| 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
Familiar procedures went well, but sampling methods seemed untaught in many schools, and chain rule, substitution and binomial coefficient work were weak, with frequent arithmetic errors.
Found difficult
- sampling methods
- chain rule
- integration by substitution
- binomial expansion
Well prepared
- composite functions
- statistical diagrams
- discriminant
- quadratic equations
- quotient rule
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | period of a trigonometric function | Answered well | swapped period and b in the formulaTip: Remember period = 2pi/b, so b = 2pi/period. |
| 2 | composite function and solving for k | Mixed | found f(g(x)) instead of g(f(x)); gave k = 3 only, missing -3Tip: Taking a square root gives both a positive and a negative solution. |
| 3 | probability of union and intersection | Mixed | unsure what the union represents; assumed independence; probabilities outside 0 to 1Tip: Fill in a Venn diagram, and check each probability lies between 0 and 1. |
| 4 | arithmetic series and a term from sums | Mixed | subtraction slip giving 15 instead of 25Tip: Use u5 = S5 - S4 and double-check the subtraction. |
| 5 | sine from cosine and triangle area | Mixed | used the cosine rule needlessly; substituted sin of a number instead of the sine valueTip: Find sin of the angle from the identity, then put that value straight into the area formula. |
| 6 | binomial coefficients with unknown n and k | Mixed | did not raise k to the power, giving nC1 = 12 and n = 12Tip: In each term, raise the whole coefficient-and-variable term to the power. |
| 7 | cumulative frequency, sampling and effect on mean and variance | Most struggled | did not subtract from 60; unfamiliar with sampling types; could not recover the previous mean; thought adding a constant changes varianceTip: Adding a constant to all values changes the mean but not the variance. |
| 8 | logarithmic functions and discriminant conditions | Most struggled | did not state the discriminant must be positive; ignored the condition d > 0; simplified p and q incorrectlyTip: Combine your inequality with any restriction given on the variable. |
| 9 | chain rule, substitution and vertical translation of an integral | Most struggled | chain rule omitted on (x^2 + 1)^3; could not complete the substitution; did not see g as a vertical shift of fTip: Differentiate a bracket raised to a power by multiplying by the derivative of the inside. |
What to practise
- Practise arithmetic with integers, fractions and decimals without a calculator.
- Cover the whole syllabus, including sampling methods.
- Use proper notation in working.
- Check reasonableness of answers and use all given conditions.
SL Paper 2
Tangents, 3D distance, the cosine rule and GDC graph work were solid, but horizontal stretches, reflex sectors, kinematics, financial geometric series, normal distribution and conditional binomial probability caused trouble.
Found difficult
- transformations of functions
- arcs and sectors
- kinematics
- compound interest
- normal distribution
- conditional probability
- second derivative test
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'(2) wrongly; read the derivative as the tangent equationTip: The gradient of the tangent is the derivative evaluated at the point. |
| 2 | 3D distance and angle by cosine rule | Mixed | ignored the z-coordinate; substitution errors; 2 s.f. answerTip: Include all three coordinate differences in a 3D distance. |
| 3 | GDC sketch and horizontal stretch | Mixed | inaccurate endpoints and minimum; gave stretch factor 2 instead of 1/2Tip: Plot a few integer x-values first to sketch accurately without a grid. |
| 4 | major sector area and perimeter | Most struggled | indirect subtraction methods; omitted straight edges in the perimeterTip: Use the reflex angle directly in the arc and sector formulae. |
| 5 | particle at rest and total distance | Most struggled | solved s = 0 instead of s' = 0; integrated s instead of v; no absolute valueTip: Sketch s on the GDC; at rest means its gradient is zero. |
| 6 | discrete random variable with two unknowns | Mixed | forgot the probabilities sum to 1; algebra errors solving the systemTip: Set up two equations and solve them as graph intersections on the GDC. |
| 7 | cylinder surface area optimisation | Mixed | could not rearrange the volume constraint; gave a decimal instead of an exact value; used a negative value; used the first derivative testTip: Give exact values when asked and justify a minimum with the sign of f''. |
| 8 | savings with geometric series and compound interest | Most struggled | did not use a geometric sum; r = 0.04 instead of 4; mixed n and 12n exponents; took quarterly as k = 3Tip: Define your variable as months or years and keep exponents consistent; quarterly means k = 4. |
| 9 | normal parameters, binomial and conditional probability, quartiles | Mixed | wrong sign on a z-score; lengthy algebra instead of GDC; wrong inequality in the conditional; could not find quartilesTip: Values below the mean have negative z-scores; check signs before solving. |
What to practise
- Know syllabus content, command terms and notation from early in the course.
- Mark practice to IB standards and teach storing values to avoid rounding errors.
- Practise algebra, proof and justification.
- Draw sketches with a soft pencil.
- Choose the most efficient method, usually the GDC, and show the set-up.
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 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 November 2023 TZ2?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on cumulative frequency, sampling and effect on mean and variance, logarithmic functions and discriminant conditions, chain rule, substitution and vertical translation of an integral 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 TZ2?
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Across the papers the examiners listed sampling methods, chain rule, integration by substitution, binomial expansion, transformations of functions, arcs and sectors, kinematics and compound interest, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AA SL November 2023 TZ2?
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Maths AA SL: a 7 from 80 out of 100 overall in November 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.