| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 29 | 42 | 57 | 75 |
| Internal assessment | 20 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| Paper 1 | 80 | 20 | 30 | 43 | 58 |
| Paper 2 | 80 | 22 | 32 | 43 | 58 |
SL Paper 1
Sectors, sequences and identities were handled well, but non-calculator arithmetic with decimals and fractions was poor and many students struggled with calculus, especially integration and normals.
Found difficult
- probability formulas
- integration by substitution
- tangents and normals
- interpreting geometric diagrams
- chain rule
Well prepared
- arcs and sectors
- arithmetic and geometric sequences
- composite functions
- quadratic equations
- double angle identities
- sine and cosine rules
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | arc length and sector area in radians | Answered well | worked in degreesTip: Use radian formulae for arcs and sectors without converting to degrees. |
| 2 | arithmetic sequence of probabilities | Mixed | decimal arithmetic errors, e.g. 0.15 - 0.6 = 0.9; listed 0.12 after 0.9, misunderstanding place value; computed expected value instead of summing to 1Tip: Check decimal arithmetic carefully; probabilities in a distribution must sum to one. |
| 3 | asymptotes, intercepts and graph of a rational function | Mixed | asymptotes not given as equations; intercepts not given as coordinatesTip: Give answers in the form requested: equations for asymptotes, coordinate pairs for intercepts. |
| 4 | conditional probability and the union of events | Mixed | assumed events were mutually exclusive; assumed events were independent; left P(B) as an unsimplified fractionTip: Only use addition or multiplication shortcuts when the question says events are exclusive or independent. |
| 5 | integration by inspection with logarithms | Most struggled | could not find the correct integralTip: Look for a function and its derivative together; that pattern integrates to a logarithm. |
| 6 | composite function giving two possible linear functions | Mixed | errors expanding (ax + b)^2; missed the second value a = -2; guess and checkTip: When solving a^2 = 4, keep both the positive and negative roots. |
| 7 | quadratic features, normal line and intersection | Mixed | copied the axis formula without giving an equation; sign error in h; did not differentiate to find the normal gradientTip: The normal's gradient is the negative reciprocal of the derivative at that point. |
| 8 | trigonometric identities, sine rule and triangle area | Mixed | algebra slips in the show-that; used the sine rule instead of supplementary angles; paired the wrong sides with the angle in the area formulaTip: Supplementary angles share the same sine; use that before a longer method. |
| 9 | function analysis with a given derivative | Most struggled | left parts blank instead of using the given derivativeTip: Use a given result from an earlier part even if you could not prove it. |
What to practise
- Practise arithmetic with decimals and fractions without a calculator.
- Read the whole of a long question to see how parts connect.
- Cover the whole syllabus, especially calculus.
SL Paper 2
Triangle trigonometry, regression, exponentials and basic probability were well done, but binomial coefficients, kinematics, normal distribution, sinusoidal models and an unusual game probability question proved hard.
Found difficult
- binomial expansion
- kinematics
- unfamiliar problem solving
- normal distribution
- sinusoidal models
- probability of combined events
Well prepared
- sine and cosine rules
- linear regression
- basic probability
- exponential functions
- logarithms
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | correlation and regression | Answered well | answer given to 2 s.f.; substituted r into the regression equationTip: Give answers to three significant figures unless told otherwise. |
| 2 | triangle angle and isosceles geometry | Answered well | found an area instead of the angle; subtracted from 360 instead of 180 degrees; mixed radians and degreesTip: Angles in a triangle sum to 180 degrees; check the calculator's angle mode. |
| 3 | exponential model and solving equations | Mixed | errors applying logarithms in analytical solutionsTip: On Paper 2, solve exponential equations directly on the GDC. |
| 4 | normal distribution with inverse normal | Mixed | rounded 0.0849 to 2 s.f. treating the leading zero as significant; assumed symmetry wrongly to split a probabilityTip: Leading zeros are not significant figures: 0.08493 to 3 s.f. is 0.0849. |
| 5 | binomial expansion coefficients and geometric sequence | Most struggled | gave c instead of d; included x in the coefficientsTip: Coefficients exclude the variable; write only the numerical or parameter part. |
| 6 | kinematics: zero acceleration and distance | Most struggled | confused zeros of velocity with zeros of acceleration; gave minimum velocity instead of a zero; omitted the absolute value in the distance integralTip: Distance is the integral of |v|; use the GDC to find zeros and derivatives. |
| 7 | domain and range, inverse function and its derivative | Most struggled | included infinity as an endpoint; took the inverse's domain as all reals; weak chain rule; used the quotient rule instead of simplifying firstTip: The domain of an inverse is the range of the original function. |
| 8 | sinusoidal model and a probability from it | Most struggled | left the period unsimplified; ignored the reflection in the x-axis; counted maxima on the printed graph; used binomial or normal formulas wronglyTip: Check whether the model is reflected, and count solutions using the full domain on the GDC. |
| 9 | game probability without replacement and expected winnings | Mixed | added probabilities instead of multiplying; treated a without-replacement situation as binomial; did not use 1 - P(none); multiplied by number of balls rather than winningsTip: For at least one, use one minus the probability of none. |
What to practise
- Use the GDC for derivatives at a point and definite integrals; some Paper 2 functions cannot be integrated by hand.
- Practise 3 s.f. answers all year and carry extra figures in working.
- Check radian or degree mode and expect to switch during the exam.
- Label each answer with its part number.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. repeating the same calculations for several cases makes the work less concise
- B. few reached the top level because notation, subscripts, approximation signs and variable definitions were inconsistent
- C. copying a standard method from other work shows little originality
- D. reflection descriptive rather than critical, and not linked to the aim
- E. long repeated calculations instead of explaining what results such as regression parameters mean
- E. mathematics beyond the course not explained clearly enough for a peer
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 SL report for May 2023 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 SL May 2023 TZ2?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on integration by inspection with logarithms, function analysis with a given derivative, binomial expansion coefficients and geometric sequence and kinematics: zero acceleration and distance. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in May 2023 TZ2?
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Across the papers the examiners listed probability formulas, integration by substitution, tangents and normals, interpreting geometric diagrams, chain rule, binomial expansion, kinematics and unfamiliar problem solving, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AA SL May 2023 TZ2?
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Maths AA SL: a 7 from 75 out of 100 overall in May 2023 TZ2. 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.