| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 34 | 48 | 60 | 73 |
| Internal assessment | 20 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 |
| Paper 1 | 110 | 30 | 45 | 61 | 76 |
| Paper 2 | 110 | 29 | 42 | 54 | 67 |
| Paper 3 | 55 | 28 | 35 | 41 | 48 |
HL Paper 1
Most candidates found the early questions in both sections accessible and attempted a wide range; reasoning, complex numbers and longer calculus chains caused the main losses.
Found difficult
- conditional probability
- proof by induction
- complex numbers
- chain rule
- integration by parts
- show that and proof reasoning
- differential equations
- maclaurin series
Well prepared
- differentiation rules
- areas between curves
- volumes of revolution
- trigonometric identities
- binomial theorem
- quadratic functions
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | finding a minimum point | Answered well | calculation slips; spent time on a second-derivative check that was not asked forTip: Do only what the question asks; skip verification steps that earn no marks. |
| 2 | binomial expansion used for an approximation | Mixed | wrong value of k in part (a); expanded more terms than needed |
| 3 | area between two curves | Answered well | sign errors when splitting into two integrals; wrong limits from an inaccurate graphTip: Integrate (upper curve minus lower curve) in one integral where possible. |
| 4 | probability rules without independence | Mixed | assumed independence to find P(B); reasoning not shown clearlyTip: Never multiply probabilities unless independence is given or proven. |
| 5 | geometric sequence: mean and median of terms | Mixed | verified instead of showing the result; used n = 9 instead of 10 or forgot to divide by 10; used an arithmetic sum formula; took the 5th term as the medianTip: With ten ordered values, the median is the average of the 5th and 6th. |
| 6 | perpendicular lines in vector form | Mixed | confused by i, j, k notationTip: Rewrite lines in column-vector form to read off direction vectors quickly. |
| 7 | two-part question using an earlier result | Mixed | final answer not in the required formTip: Check the requested form of the answer before finishing. |
| 8 | reasoning question | Mixed | Nothing specific reported. |
| 9 | homogeneous differential equation by substitution | Mixed | algebra errors after substitution; errors separating variables; removed the modulus incorrectlyTip: Keep the modulus in ln|...| until you can justify removing it. |
| 10 | completing the square, quadratic inequalities and log domain | Answered well | took only the positive square root; did not link (d)(ii) to part (c); misread which values the log domain excludesTip: Solving x^2 = k gives two values; keep both. |
| 11 | angle between planes, line of intersection and sine rule | Mixed | dropped a negative cosine without explanation; gave a line where a direction was expected; could not rationalise the denominatorTip: A negative cosine gives an obtuse angle; the acute angle between planes is its supplement. |
| 12 | integration by parts leading to series results | Most struggled | errors differentiating the u term; did not use 'hence' links between parts; chain and product rule errorsTip: When a part says 'hence', the previous result is the intended route forward. |
What to practise
- Build conceptual understanding of complex numbers.
- Teach the difference between showing, verifying and proving a result.
- Make sure students know the expected language and structure for induction.
- Train students to look for links between parts, especially after 'hence'.
HL Paper 2
Challenging at the top end, as strong candidates lost reasoning and final-part marks, while weaker candidates could still score with technology on the first section B question.
Found difficult
- straight lines
- kinematics
- complex numbers
- euler's method
- linear transformation of random variables
- inverse functions
- sequences and series
Well prepared
- arcs and sectors
- simultaneous equations
- linear regression
- chain rule
- trigonometric identities
- quadratic functions
- sequences and series
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | sector rolled into a cone | Answered well | wrong degree-radian conversion or wrong angle; confused cone radius with sector radiusTip: The sector's radius becomes the cone's slant height, not its base radius. |
| 2 | period of tan and simultaneous equations | Mixed | did not know the period of the tangent function; solved linear systems by hand; forgot to double the inputTip: When unsure of a period, check it on the calculator graph. |
| 3 | rate of change of a population | Most struggled | treated the derivative as a yearly average change instead of integrating; premature roundingTip: Total change equals the definite integral of the rate; add it to the starting value. |
| 4 | two regression lines and a normal distribution | Mixed | used the wrong regression line; applied inverse normal to 0.88 instead of 0.06 or 0.94; equated a z-value to a probabilityTip: The two regression lines meet at the point of means; use symmetry to split a central probability. |
| 5 | chain rule and tangent gradient from an angle | Most struggled | omitted the factor π in the derivative; used tan(π/8) instead of -tan(π/8)Tip: A line falling at angle θ to the x-axis has gradient -tan θ. |
| 6 | reciprocal trigonometric function graph and value | Answered well | calculator in degree mode; graph not a function; found the angle but not f of it |
| 7 | 3D motion: speed and angle of descent | Most struggled | forgot the factor of 4 in the speed; used a position vector instead of the new velocity for the angleTip: Angles of motion come from the velocity vector, not the position vector. |
| 8 | complex numbers in exponential and polar form with the calculator | Most struggled | steps not shown explicitly; unclear link to the imaginary part; could not convert forms on the calculatorTip: Practise converting between Cartesian, polar and exponential forms on your calculator. |
| 9 | Euler's method and overestimation | Mixed | rounding errors in step-by-step working; no reference to tangents lying above the curve; vague claims about the method working left to rightTip: Explain over- or underestimation by where the tangents lie relative to the curve. |
| 10 | card pyramid: arithmetic series and modelling | Mixed | used induction or substitution instead of deriving the formula; confused slant and perpendicular heights; found rows but not the number of cardsTip: 'Show where the expression comes from' needs a derivation, not a proof that it holds. |
| 11 | continuous distribution: median vs mode, quartile and expectation | Mixed | generic skewness arguments without reference to the distribution; premature rounding in a conditional probability; solved for a quartile limit by hand; did not round to the nearest integer when requiredTip: Find an unknown integral limit with the calculator's solver. |
| 12 | even function, infinite geometric series and inverse function | Most struggled | no clear conclusion after showing a function is even; missed the geometric series hint; justified the inverse only with the horizontal line test; wrong domain for the inverseTip: Justify an inverse exists by showing the function is strictly monotonic; its range becomes the inverse's domain. |
What to practise
- Set work out so a show-that conclusion appears only as the final step.
- Avoid premature rounding and give answers to 3 significant figures unless told otherwise.
- Use the calculator efficiently, including for complex numbers in all forms.
- Teach 3D vector geometry conceptually rather than by formula alone.
- Practise justifications tied to the specific function rather than generic tests.
HL Paper 3
Many candidates handled the unfamiliar generating-function and curvature questions well in the 75 minutes; the weaker points were avoiding the calculator, curvature concepts and fractional powers.
Found difficult
- calculator use
- concavity and curvature
- algebraic manipulation
Well prepared
- discrete random variables
- tree diagrams
- probability generating functions
- solving equations
- exact arithmetic with surds
- differentiation rules
- implicit differentiation
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | probability generating functions and expected values | Answered well | stated the expectation without working; assumed selection with replacement or a binomial model; reversed or mis-solved the probability p; found G'(t) by hand instead of evaluating G'(1) on the calculatorTip: Check that the coefficients of a generating function add up to 1. |
| 2 | curvature of linear, quadratic and circular graphs | Mixed | mixed notation for derivatives of f and g; long algebra to reach x = -b/2a; compared stationary point coordinates instead of curvature; chain rule and sign errors finding the second derivativeTip: Read the key fact straight from the numerator: the derivative is zero when the numerator is zero. |
What to practise
- Do not try to predict Paper 3 topics; practise unfamiliar investigations instead.
- Use problems with several solutions that need a systematic approach.
- Discuss command terms and how to structure show-that answers.
- Build strong algebra and GDC skills.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. disjointed structure, science-style methodology sections and evaluation added after the conclusion
- A. concepts from other subjects left unexplained and essential content moved to appendices
- B. faint or unlabelled technology graphs, formula lists placed at the start and redundant graphs
- B. approximation signs missing and accuracy not stated or inconsistent
- C. stated interest, effort or raw data collection taken as engagement; irrelevant extra models
- D. generic limitations and extensions section instead of reflection built into the work
- E. technology output accepted without checking, explaining or a worked example
- E. correlation used without recognising it does not imply causation
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 2025 TZ1, 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 2025 TZ1?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on integration by parts leading to series results, rate of change of a population, chain rule and tangent gradient from an angle and 3D motion: speed and angle of descent. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in May 2025 TZ1?
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Across the papers the examiners listed conditional probability, proof by induction, complex numbers, chain rule, integration by parts, show that and proof reasoning, differential equations and maclaurin series, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AA HL May 2025 TZ1?
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Maths AA HL: a 7 from 73 out of 100 overall in May 2025 TZ1. The component boundaries are in the table on this page.
Is this the official IB subject report?
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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 2024: the previous report IB Maths AA HL November 2025 TZ3: 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