| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 35 | 49 | 63 | 75 |
HL Paper 1
Routine section A items were handled well, but several parts were left blank and arithmetic and presentation errors in long manipulations cost many marks.
Found difficult
- graph sketching
- vectors, lines and planes
- differential equations
Well prepared
- sequences and series
- tangents and normals
- laws of logarithms
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | arithmetic sequence | Answered well | wrote one equation but misunderstood the rest of the information |
| 2 | independent events and conditional probability | Mixed | wrong product for the independent events; incorrect conditional probability of 1/2Tip: A quick Venn diagram helps keep the intersection and the condition straight. |
| 3 | rational function as a transformation of y = 1/x | Most struggled | laborious solving of simultaneous equations; left blank; could not find the vertical stretchTip: Rewrite the function as P + Q/(x - 4) to read off each transformation. |
| 4 | logarithmic equation with change of base | Mixed | wrote 3 log x as log x^3 when the 10 was also cubedTip: A coefficient applies to the whole log argument: 3 log(10x) = log((10x)^3). |
| 5 | graphs of |f(x)| and (f(x))^2 and an inequality | Most struggled | maximum drawn at the wrong height; did not see that squaring shrinks values between -1 and 1; omitted the upper bound of the intervalTip: Squaring makes values between -1 and 1 smaller in size, so check those regions separately. |
| 6 | first-order differential equation by integrating factor | Most struggled | could not find or use the integrating factorTip: Write the equation as y' + P(x)y = Q(x) before computing e^(∫P dx). |
| 7 | discrete distribution: valid range of a parameter and variance | Most struggled | only summed probabilities to 1 when a range was asked; squared probabilities to find E(X^2); did not use Var(2 - X) = Var(X)Tip: Each probability must lie between 0 and 1; use this to bound the parameter. |
| 8 | time minimisation with trigonometry | Mixed | used T = DS instead of T = D/S; kept a constant term when differentiating; unconvincing steps to the given answerTip: Constants vanish when differentiating; check each term. |
| 9 | area between curves | Mixed | fraction arithmetic errors after integrating; poorly set out workingTip: Take extra care adding and subtracting fractions when substituting limits. |
| 10 | skew lines and equation of a plane | Mixed | did not show the lines are non-parallel; errors solving simultaneous equations; plane coefficients not integersTip: Skew means non-parallel and non-intersecting; show both. |
| 11 | complex numbers in cis form and a trig equation | Most struggled | unconvincing simplification of cis(8π/3); incorrect general solution of cos 4θ = 0; final reasoning rarely seenTip: List all solutions of cos 4θ = 0 in the range before dividing by 4. |
What to practise
- Take more care with arithmetic, especially substituting limits and solving simultaneous equations.
- Practise inequalities without the calculator.
- Present long manipulations clearly, for example when testing whether lines are skew.
HL Paper 2
Candidates showed knowledge across many topics, but those who avoided the calculator struggled, and proof by contradiction and pdf work were weak.
Found difficult
- trigonometric equations
- simultaneous equations
- proof by contradiction
- kinematics
- continuous random variables
Well prepared
- trigonometric identities
- equations reducible to quadratics
- statistical measures
- arcs and sectors
- counting principles
- continuous random variables
- kinematics
- partial fractions
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | trig equation via a quadratic | Answered well | working not fully shown; missed the obtuse solutionTip: Check for a second solution in the obtuse range. |
| 2 | median and adding data values | Mixed | did not place new values on either side of the medianTip: To keep the median, add values evenly on both sides of it. |
| 3 | trig equation solved with the calculator | Mixed | gave a non-acute solution; attempted an analytical approachTip: Graph both sides on the calculator and read intersections within the domain. |
| 4 | normal distribution with an unknown | Mixed | used a positive z-value where it should be negative; premature roundingTip: A value below the mean has a negative z-score. |
| 5 | volume of revolution about the y-axis | Mixed | tried to find an exact integral; used the x-axis rotation formulaTip: Rearrange to x in terms of y, then evaluate π ∫ x^2 dy on the calculator. |
| 6 | factor and remainder theorem with sum and product of roots | Mixed | algebraic errors; used long division less successfully; did not discard the inappropriate answerTip: Use the remainder theorem directly instead of long division. |
| 7 | systems of linear equations and conditions for solutions | Mixed | time-consuming analytical solving instead of the calculatorTip: Use the calculator's system solver, including for parametric solutions. |
| 8 | permutations and combinations | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 9 | proof by contradiction | Most struggled | could not state the correct assumptionTip: Begin by writing the exact negation of what you want to prove. |
| 10 | displacement graph in context and geometric sum to infinity | Mixed | did not use earlier answers; did not double the sum to infinity for distanceTip: Total distance of a bouncing motion counts each rise and fall. |
| 11 | pdf: mean, mode, median and conditional probability | Mixed | expanded brackets before integrating; found the mode analytically instead of graphically; used algebra to find the medianTip: To compare median and mode, check whether P(X < mode) is above or below 0.5. |
| 12 | implicit differentiation, partial fractions and integration | Mixed | did not apply the product rule on the left-hand side; rearranged first and could not reach the given answer; few fully correct in the final partTip: Differentiate implicitly term by term, using the product rule on xy-type terms. |
What to practise
- Teach when and how to use the calculator in every topic.
- Cover the full syllabus.
- Build conceptual understanding and careful algebra.
HL Paper 3
Many candidates scored highly and no part was out of reach, though induction in a new setting, general chain rule work, constants after integrating series and rounding instructions caused losses.
Found difficult
- proof by induction
- chain rule
- integration constants
- inverse trigonometric functions
- accuracy and rounding
- reading the question
Well prepared
- graphing with the calculator
- calculator use
- chain rule
- solving equations
- sequences and series
- integration by parts
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | repeated sine compositions: graphs, stationary points and induction | Mixed | graphs on the wrong domain or unlabelled intercepts; used technology where exact values were needed; assumed n = k rather than the statement true for n = k; could not set up S(k+1) as a compositionTip: In induction, write S(k+1) in terms of S(k) so the assumption can be used. |
| 2 | arctan series approximations to π and error terms | Mixed | did not solve for c = 0 or just wrote the given answer; wrong number of decimal places; did not know arctan(1/√3) = π/6; checked only one error term instead of two consecutive onesTip: Use the initial condition to find the constant, and round exactly as the question instructs. |
What to practise
- Practise Paper 3 questions regularly and look for links between parts.
- Train careful reading of new information and given methods.
- Teach logically correct induction statements, including in unfamiliar contexts.
- Practise rounding to the stated decimal places.
- Explain eliminated solutions in words instead of crossing work out.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. long scientific-style introductions and essential steps hidden in appendices
- A. work not pitched at a peer who should follow it without outside sources
- B. computer notation such as * and ^, missing approximation signs and poorly scaled or unlabelled graphs
- C. repetitive calculations or long personal backstories mistaken for engagement
- D. reflection left as a brief end summary; goodness of fit stated as an R^2 value without evaluation
- E. technology or code doing calculations without evidence of understanding
- E. university-level topics taken from sources, leading to shallow work and basic errors
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 November 2025 TZ3, 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. Corrections: pietro@pietromeloni.com.
Frequently asked questions
Which questions were hardest in Maths AA HL November 2025 TZ3?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on rational function as a transformation of y = 1/x, graphs of |f(x)| and (f(x))^2 and an inequality, first-order differential equation by integrating factor and discrete distribution: valid range of a parameter and variance. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in November 2025 TZ3?
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Across the papers the examiners listed graph sketching, vectors, lines and planes, differential equations, trigonometric equations, simultaneous equations, proof by contradiction, kinematics and continuous random variables, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AA HL November 2025 TZ3?
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Maths AA HL: a 7 from 75 out of 100 overall in November 2025 TZ3. 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.