| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 24 | 39 | 58 | 75 |
SL Paper 1
Linear, composite and quadratic functions and simple logarithms were secure, but differentiation with the chain rule, integration by substitution, 3D distance and justifying reasoning were weak, with frequent arithmetic slips.
Found difficult
- chain rule
- integration by substitution
- 3D distance
- laws of logarithms
- justifying answers
Well prepared
- equations of lines
- composite functions
- logarithms
- laws of logarithms
- quadratic functions
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | linear functions and translation | Answered well | claimed g equals f, ignoring the zero intercept; arithmetic slipsTip: Compare intercepts as well as gradients when deciding whether two lines are the same. |
| 2 | differentiating and evaluating a derivative | Mixed | errors differentiating; left the function unchanged as its derivativeTip: Practise standard derivatives until they are automatic, and check each term. |
| 3 | 3D coordinates, distance and cone volume | Mixed | worked in two dimensions only; could not find the cone's heightTip: Include the z-difference in the 3D distance formula. |
| 4 | algebraic show-that and triangle area | Mixed | worked on both sides at once; expanded (a^2 - 1)^2 wrongly; verified numerically; squared sides in the area formulaTip: Remember (a - b)^2 has a middle term; prove results algebraically, not with numbers. |
| 5 | integration by substitution with a point | Most struggled | integrated numerator and denominator separately; errors in substitutionTip: Look for a function and its derivative, then substitute u for the inner function. |
| 6 | probability of independent events and bounds on an intersection | Mixed | gave 0.3 x 0.8 = 2.4; assumed mutual exclusivity when probabilities sum over 1; could not justify the answerTip: If P(A) + P(B) > 1, the events must overlap; use a Venn diagram. |
| 7 | quadratic from points, range and discriminant argument | Mixed | did not use the y-value 4; did not find the vertex for the range; missed that t^2 can be zero; used specific values instead of generalTip: Find the vertex to state the range of a quadratic. |
| 8 | exponents and logarithms | Mixed | got stuck or worked backwards from the given valueTip: Rewrite both sides with the same base or take logs, working forward to the result. |
| 9 | trigonometric equation, chain rule derivative and sketch | Most struggled | dropped the plus or minus from square roots; missed a second solution; no chain rule on sin^2 or cos^2; gave x but not y coordinatesTip: Differentiate sin^2 x using the chain rule: 2 sin x cos x. |
What to practise
- Practise non-calculator arithmetic with integers, fractions and decimals.
- Write working and final answers in proper mathematical form, fully simplified.
- Practise justifying answers and understanding command terms.
- Check accuracy and reasonableness of solutions.
SL Paper 2
GDC graph analysis, equation solving, geometric sums, normal probabilities, regression and triangle trigonometry were strong, but conditional and binomial probability, areas below the axis, kinematics, exponential models and accuracy were weak.
Found difficult
- conditional probability
- binomial distribution
- graphing on the GDC
- area between curves
- calculator use
- kinematics
- exponential models
Well prepared
- calculator use
- arithmetic and geometric sequences
- normal distribution
- linear regression
- sine and cosine rules
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | regression line and interpolation | Answered well | used two points instead of regression; did not round to the nearest integerTip: Round predictions as the context requires, e.g. whole numbers for counts. |
| 2 | triangle angles and the cosine rule | Answered well | used right-angle trigonometry; rounded an angle to 26 degrees earlyTip: Keep angles unrounded in memory before using them in the next calculation. |
| 3 | function values and total area with a region below the axis | Mixed | answers to 2 s.f.; found only one area; treated a negative integral as negative areaTip: Integrate |f(x)| on the GDC for total area; the integral of a modulus differs from the modulus of an integral. |
| 4 | geometric series inequality | Answered well | gave 26.9 instead of the smallest integer; long log methodsTip: Use a GDC table of S_n to find the smallest integer n satisfying an inequality. |
| 5 | exponential population model | Most struggled | did not state the initial population; struggled with e^0; assumed k = 0.11 from an 11% decrease; treated it as a sequenceTip: For P = Ae^(kt), A is the value at t = 0; find k from a second data point. |
| 6 | binomial term multiplied by a factor | Most struggled | looked for the wrong power of x; multiplied the coefficient by 21 instead of dividing; solved for a incorrectlyTip: Work out which power you need in the bracket after accounting for the outside factor. |
| 7 | kinematics from displacement | Mixed | gave speed instead of velocity; no strict inequalities or intervals in words; second derivative by hand without labelling; could not apply the distance formulaTip: Use the GDC for derivatives at a point and write intervals with strict inequalities. |
| 8 | sector and triangle areas with an equation in theta | Most struggled | mixed degrees and radians; long algebra for an equation needing the GDCTip: Once the equation is set up, solve it on the GDC rather than by hand. |
| 9 | normal distribution, independent trials and conditional probability | Mixed | used binomial when one specific order was asked; missed the conditional nature; no sketch for the three regionsTip: Sketch the normal curve with all regions marked before writing equations. |
What to practise
- Include sketches as working; describing keystrokes earns nothing.
- Check degree or radian mode before every trigonometry question.
- Cross out unwanted work; only the first solution is marked.
- Practise non-standard text-based problems.
- Round correctly to 3 s.f., including trailing zeros such as 0.640.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. vague or multiple aims and repeated calculations reduce concision
- B. calculator notation, missing approximation signs and unlabelled axes keep work below the top level
- C. engagement shown through the choice of topic rather than the mathematics
- D. reflection left to limitations at the end or just restating results
- E. linear regression applied even when there is little correlation
- E. correlation formulas computed by hand with no conceptual explanation
- E. many models presented without justification of the function chosen
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 November 2022, 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 SL November 2022?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on integration by substitution with a point, trigonometric equation, chain rule derivative and sketch, exponential population model and binomial term multiplied by a factor. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in November 2022?
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Across the papers the examiners listed chain rule, integration by substitution, 3D distance, laws of logarithms, justifying answers, conditional probability, binomial distribution and graphing on the GDC, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AA SL November 2022?
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Maths AA SL: a 7 from 75 out of 100 overall in November 2022. 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.