| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 38 | 51 | 65 | 77 |
| Internal assessment | 20 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| Paper 1 | 80 | 30 | 39 | 50 | 58 |
| Paper 2 | 80 | 30 | 41 | 53 | 63 |
SL Paper 1
Standard calculations were secure, but unstructured questions that required choosing an approach, and parts asking for justification in words, remained difficult.
Found difficult
- domain and range
- upper and lower bounds
- mutually exclusive events
- geometric sequences and series
- exponential equations
- asymptotes
- financial applications on the gdc
- voronoi diagrams
- sinusoidal models
- rearranging formulae
- effect of transformations on statistics
- derivative as rate of change
- direct variation
- fair games
- communicating reasoning
Well prepared
- measures of central tendency and spread
- venn diagrams
- geometric sequences and series
- compound interest
- equation of a line
- systems of linear equations
- volume and surface area of 3d shapes
- differentiation of polynomials
- pythagoras theorem
- right-angled trigonometry
- arc length and sector area
- expected value
- substitution into formulae
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | mean, median, range and lower bound | Mixed | did not order data before finding the median; gave range as an inequality; wrong lower bound of a rounded valueTip: Statistical range is one number, max minus min; a lower bound is half a unit below the rounded value. |
| 2 | Venn diagram probabilities and mutually exclusive events | Mixed | forgot the region outside the sets in the total; read 'one cafe only' instead of the event asked; answer not given as a probability; confused mutually exclusive with independentTip: Events are mutually exclusive only if their intersection is empty; point to the overlap region as evidence. |
| 3 | geometric sequence and series of car sales | Answered well | gave the 24-month total without subtracting the first yearTip: For a sum over later terms only, subtract the earlier partial sum. |
| 4 | exponential model and asymptote | Mixed | tried to solve the exponential equation algebraically; imprecise sketch; did not refer to the horizontal asymptoteTip: Solve exponential equations with the GDC and use the asymptote to explain long-term behaviour. |
| 5 | compound interest and loan with monthly payments | Mixed | gave PV and FV the same sign; used compound interest formula with regular paymentsTip: Regular payments require the finance app, not the compound interest formula. |
| 6 | Voronoi diagram edges | Mixed | ignored the rounding instruction; drew edges not on perpendicular bisectors; joined the sites as edgesTip: Voronoi edges lie on perpendicular bisectors between neighbouring sites, never along the lines joining them. |
| 7 | sinusoidal model from a graph | Most struggled | did not identify the period of 12 to get b; estimated the time from the graphTip: Read the period from the graph, then use b = 360/period and solve the equation on the GDC. |
| 8 | rearranging a temperature formula and standard deviation | Mixed | incorrect steps isolating C; applied the full conversion to the standard deviationTip: Adding a constant shifts the mean but leaves the standard deviation unchanged; only scaling affects it. |
| 9 | derivative as rate of change of volume | Mixed | missing or wrong units; substituted into the volume instead of the derivativeTip: Rate of change means the derivative evaluated at the given value. |
| 10 | direct variation with a cube | Most struggled | wrote a linear variation ignoring the cube; left out the constant k; simply divided the two massesTip: Start with m = kh^3, find k from one data pair, then use it. |
| 11 | arc length with Pythagoras | Mixed | assumed angles were 45 degreesTip: Never assume an angle value; calculate it from known sides. |
| 12 | expected value and fair games | Most struggled | used the winning probability as the expected value; only included the winning outcome; stopped at the fair prize rather than the number of gamesTip: Expected value sums every outcome times its probability; a fair game has expected gain zero. |
What to practise
- Watch signs for PV, PMT and FV and show calculator entries.
- Begin variation problems with a general equation including a constant.
- Practise unstructured problems and explaining answers in words.
- Write answers in the answer boxes and show all working.
- Follow specified rounding and avoid premature rounding.
SL Paper 2
Many students showed good understanding and used the GDC effectively, though accuracy slips and fading engagement on the last question cost marks.
Found difficult
- t-test
- binomial distribution
- piecewise functions
- hypothesis testing
- constant of integration
- systems of linear equations
- evaluating a model
Well prepared
- linear regression
- t-test
- normal distribution
- substitution into formulae
- differentiation of polynomials
- tree diagrams
- expected value
- area under a curve
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | correlation, regression and t-test on apartment prices | Mixed | computed a coefficient when it could be read off the scatterplot; counted a leading zero as a significant figure; missed units of millions of dollars; used unpooled or one-tailed testTip: Leading zeros are not significant; check that predictions are realistic in context. |
| 2 | normal distribution, binomial and piecewise delivery cost | Mixed | treated a continuous variable as discrete; poor normal curve sketch; did not recognise a binomial event; ignored the domain in the piecewise expressionTip: Label mean and k on a symmetric bell curve, and adjust piecewise formulas to the stated domain. |
| 3 | smoothie price model and revenue optimisation | Mixed | substituted x = 2 instead of building the revenue expression; errors differentiating negative powers; accepted negative or unrealistic answersTip: Revenue equals price times quantity; rewrite terms with negative indices before differentiating. |
| 4 | tree diagram and chi-squared goodness of fit | Mixed | disorganised multistep work; no expected frequencies or degrees of freedom shown; p-value to one significant figure; conclusion contradicting the reasoningTip: Show expected frequencies and degrees of freedom even when not prompted, and keep the conclusion consistent. |
| 5 | integration with a boundary condition and fitting a curve | Most struggled | omitted the constant of integration; did not question negative area and volume; did not simplify equations; could not compare heights or gradients of the modelsTip: Always add + c and use the given point to find it; a negative area signals an earlier error. |
What to practise
- Build conceptual understanding, not just procedures.
- Allow about one minute per mark.
- Give answers exactly or to three significant figures and keep intermediate values unrounded.
- Use given results in later parts and think about what preliminary answers mean.
- Check answers for realism against the constraints of the question.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. plans that pre-empt results and long introductions or textbook explanations hurting concision
- A. key calculations moved to the appendix in an attempt to be concise
- B. inconsistent variable case, accuracy and function notation, and misuse of sigma notation
- B. GDC screenshots and irrelevant diagrams included for variety
- C. template-based statistical explorations leaving no room for student voice
- D. reflection as long lists of generic or unrealistic limitations at the end
- E. chi-squared tests without expected tables, without handling small expected counts, or with unjustified bins
- E. models picked by guess and check with R squared and high-degree polynomials
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 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 SL May 2024 TZ1?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on sinusoidal model from a graph, direct variation with a cube, expected value and fair games and integration with a boundary condition and fitting a curve. 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 domain and range, upper and lower bounds, mutually exclusive events, geometric sequences and series, exponential equations, asymptotes, financial applications on the gdc and voronoi diagrams, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AI SL May 2024 TZ1?
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Maths AI SL: a 7 from 77 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.