| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 32 | 49 | 66 | 80 |
| Internal assessment | 20 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| Paper 1 | 80 | 23 | 37 | 52 | 63 |
| Paper 2 | 80 | 26 | 40 | 53 | 64 |
SL Paper 1
Students understood many questions conceptually but lost marks through clumsy or wrong arithmetic, weak logarithm laws, chain rule slips and limited ability to comment on sampling.
Found difficult
- trigonometric graphs
- exact trigonometric ratios
- binomial expansion
- sampling methods
- transformations of functions
- laws of logarithms
- integration by substitution
Well prepared
- composite functions
- statistical diagrams
- quotient rule
- basic probability
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | features of a trigonometric function | Mixed | confused the period with the parameter b; did not know the exact value; did not set the expression equal to 11Tip: Period = 2pi/b; learn exact values of sine and cosine at standard angles. |
| 2 | composite function equation | Answered well | found f(g(x)) instead of g(f(x)); missed a second solutionTip: When a question asks for values in the plural, expect more than one solution. |
| 3 | combined events and complements | Mixed | arithmetic slips; multiplied P(A') by P(B') without independenceTip: Draw a Venn diagram to find the probability of neither event. |
| 4 | arithmetic series equations | Mixed | did not simplify by common factors before solving; took S6 - S5 as dTip: S6 - S5 is the sixth term; divide out common factors before solving simultaneously. |
| 5 | sine from cosine and triangle area | Mixed | squared 1/4 as 1/8; poor surd handling; started with the cosine ruleTip: Use sin^2 + cos^2 = 1 to get the sine ratio directly without finding the angle. |
| 6 | binomial expansion coefficients with unknown n | Most struggled | unfamiliar with coefficients when n is unknownTip: Write nCr in factorial form to form an equation in n. |
| 7 | cumulative frequency and sampling | Mixed | errors reading counts from the cumulative frequency curve; generic, non-contextual comments on samplingTip: Comment on sampling in context, e.g. the first 5% is not a random 5%. |
| 8 | logarithmic equation leading to a quadratic | Most struggled | split ln(2x - 6) into separate logs; forgot to find q - p; surd handlingTip: Log laws apply to products and quotients, never to sums or differences inside a log. |
| 9 | chain rule, substitution integral and area between translated curves | Most struggled | chain rule errors; integrated u^-3 as ln u; omitted +c; did not see the vertical translationTip: Only u^-1 integrates to ln u; other powers use the power rule. |
What to practise
- Simplify early to keep non-calculator arithmetic manageable.
- Practise more without a calculator.
- Present working in order, ending with the answer.
- Use the conditions in a question, like positive or integer, to check answers.
SL Paper 2
Tangents and normals, 3D distance, the cosine rule and GDC sketching went well, but horizontal stretches, reflex sectors, kinematics, the second derivative test, financial series and conditional binomial probability were hard.
Found difficult
- transformations of functions
- arcs and sectors
- kinematics
- second derivative test
- compound interest
- conditional probability
- normal distribution
Well prepared
- tangents and normals
- 3D distance
- sine and cosine rules
- sketching graphs
- differentiation
- calculator use
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tangents and normals | Answered well | evaluated f'(4) wrongly; read the derivative as the tangent equationTip: Evaluate the derivative at the point to get the gradient, then use the point for the line. |
| 2 | 3D distance and an angle by cosine rule | Answered well | substitution or computation errors; answer to 2 s.f.Tip: Write the cosine rule with values substituted before calculating. |
| 3 | GDC sketch and horizontal stretch | Mixed | inaccurate endpoints and minimum; gave the stretch factor as 3 instead of 1/3Tip: Replacing x by 3x is a horizontal stretch by factor 1/3. |
| 4 | major sector area and perimeter | Most struggled | indirect subtraction methods; omitted straight edges in the perimeter; analytical solving instead of the GDCTip: Use the reflex angle directly in the sector and arc formulae. |
| 5 | particle at rest and distance from displacement | Most struggled | solved s = 0 instead of s' = 0; integrated s instead of v; omitted the absolute valueTip: A particle is at rest when ds/dt = 0; distance is the integral of |v|. |
| 6 | discrete random variable with two unknowns | Mixed | forgot probabilities sum to 1; could not put equations into GDC-ready form; did not check the value was validTip: Use sum of probabilities = 1 and E(X) together, then solve on the GDC. |
| 7 | cylinder surface area optimisation | Mixed | could not rearrange the volume equation; quotient rule errors; used a negative value; used the first derivative test instead of the secondTip: Write 1/r terms as negative powers before differentiating. |
| 8 | financial mathematics with geometric series | Most struggled | did not recognise a geometric sum; could not adapt to monthly periods; wrong k for compounding; 2 s.f. instead of 2 d.p.Tip: Check the compounding frequency and give money to the accuracy the question states. |
| 9 | normal distribution parameters and conditional binomial probability | Mixed | no sketch of the normal curve; algebra errors solving for mu and sigma; found the wrong inequality; could not evaluate the intersectionTip: For conditional probability, write the intersection carefully as a single event before dividing. |
What to practise
- Cover all syllabus areas, including prior learning, and know command terms.
- Mark practice work to IB standards and teach storing values to avoid rounding errors.
- Practise algebra, justification and proof.
- Draw sketches with a dark pencil.
- Use the GDC efficiently and communicate GDC methods, e.g. by writing the integral.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. lengthy introductions with contrived back stories and repeated calculations
- B. Desmos notation for domains and models used instead of standard notation
- B. photographed screens, poorly scaled graphs and missing approximation signs
- C. simply stating long-standing interest earns very little
- D. reflection descriptive; rarely questions the choice of mathematical process
- E. regression models fitted without first examining the data or justifying the model
- E. advanced formulas like volumes of revolution substituted without explanation
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 2023 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 SL November 2023 TZ1?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on binomial expansion coefficients with unknown n, logarithmic equation leading to a quadratic, chain rule, substitution integral and area between translated curves and major sector area and perimeter. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in November 2023 TZ1?
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Across the papers the examiners listed trigonometric graphs, exact trigonometric ratios, binomial expansion, sampling methods, transformations of functions, laws of logarithms, integration by substitution and arcs and sectors, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AA SL November 2023 TZ1?
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Maths AA SL: a 7 from 80 out of 100 overall in November 2023 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.