| Component | Max | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 39 | 53 | 67 | 80 |
SL Paper 1
Fairly well handled with excellent work on routine topics; some questions were left blank and contextual explanations and inequalities were the main weaknesses.
Found difficult
- upper and lower bounds
- interpreting results in context
- hypothesis testing
- t-test
- financial mathematics with the GDC
- arcs and sectors
- normal distribution
- exponential models
- binomial distribution
- reasoning and justification
- mathematical modelling
- inequalities
- voronoi diagrams
Well prepared
- arithmetic and geometric sequences
- surface area and volume of solids
- percentage error
- linear models
- t-test
- financial mathematics with the GDC
- sine and cosine rules
- normal distribution
- simultaneous equations
- differentiation
- optimisation
- efficient GDC use
- gradients and perpendicular lines
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | geometric sequence term and sum | Answered well | Nothing specific reported. |
| 2 | lower bound of a diameter, sphere volume and percentage error | Mixed | subtracted 0.1 instead of 0.5 for the lower bound; divided by the approximate rather than exact value; left out the factor of 100Tip: Percentage error divides by the exact value and multiplies by 100. |
| 3 | comparing two linear cost functions | Answered well | could not read a or b from the graph; explained using only the intercept or only the gradientTip: When comparing linear costs, refer to both the fixed cost and the rate per unit. |
| 4 | t-test assumptions, hypotheses and conclusion | Most struggled | could not state a mathematical assumption of the test; hypotheses inconsistent with the p-value computed; did not switch to the pooled setting; generic rather than contextual conclusionTip: Write hypotheses with labelled population means and keep the same tail when computing the p-value. |
| 5 | savings with regular deposits and interest earned | Mixed | used the compound interest formula with regular payments; wrong cash-flow signs in the solver; subtracted only the deposit or only the payments when finding interestTip: Interest earned equals final value minus everything paid in, initial deposit and payments. |
| 6 | cosine rule angle and shaded area as triangle minus sector | Answered well | found only one of the two areas; used the wrong radius for the sector |
| 7 | normal probability and inverse normal | Mixed | shaded the wrong tail; used 0.15 instead of 0.85 in inverse normalTip: Sketch the curve and shade the region before choosing the area for inverse normal. |
| 8 | exponential depreciation model and interpretation | Mixed | took a power of zero as zero instead of one; substituted the 40 percent decrease instead of the remaining 60 percent; vague description of the graph's behaviourTip: Anything to the power zero is 1; after a 40 percent drop, 60 percent remains. |
| 9 | binomial distribution, expected value and choosing an option | Mixed | did not recognise the binomial setting; incomplete working for the expected value; weakly communicated justificationTip: Support a choice between options with numerical evidence from your calculations. |
| 10 | inverse variation model of volumes | Most struggled | verified the given value instead of deriving it; misread 1500 as the reservoir volume; sketched a concave-up curve missing a given point; could not express the new functionTip: Plot required points and think about whether the rate of increase speeds up or slows down. |
| 11 | minimum via derivative and solving an inequality | Mixed | gave the x-coordinate instead of the minimum value; ignored the instruction to use the derivative; solved an equation and gave two values instead of an intervalTip: When a condition says at least or at most, write an inequality and give an interval. |
| 12 | Voronoi diagram: edges and locating a vertex | Mixed | misunderstood what Voronoi edges represent; gave the intersection of the given edges instead of the required vertexTip: A vertex is the intersection of two perpendicular bisectors; find both equations and solve. |
What to practise
- Know when an answer must be in context rather than generic.
- In show-that questions start from the premise and work towards the result.
- Write the full formula before substituting.
- Practise consistent t-tests with symbolic hypotheses and the correct pooled setting.
- Write the unrounded value before giving three significant figures.
SL Paper 2
A fair, accessible paper with no time pressure; most difficulty came from interpreting results and contextual reasoning, and some students used heavy algebra where the GDC was expected.
Found difficult
- box plots and outliers
- derivative as a rate of change
- integration with boundary conditions
- percentage change
- conditional probability
- venn diagrams
- compound probability
- correlation and linear regression
- sinusoidal functions
- exponential models
- mathematical modelling
Well prepared
- quartiles and interquartile range
- mean from a frequency table
- chi-squared test
- efficient GDC use
- venn diagrams
- simultaneous equations
- sinusoidal functions
| Q | Topic | How it went | Where marks were lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | box plot values, outlier boundary, grouped mean and chi-squared test | Answered well | did not round the outlier boundary up to an integer for discrete data; computed the grouped mean by hand instead of using the GDC; compared critical value with significance levelTip: Compare like with like: p-value with significance level, or test statistic with critical value. |
| 2 | plant growth: rate of change, integration with a condition and percentage increase | Mixed | read the derivative as a height or an average rate; left C unfound or used the wrong condition; substituted the wrong time; wrote percentage increase as 1.2 or 120 percentTip: A derivative value is an instantaneous rate with units such as cm per day; always find C from the given condition. |
| 3 | Venn diagram, conditional probability and selection without replacement | Most struggled | did not restrict the sample space; only quoted the formula when explaining mutual exclusivity; misread what y represented; treated selections without replacement as binomialTip: Without replacement, the probability changes after each selection; multiply the changing fractions. |
| 4 | quadratic bridge model, steepest gradient and regression interpretation | Most struggled | rearranged the first equation instead of using another point; solved simultaneous equations by hand; did not know what steepest gradient means; misinterpreted the regression gradientTip: Interpret a regression gradient as the change in y per unit increase in x, in context. |
| 5 | Ferris wheel heights and sinusoidal models | Most struggled | missed the right triangle with the 30 degree angle; wrote a negative amplitude; confused the minimum height with the principal axis; compared heights at times when the condition did not holdTip: Draw the wheel and mark positions; amplitude is always positive and d is the centre height. |
What to practise
- Calculate with unrounded values and round only at the end.
- Check answers for reasonableness and verify graphically on the GDC.
- Teach the derivative as an instantaneous rate of change.
- Distinguish with and without replacement and restrict the sample space for conditional events.
- Use diagrams when modelling circular motion.
Internal assessment
What moderators raised about the exploration this session, criterion by criterion.
- A. title, research question and aim presented separately and inconsistently, plus long rationales
- A. abrupt transitions; results not interpreted straight after each process
- B. missing subscripts, inconsistent italics and case, unlabelled axes, poorly presented piecewise functions
- B. regression lines added to scatter plots by default
- C. high marks given for stated interest or effort alone
- D. conclusions based on assumptions; reflection left to a final generic list
- E. PMCC and regression done mechanically; outliers removed or ignored without justification
- E. models chosen only by R squared, with unjustified extrapolation and no domain restrictions
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 November 2025 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 November 2025 TZ1?
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The questions most candidates struggled with were on t-test assumptions, hypotheses and conclusion, inverse variation model of volumes, Venn diagram, conditional probability and selection without replacement and quadratic bridge model, steepest gradient and regression interpretation. The tables above list every question discussed in the report, paper by paper.
What did candidates find difficult in November 2025 TZ1?
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Across the papers the examiners listed upper and lower bounds, interpreting results in context, hypothesis testing, t-test, financial mathematics with the GDC, arcs and sectors, normal distribution and exponential models, among others.
What were the grade boundaries for Maths AI SL November 2025 TZ1?
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Maths AI SL: a 7 from 80 out of 100 overall in November 2025 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.