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IB Diploma Programme (DP) Mathematics help — done properly
IB Math has 4 streams: AA SL, AA HL, AI SL, AI HL. Pick wrong and you'll suffer for two years. AA = traditional pure maths (best for engineering/physics). AI = applied + statistics-heavy (best for social sciences). HL = uni-level depth.
Exam format you'll actually sit
AA HL: 3 papers (Paper 1 no calculator, Paper 2 calculator, Paper 3 calculator with extended response). Plus a 20-page Internal Assessment (IA) worth 20% of final grade. AA SL: 2 papers + IA. AI: similar structure.
Highest-yield topics (the ones that show up year after year)
- AA: differential calculus (chain, product, quotient rule)
- AA: integration techniques (substitution, parts)
- AA HL: complex numbers (de Moivre, roots of unity)
- AA HL: proof by induction
- AI: regression + correlation + Pearson's r
- AI: chi-squared test (independence + goodness of fit)
- Both: vectors in 3D
- Both: probability distributions (binomial, normal)
Drill these first. If you can't do every one of these cold, work through them with /explain or /problem-variants.
Common mistakes that quietly cost marks
- IA: choosing a topic that's too broad — markers want focused exploration
- Paper 1 (no calculator): doing arithmetic mistakes from rushing
- Vector questions: forgetting to verify two lines are coplanar before finding intersection
- Hypothesis tests: confusing null/alternative formulation
- Complex numbers: not converting between Cartesian and polar before multiplying
When you mark your past papers, tag each lost mark to one of these. The pattern reveals where to focus.
Where to get real past papers
- Your school's IB Resource Hub (Managebac, ToddleMe)
- RevisionVillage IB Math (the standard prep site)
- Past papers from Follett IB Store (paid) or your teacher
Realistic study plan
IA: choose topic Year 1, draft Year 2 early. Exams: 6 months of consistent past papers. Use RevisionVillage's exam-style questions sorted by difficulty.
How Help in Study fits into your prep
Step-by-step working
Snap any textbook problem — the AI works through every step in IB Diploma Programme (DP) style with full justification.
Try math solver →Board-style practice quizzes
MCQs, short-answer, and true/false generated from any topic above — auto-graded with explanations.
Generate a quiz →Have your answer marked
Paste an answer to a past-paper question — get feedback like a IB Diploma Programme (DP) examiner would give.
Mark my answer →Personalised study plan
10-question diagnostic → AI builds a 7-day plan focused on your weakest topics from the list above.
Take diagnostic →Ready to start?
Set up your profile once — every reply from then on is tuned to your IB Diploma Programme (DP) Mathematics syllabus.
Get started — it's free