IB Maths · AA & AI · SL & HL
Online IB Maths tutor, AA and AI, SL and HL.
I took Maths AA HL myself and got a 7, then did a maths degree at the University of Trieste. Now I teach all four IB Maths courses online, one to one, in English, Italian or Croatian. Lessons follow what your school is teaching this week, and they're built around how the papers are actually marked.
No commitment on the call.
7
Mathematics AA HL
My own IB grade, out of 7
- IB Diploma
- 43/45
- Extended Essay, Mathematics
- A
- Physics HL
- 7
- BSc Mathematics, Trieste · GPA
- 29.3/30
1
Which course are you in?
- Maths AA HL
- The course universities ask for in maths, engineering, physics and a lot of economics. HL adds Paper 3 and a much bigger calculus section: proof by induction, complex numbers, series, differential equations. Students usually stall where the algebra gets long and there's no calculator to check it.
- Maths AA SL
- Same style as HL, less content, and still a Paper 1 with no calculator. Most of the marks I see lost here are algebra and notation slips. The 5 biggest are in AA SL common mistakes.
- Maths AI HL
- Statistics, modelling and technology, with a calculator on every paper. HL adds Paper 3 and topics like matrices, graph theory and statistical tests. Check your university course first: some accept AI HL, some ask for AA HL by name.
- Maths AI SL
- Calculator throughout and lots of real-world context. The maths is lighter and the reading is heavier. Marks go on turning a paragraph into the right model, and on using the GDC well.
- Still choosing?
- The AA vs AI guide sets out the decision by university course. If you're already in AA HL and struggling, read Should I drop from AA HL to SL? before you switch.
2
Taught the way the papers are marked.
- Method marks
- IB mark schemes split most answers into M marks for the method and A marks for the answer, and an A mark usually depends on the M mark before it. So a right answer with no working can score less than you'd expect. The front of every paper says it: full marks are not necessarily awarded for a correct answer with no working.
- Follow-through
- One early slip doesn't have to sink a whole question. Examiners award follow-through marks when your later working is correct for the wrong value you carried forward. Students who show each step collect those marks. Students who jump to the end lose them.
- Exact values and 3 s.f.
- Unless the question says otherwise, answers go exact or to 3 significant figures. On AA Paper 1 that means leaving √3/2 as √3/2. Rounding too early in a long calculation is one of the cheapest ways to drop the final A mark.
- Your personal traps
- The derivative of sin(2x) is 2cos(2x). Writing cos(2x) is the slip I see most on Paper 1, and it costs marks on a question the student actually understood. We find your own list of these early, then drill them until they stop happening.
Paper 1 style · 5 marksIllustrative marking
The curve y = x² − 3x. Find the gradient at x = 4, then the equation of the tangent there.
dy/dx = 2x − 3
M1 A1
at x = 4: 2(4) − 3 = 6should be 5
A0
y = 16 − 12 = 4
y − 4 = 6(x − 4)right method, carried value: follow-through
M1 A1ft
Total4/5
3
The Maths IA
The exploration is 20% of your final grade at SL and HL, marked out of 20 across five criteria.
- What it’s worth
- Use of Mathematics carries 6 of those marks, and your topic decides how many of them you can reach. Full breakdown in how the 20 IA marks are split.
- Where it goes wrong
- The topic, almost every time. A topic that never needs more than substituting into a formula caps Criterion E before you've written a word. The other problem is timing: many schools want a first draft in the autumn of DP2, on top of everything else.
- What support looks like
- Testing topic ideas before you commit to one (start with how to pick a good AA topic), checking the mathematics is correct and pitched at your course, and reading drafts against each criterion (see what to fix before your first draft goes in). The exploration stays yours from start to finish: I give feedback, and I never write or edit any part of it.
- When to start
- At the topic stage. Two or three sessions there save far more marks than the same hours spent rescuing a finished draft.
| Letter | Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A | Presentation | 4 |
| B | Mathematical communication | 4 |
| C | Personal engagement | 3 |
| D | Reflection | 3 |
| E | Use of mathematics | 6 |
| Total · 20% of the final grade | 20 |
4
How sessions work
- The lesson
- We work through the topic together, building from first principles rather than shortcuts. Every session ends with a clear list of what to practise next.
- The worksheet
- You get a custom problem set aimed at what we just covered, to work through on your own while it's fresh.
- The feedback
- I review every answer. Misconceptions get corrected before the next session and gaps get flagged early, so nothing quietly piles up.
- Practical detail
- 60-minute sessions as standard, 90 minutes in revision periods. Online via Zoom or Google Meet with a shared whiteboard, in English, Italian or Croatian. If you also take IB Physics, we can work on both side by side, so the calculus from Maths shows up in Physics the same week.
Fees depend on the subject and the session length.
We'll go through it plainly on the intro call, with no obligation either way.
IB Maths questions
More on choosing a course in the AA vs AI guide.
Do you teach both AA and AI?
Yes, all four courses: AA SL, AA HL, AI SL and AI HL. I took AA HL myself and got a 7. AI covers the same five topic areas with a different emphasis, so the teaching carries across.
Should I take AA or AI?
Start from the university course you're aiming at. Competitive engineering, maths and physics degrees generally ask for AA HL; many other courses accept either. The full comparison is in my AA vs AI guide, and you should always check your target university's own entry requirements.
Can you help with the Maths IA?
Yes. I help you test topic ideas, check the mathematics and read drafts against the five criteria. The exploration stays yours: I give feedback and never write or edit it. Starting at the topic stage makes the biggest difference.
How is the IA marked?
Your teacher marks it out of 20 against five criteria, and the IB then checks a sample from your school. The criteria are Presentation (4), Mathematical Communication (4), Personal Engagement (3), Reflection (3) and Use of Mathematics (6). The IA is 20% of your final grade at SL and HL.
What does AA HL Paper 1 test?
Paper 1 tests the whole AA HL syllabus with no calculator. It lasts two hours and has 110 marks, which is 30% of your final grade. Section A is short questions and Section B is longer ones. With no calculator, the marks depend on clean algebra, exact values and clear working.
What makes AA HL Paper 3 different?
It's one hour, calculator allowed, and built from two long problem-solving questions that walk you through an unfamiliar idea step by step. The maths inside is usually familiar. The hard part is keeping going when the setting isn't, so we practise past Paper 3s from early on.
Can lessons be in Italian?
Yes. Lessons run in English, Italian or Croatian. Your exam will most likely be in English, so we keep the maths vocabulary in English and switch language for explanations whenever that helps.
Do you tutor IB Maths students in Milan?
Yes, online. Students I’ve tutored come from the American School of Milan, the British School of Milan, ICS Milan, St Louis School and other schools. There’s a guide for each Milan school.
Lessons follow the current IB Mathematics guide and your school’s teaching order. Bring your class materials and your latest test to the intro call and we’ll map them against what the papers actually ask.