| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 34 | 47 | 61 | 76 |
| Internal assessment | 20 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| Paper 1 | 80 | 27 | 37 | 47 | 59 |
| Paper 2 | 80 | 26 | 36 | 47 | 60 |
SL Paper 1
A well balanced paper; most routine questions went well, but the probability table, tangent and normal question and longer unstructured problems were poorly attempted.
Found difficult
- inverse variation
- logarithms
- systems of linear equations
- tangents and normals
- binomial distribution
- probability distributions
- chi-squared test for independence
- financial applications on the gdc
- accuracy instructions
- exact values
- simplifying answers
- multi-step problems
Well prepared
- direct variation
- arithmetic sequences
- geometric sequences and series
- sine and cosine rules
- area of a triangle
- gdc use
- financial applications on the gdc
- substitution into formulae
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | range, mean and standard deviation | Mixed | gave range as an interval or confused it with IQR; computed by hand instead of using the GDC; swapped mean and standard deviation; did not know adding a constant leaves sd unchangedTip: Use one-variable statistics on the GDC and remember range is a single value. |
| 2 | sine and cosine rules | Answered well | assumed a right angle; calculator in radiansTip: Only use basic ratios when the triangle is right-angled; otherwise use the sine or cosine rule. |
| 3 | chi-squared test for independence | Answered well | hypotheses without naming the variables; misread scientific notation giving p above 1; compared the wrong valuesTip: Name both variables in H0 and read E-notation on the calculator correctly before comparing. |
| 4 | direct and inverse variation | Mixed | used proportional reasoning without an equation; brought an irrelevant value into the inverse caseTip: Write y = kx or y = k/x first and find k; it makes the next part straightforward. |
| 5 | savings and loan with the finance solver | Mixed | ignored nearest dollar or two decimal places; left answers in years instead of months; used the compound interest formula for monthly paymentsTip: Match P/Y and C/Y to the question and round money exactly as instructed. |
| 6 | binomial probability and expected income | Mixed | used 2 instead of 3 as the lower bound; no working shown; rounded expected counts to integersTip: Expected values need not be whole numbers; keep them unrounded when multiplying by prices. |
| 7 | logarithmic pH model | Mixed | did not rewrite in exponential form; wrote calculator E-notation or only the mantissa; used a ratio of exponents instead of subtractingTip: Write 2.51E-07 as 2.51 x 10^-7 and remember pH differences give powers of ten. |
| 8 | probability distribution table and expected value | Most struggled | no tree diagram or outcome table; gave 1/7 for every entry; probabilities summing to more than 1Tip: List all outcomes with a table or tree; check that the probabilities add up to exactly 1. |
| 9 | arithmetic and geometric sequences | Mixed | applied AP formulas to a GP; wrong common ratio; did not round n up; used the sum formula for a single termTip: Identify whether the change is additive or multiplicative, and round n up when a target must be reached. |
| 10 | tangent and normal to a quadratic | Most struggled | used the normal's gradient as the tangent gradient; did not differentiate; never formed two simultaneous equationsTip: Tangent gradient is the negative reciprocal of the normal's; set f'(x) equal to it and use the point on the curve. |
| 11 | area of a sector and triangle | Mixed | rounded prematurely; final answer to fewer than 3 s.f.Tip: Store intermediate values in the calculator and round only the final answer. |
| 12 | perimeter and area optimisation with a semicircle | Most struggled | used a rectangle's perimeter; squared x/2 as x squared over 2; struggled differentiating terms with pi; gave a decimal instead of an exact answerTip: Keep pi as a constant symbol and give exact answers when asked. |
What to practise
- Revisit basic numerical skills, significant figures and simplification.
- Teach the difference between exact and approximate answers.
- Practise reading scientific notation from the calculator.
- Break unstructured problems into smaller steps with regular open-ended practice.
- Show substitutions to earn method marks and avoid intermediate rounding.
SL Paper 2
The paper suited all levels, with good use of technology; bearings, the trapezium rule with a piecewise model, hypothesis wording and a 3D prism volume question were the main weaknesses.
Found difficult
- conditional probability
- evaluating a model
- bearings
- perpendicular bisectors
- integration notation
- exact values
- expected value
- t-test
- volume and surface area of 3d shapes
- sketching graphs
Well prepared
- venn diagrams
- basic probability
- gdc use
- gradient of a line
- percentage error
- normal distribution
- chi-squared goodness of fit test
- t-test
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venn diagram, conditional probability and logistic-type model | Mixed | omitted the universal set box; treated conditional events as independent; substituted t = 1 wrongly; could not comment on the model's suitabilityTip: For conditional probability, restrict to the given set as the denominator. |
| 2 | distances, bearings and perpendicular bisectors | Most struggled | used Pythagoras when a write down answer was expected; could not convert an angle to a three-figure bearing; did not intersect two perpendicular bisectorsTip: A point equidistant from three points lies where perpendicular bisectors meet. |
| 3 | piecewise model, trapezium rule and integration | Most struggled | substituted x-values into the trapezium rule; used the wrong interval width; evaluated instead of writing the integral; did not give an exact answerTip: Use function heights at each step of the interval, and read whether a value or an expression is wanted. |
| 4 | normal distribution, chi-squared GOF and t-test | Mixed | chose the wrong tail; expected values inaccurate; hypotheses without population means or unlabelled mu; two-tailed instead of one-tailedTip: Define mu1 and mu2 in words, then decide from the wording whether the test is one- or two-tailed. |
| 5 | volume of a trapezoidal prism as a function of angle | Most struggled | reused fixed dimensions in all three cases; could not derive the volume expression; sketched with wrong shape or domain; gave coordinates instead of separate volume and angleTip: Draw each case separately and find missing lengths with trigonometry before using area times length. |
What to practise
- Support answers with working and correct terminology.
- Simplify fractions to integer numerator and denominator.
- Mix several topics in one long practice question.
- Practise writing justifications and check reasonableness of answers.
- Cover prior learning topics such as bearings.
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 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 2024 TZ2?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on probability distribution table and expected value, tangent and normal to a quadratic, perimeter and area optimisation with a semicircle and distances, bearings and perpendicular bisectors. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in May 2024 TZ2?
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Across the papers the examiners listed inverse variation, logarithms, systems of linear equations, tangents and normals, binomial distribution, probability distributions, chi-squared test for independence and financial applications on the gdc, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AI SL May 2024 TZ2?
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Maths AI SL: a 7 from 76 out of 100 overall in May 2024 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.