| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 37 | 51 | 63 | 74 |
| Internal assessment | 20 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 |
| Paper 1 | 110 | 36 | 48 | 58 | 69 |
| Paper 2 | 110 | 42 | 60 | 75 | 89 |
| Paper 3 | 55 | 22 | 29 | 36 | 42 |
HL Paper 1
The opening half went reasonably except for question 4, while the later questions defeated most candidates, two of them producing almost no full solutions.
Found difficult
- euler's method
- voronoi diagrams
- integration techniques
- non-linear regression
- matrices
- phase portraits
- markov chains
Well prepared
- financial mathematics
- linear regression
- geometric sequences and series
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | compound interest and an annuity with the finance solver | Mixed | PV and PMT entered with the same sign; unclear what an annuity is; tried an annuity formula by hand without successTip: In the finance app give money paid out and money received opposite signs. |
| 2 | regression line and its use in context | Mixed | wrote the line in x and y instead of the named variables; substituted the wrong value for a prediction; weak reasoning in part (c)Tip: Always write regression equations using the variables defined in the question. |
| 3 | inverting a linear conversion and its effect on mean and standard deviation | Mixed | added the constant to the standard deviation as well as the meanTip: Remember adding a constant shifts the mean but leaves the standard deviation unchanged. |
| 4 | Euler's method for a differential equation | Most struggled | copied the booklet formula but could not apply it to this equationTip: Practise writing out each Euler step for a specific equation, not just quoting the general formula. |
| 5 | perpendicular bisectors and a Voronoi diagram | Mixed | exact fractions given instead of four significant figures as asked; joined the sites together instead of drawing cell boundaries; left part (c) blankTip: Read the required accuracy carefully and remember Voronoi edges lie on perpendicular bisectors, not between sites. |
| 6 | geometric sequence and sum of terms | Answered well | wrong power used in the sum formulaTip: Check whether the term index starts at 0 or 1 before choosing the exponent. |
| 7 | proportionality to a cube and working with powers | Most struggled | wrote mass proportional to height squared or to height; errors handling powers in the calculationTip: Translate proportional to the cube of h directly as m = kh^3. |
| 8 | odd vertices and the Chinese postman problem | Mixed | did not see that it was a Chinese postman problem; gave only one of the two required expressionsTip: When a route must cover every edge, think Chinese postman and pair up the odd vertices. |
| 9 | indefinite integral giving a logarithm | Most struggled | did not recognise a log integral; left out the constant of integrationTip: Learn to spot integrands of the form f'(x)/f(x) and always add the constant. |
| 10 | angles, radius and arc length in a circle | Mixed | assumed an angle was pi/4 without calculating it; applied arc length = r theta incorrectlyTip: Justify every angle with a calculation rather than reading it off the diagram. |
| 11 | rotation matrices and double angles | Most struggled | wrote 2 sin alpha for sin 2alpha in the matrix; multiplied matrices incorrectly; did not see two rotations by alpha equal one by 2alphaTip: Practise matrix multiplication by hand and interpret repeated transformations geometrically. |
| 12 | sum of squared residuals for a non-standard model | Mixed | could not compute the residual sum of squares without the GDC routineTip: Know how to compute residuals and their squares by hand for any given model. |
| 13 | modulus and argument then area of a triangle | Mixed | could not find the correct included angle; vector method for area rarely workedTip: Sketch the points on an Argand diagram to identify the angle for one half ab sin C. |
| 14 | translating a context into a model expression | Most struggled | incorrect expression built from the given informationTip: Test your expression with a simple value of t to check it matches the description. |
| 15 | topic not stated in the report | Most struggled | most made no attempt, suggesting the topic was untaughtTip: Make sure every HL topic has been studied, since whole questions can rest on one unfamiliar area. |
| 16 | matching gradients of a ladder and a curved wall | Most struggled | slopes computed wrongly; could not solve the resulting trigonometric equationTip: Set the two gradients equal and solve the equation on the GDC. |
| 17 | topic not stated in the report (algebra-heavy final part) | Mixed | the algebra in part (c) defeated almost everyone who attempted itTip: Keep practising multi-step algebra so a long final part does not stop you. |
What to practise
- Cover the full syllabus; some schools omitted Markov chains, matrix algebra and indefinite integration.
- Insist on exact answers or three significant figures unless told otherwise.
- Give students practice applying Euler's method to particular equations.
HL Paper 2
Statistics was well prepared and GDC use improved, but disorderly working and weak algebra cost many marks, and HL extension material was often missing.
Found difficult
- showing working
- algebraic manipulation
Well prepared
- chi-squared test for independence
- graph theory
- use of technology
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | normal distribution probabilities and a linear transformation | Mixed | treated a continuous variable as discrete; answers to one or two significant figures; gave 2x + 4.5 for the transformed resultTip: Use the normal distribution for continuous data and give answers to three significant figures. |
| 2 | trigonometry with the sine rule | Mixed | rounding errors; poor calculator use; did not find the third angle before using the sine ruleTip: Find any missing angle first so the sine rule pairs a side with its opposite angle. |
| 3 | differentiation with the quotient rule and optimisation | Mixed | split one quotient into two separate quotient rules; substituted into the wrong equation; arithmetic slips in part (iv)Tip: Apply the quotient rule once to the whole expression and keep track of which equation to use. |
| 4 | probability with a tree diagram | Answered well | wrote 0.1 times 0.3 as 0.3; an early error blocked the restTip: Double-check simple products since later parts depend on them. |
| 5 | slope field and separable differential equation | Most struggled | left blank or barely attempted; algebra errors after separating; integrated e^(2y) as 2e^(2y)Tip: Revise integrating exponentials by hand: the integral of e^(ky) is e^(ky)/k. |
| 6 | sampling distribution and the central limit theorem | Mixed | could not do (b)(ii); did not apply the central limit theorem in part (d)Tip: For a sample mean, use a normal model with variance divided by the sample size. |
| 7 | volume of revolution of a partly filled container | Most struggled | found the full container volume rather than a function of h; left a definite integral instead of an explicit formula; rotated about the x-axis instead of the y-axisTip: Use a variable upper limit h and rotate about the axis the question specifies. |
| 8 | adjacency matrix walks and route counting | Mixed | used the matrix directly when told to use part (b); calculator slips in (e); did not see that the route excluded B; unlabelled matricesTip: Follow the method the question names and label matrix rows and columns. |
What to practise
- Teach the whole curriculum including the HL extension, not just the SL core.
- Build calculator skills such as storing values and keeping full accuracy.
- Train students to set out working in an orderly, step by step way.
- Do not neglect basic algebra even in the applications course.
HL Paper 3
The paper was accessible overall; the chi-squared test and projectile kinematics went well, but the binomial test, the two-sample t-test and parameter-based modelling were weaker, with some time pressure at the end.
Found difficult
- hypothesis testing
- binomial distribution
- modelling with functions
- quadratic functions
Well prepared
- conditional probability
- chi-squared test for independence
- arithmetic sequences and series
- use of technology
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | two-way tables, chi-squared independence, binomial test and two-sample t-test | Mixed | did not recognise the test for a binomial proportion; used the probability function instead of the cumulative one; hypotheses written with sample means; hypotheses omitted in the t-testTip: Write hypotheses about population parameters, defining each symbol, and use cumulative probabilities for critical regions. |
| 2 | arithmetic sequence and projectile motion with a parameter | Mixed | could not start when the model contained an unknown parameter; final part unattempted through lack of time or earlier errorsTip: Practise models containing a letter parameter and find expressions, not just numbers. |
What to practise
- Teach the theory behind tests: critical regions, p-values and significance levels.
- Spend time on the binomial proportion test since it cannot be done directly on a GDC.
- Give practice with modelling equations that contain unknown parameters.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. work heavy with jargon from other subjects was hard for a reader to follow
- A. explaining syllabus methods or trivial calculations made the work less concise
- B. missing units, poor rounding, no equation editor, descriptions of GDC use and unreferenced or cluttered diagrams
- C. routine or template tasks left little scope for independent problem solving, so C1 was most common
- D. reflection merely described results or listed error sources instead of critically assessing the method
- E. statistical tests used without checking conditions, including chi-squared applied to quantities rather than frequencies
- E. complex methods chosen without explaining why they beat a simpler syllabus approach
- E. correct calculus techniques shown but little understanding of modelling itself
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 AI HL report for May 2024 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 AI HL May 2024 TZ1?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on Euler's method for a differential equation, proportionality to a cube and working with powers, indefinite integral giving a logarithm and rotation matrices and double angles. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in May 2024 TZ1?
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Across the papers the examiners listed euler's method, voronoi diagrams, integration techniques, non-linear regression, matrices, phase portraits, markov chains and showing working, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AI HL May 2024 TZ1?
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Maths AI HL: a 7 from 74 out of 100 overall in May 2024 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.