = instead of ≈, unlabelled diagrams and tables split across pages
- C. data collection alone or added irrelevant models do not show personal engagement
- D. descriptive comments instead of evaluating whether the methods used were appropriate
- E. mathematics either at SL depth only or too advanced to be explained
- E. correlation used without testing for dependence before modelling
- A. sources omitted or not cited at the point of use, and AI tools not acknowledged
About this summary
After every session the IB sends schools a subject report: how candidates did on each paper and question, and what teachers should work on. This page is my reading of the Maths AA HL report for May 2024 TZ2, in my own words. No text from the report or from the exam questions is reproduced, and it is not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate.
Session codes: TZ is the time zone variant of the papers. Other variants of the same session:
Frequently asked questions
Which questions were hardest in Maths AA HL May 2024 TZ2?
+
The questions most candidates struggled with were on choosing groups with combinations, induction then integral inequality by substitution, binomial distribution with unknown n and solid rotated about the y-axis. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in May 2024 TZ2?
+
Across the papers the examiners listed equations reducible to quadratics, trigonometric equations, graphical methods, conditional probability, counting principles, proof by induction, maclaurin series and binomial distribution, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AA HL May 2024 TZ2?
+
Maths AA HL: a 7 from 74 out of 100 overall in May 2024 TZ2. The component boundaries are in the table on this page.
Is this the official IB subject report?
+
No. It is my summary of the report the IB issues to schools after each session, rewritten in my own words with a teacher's reading of it. No text from the report or from exam questions is reproduced. Your school's IB coordinator can access the original.
Related
IB examiner reports: every session, Maths and Physics IB Maths AA HL November 2023: the previous report IB Maths AA HL November 2024: the next report IB Maths AA HL: the mistakes examiners report most often IB Maths AA HL grade boundaries, every session IB Maths AA HL revision notes IB Maths and Physics topic tests, with markschemes