| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 23 | 37 | 53 | 67 |
SL Paper 1
Standard calculations were done well, but candidates struggled to communicate reasoning, use correct notation and adapt to unfamiliar contexts such as real return or tangent counting.
Found difficult
- conditional probability
- independent and dependent events
- angles of elevation and depression
- mathematical notation
- t-test
- differentiation of negative powers
- axis of symmetry
- unfamiliar contexts
- real rate of return
- gdc use
- communicating reasoning
- inverse normal
Well prepared
- substitution into formulae
- arc length and sector area
- right-angled trigonometry
- logarithms
- binomial distribution
- area under a curve
- gradient from the derivative
- standard form
- outliers
- basic probability
- normal distribution
- t-test
- box and whisker plots
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | arc length and area of an annular sector | Mixed | substituted the wrong radius; subtracted radii before using the area formula instead of subtracting areasTip: Find each sector area separately and subtract the areas, not the radii. |
| 2 | probability from a table, conditional and dependent events | Mixed | ignored the given condition; treated dependent selections as independentTip: With a condition, restrict the denominator to the given group; without replacement, update the second probability. |
| 3 | angle of depression | Mixed | measured the angle from the vertical; rounded intermediate values; correct reasoning followed by the wrong conclusionTip: An angle of depression is measured down from the horizontal; mark it on the diagram first. |
| 4 | logarithms in a pH formula | Mixed | wrote a multiplication sign between log base and argument; multiplied the pH by 10 instead of the concentrationTip: Remember log is a function of its argument, not a product; change the input before taking the log. |
| 5 | binomial expected value and probabilities | Mixed | did not recognise a binomial situation; used 7 instead of 6 for fewer than 7Tip: Translate strict inequalities into the integer bound before using the binomial cdf. |
| 6 | area under a curve by integration | Answered well | omitted dx in the integral; attempted the integral by hand without successTip: Write the full definite integral with dx and evaluate it on the GDC. |
| 7 | outliers and comparing box plots | Mixed | found the fence value but did not compare it with the data point; called medians means; did not label which point was the counterargumentTip: Compute the outlier boundary, compare it explicitly, and label each argument clearly. |
| 8 | two-sample t-test | Mixed | hypotheses in words without saying population mean; did not use the pooled variance option; conclusion about reaction times rather than mean reaction timesTip: Use the pooled t-test at SL and phrase conclusions about population means in context. |
| 9 | cubic model and simultaneous equations | Mixed | left equations unsimplified; gave a single root instead of the time between rootsTip: Interpret roots in context: the length of an interval is the difference between two roots. |
| 10 | normal distribution with a central probability | Mixed | used 0.68 as the area to the left of kTip: Convert a middle area into a left-tail area using symmetry before using inverse normal. |
| 11 | derivative with negative power and parallel tangents | Mixed | confused derivative notation with inverse notation; substituted the y-coordinate into the derivative; gave a count of tangents with no justificationTip: Parallel tangents mean equal gradients: set f'(x) equal to the line's gradient and count the solutions. |
| 12 | quadratic archway model | Most struggled | gave a value instead of an equation for the axis of symmetry; compared areas or maximum heights instead of checking the crate's cornersTip: The axis of symmetry is a line, so answer with x = ...; test fit at the exact width of the object. |
| 13 | real return and annuity with inflation | Most struggled | ignored inflation when computing the real rate; gave PV and FV the same sign in the finance app; accepted unreasonable answersTip: Real rate is roughly nominal rate minus inflation; give PV and FV opposite signs in the TVM solver. |
What to practise
- Give justification whenever the question asks for it; a bare answer is not enough.
- Practise applying mathematics in unfamiliar contexts, not just routine procedures.
- Write hypotheses and conclusions clearly, referring to population parameters and context.
- Record GDC inputs as working and check that answers are reasonable.
- Keep full accuracy until the end and attempt every question rather than leaving blanks.
SL Paper 2
Statistics and coordinate geometry parts were answered well, but sinusoidal and differentiation questions were poorly done and contextual explanations were weak throughout.
Found difficult
- cumulative frequency graphs
- gdc use
- exact values
- communicating reasoning
- sinusoidal models
- domain and range
- differentiation with parameters
- algebraic manipulation
- sigma notation
Well prepared
- cumulative frequency graphs
- measures of central tendency and spread
- equation of a line
- gdc use
- geometric sequences and series
- sine and cosine rules
- coordinate geometry
- area of a triangle
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | cumulative frequency, percentiles and grouped mean | Mixed | read quartiles at 0.75 and 0.25 instead of the right frequencies; struggled with the 90th percentile; used a wrong formula for the grouped mean; could not justify how mean and median changeTip: Read percentiles at the matching cumulative frequency, and use the GDC with midpoints for a grouped mean. |
| 2 | geometric sequence and sigma notation | Mixed | used the wrong n in the nth term; unfamiliar with sigma notation on the GDC; did not identify which ten-year period the sum coveredTip: Write out the first and last terms of a sigma sum to see what it represents. |
| 3 | Voronoi diagram, perpendicular bisector and cosine rule | Mixed | gave a midpoint not as a coordinate pair; rounded an exact length; used rounded side lengths prematurely; misunderstood what a larger cell meansTip: When asked for an exact length leave the surd; a Voronoi cell is the region closest to its site. |
| 4 | sinusoidal model of a Ferris wheel | Most struggled | rarely found the b parameter; domain and range wrong; solved h(t) = 1.67 only partially; could not say how d changesTip: Relate each parameter to a feature: a to amplitude, b to period, d to the principal axis. |
| 5 | optimisation with a parameter k | Most struggled | could not differentiate with a parameter; could not solve for x in terms of kTip: Treat parameters as constants when differentiating, then solve the derivative equal to zero. |
What to practise
- Start each question on a new page and label every part.
- Read contextual questions carefully and sketch the situation.
- Use the GDC throughout the course and choose sensible graph windows.
- Model short justifications of the form statement because reason.
- Plan time and use reading time to locate the strongest questions.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. aims vague or multi-layered, with title, aim and research question not matching
- A. long historical introductions and raw data tables reduce concision
- B. graphs too small, untitled or with unlabelled axes, and calculator notation such as ^ or *
- B. formulae for statistics shown even though values came from the GDC
- C. personal interest in the topic confused with engagement with the mathematics
- D. reflection left to a final paragraph with generic limitations like collecting more data
- E. statistics computed by hand and tests applied without checking their conditions
- E. models chosen by guess and check without justifying the function type
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 SL report for May 2022 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 AI SL May 2022 TZ2?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on quadratic archway model, real return and annuity with inflation, sinusoidal model of a Ferris wheel and optimisation with a parameter k. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in May 2022 TZ2?
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Across the papers the examiners listed conditional probability, independent and dependent events, angles of elevation and depression, mathematical notation, t-test, differentiation of negative powers, axis of symmetry and unfamiliar contexts, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AI SL May 2022 TZ2?
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Maths AI SL: a 7 from 67 out of 100 overall in May 2022 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.