At a glance
- Levels
- SL (150 teaching hours), HL (240 hours)
- SL exams
- 2 papers, 90 min each, 80 marks each
- HL exams
- Papers 1 and 2: 2 h each; Paper 3: 1 h
- Internal assessment
- Exploration, 20% at both levels
- Grades
- 1 to 7
How IB Maths AA is assessed
This is the assessment model in the current guide (first assessment 2021), which applies to every student sitting exams up to and including November 2028.
| Component | SL | HL | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 90 min, 80 marks, 40% | 120 min, 110 marks, 30% | Not allowed |
| Paper 2 | 90 min, 80 marks, 40% | 120 min, 110 marks, 30% | Graphic display calculator required |
| Paper 3 (HL only) | Not taken | 60 min, 55 marks, 20% | Graphic display calculator required |
| Exploration (IA) | 20%, teacher-marked, moderated by the IB | 20%, teacher-marked, moderated by the IB | Any tools the student needs |
Papers 1 and 2 each have a Section A of short questions and a Section B of longer, structured problems. Paper 3 is two extended problem-solving questions.
What the course covers
Both levels study the same five topics: number and algebra, functions, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability, and calculus. HL goes much further in each: proof by induction and contradiction, complex numbers, partial fractions, systems of equations, vectors in three dimensions, further differentiation and integration, Maclaurin series and differential equations. SL students meet calculus too, but the HL calculus load is what separates the two courses most visibly.
AA is the course universities usually expect for mathematics, physics and engineering, and many of those departments ask specifically for AA HL. Economics and computer science requirements vary, so check each target university's published entry requirements before your child settles on a level. Our guide to choosing HL or SL subjects walks through how to do this.
AA or AI: the practical difference
| Analysis and Approaches | Applications and Interpretation | |
|---|---|---|
| Emphasis | Algebra, functions, calculus, proof | Modelling, statistics, technology |
| Paper without a calculator | Yes, Paper 1 | No, every paper uses the GDC |
| Typical university fit | Maths, physics, engineering | Social sciences, business, some sciences |
| Exploration weighting | 20% | 20% |
Where AA students lose marks
- Algebraic slips in Paper 1. With no calculator, a dropped sign in line two costs every mark after it. Fluency with fractions, indices and logarithms by hand is not optional.
- Weak reading of command terms. "Show that" needs every step written; "hence" means use the previous result; "write down" needs no working. Students who treat them alike waste time or lose method marks.
- Calculator dependence in Paper 2. Students either avoid the GDC where it would save five minutes, or use it where the question demands an exact answer.
- Paper 3 panic at HL. The questions lead through an unfamiliar investigation in parts; students who have never practised that format freeze on part (a).
- A late or shallow exploration. An exploration that only uses SL-level mathematics at HL, or that describes rather than analyses, caps the score however neat it looks.
How one-to-one AA lessons work
A tutor who teaches AA starts by finding the gaps behind the current topic, because most AA difficulties are older algebra problems in disguise. Lessons then follow the school's sequence, with non-calculator practice built into every session, worked solutions written out on the shared whiteboard so the student sees the full line of reasoning, and short sets of past-paper questions marked against the IB markscheme.
For the exploration, the tutor helps choose a topic with real mathematical depth, checks that the mathematics matches the level, and gives feedback on drafts against the criteria. The writing and the mathematics stay the student's own, which is an IB academic integrity rule. In the final months, lessons switch to timed papers and a running list of the question types that still cost marks.
A new maths course is coming
The IB has revised both maths courses for first teaching in August 2027 and first exams in May 2029. Students who began the Diploma in August 2025 or August 2026 stay on the current course described here. Ask your school which guide your child is following if they start in 2027.
Common questions
Is IB Maths AA HL much harder than SL?
Yes. HL has 240 teaching hours against 150, extra topics such as complex numbers, proof by induction and differential equations, and a third paper. Students who find SL comfortable in the first term are often fine at HL with steady practice; students already struggling at SL usually are not.
When should my child start tutoring for AA?
The most useful time is the first term of DP1, when gaps from MYP or IGCSE algebra first show. The second most useful is the term before mocks. Starting in the final month helps with exam technique but leaves little time to fix foundations.
Can a tutor help with the maths exploration?
Yes, within IB rules: topic choice, planning, checking the mathematics is at the right level, and feedback on drafts against the criteria. The tutor does not write any part of it.
Which calculator does AA need?
A graphic display calculator for Paper 2 and HL Paper 3. Schools usually specify a model; the IB publishes the list of permitted calculators each session. Paper 1 is taken without one.
How do IB Maths lessons with LiveTutor work and what do they cost?
Each lesson is 60 minutes, one to one, online in our classroom with video and a shared whiteboard, with a tutor who teaches AA. Every subject and level costs $15 a lesson on a weekly plan billed monthly, and the first lesson is a free trial.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.