Free IB Maths AA SL baseline test: start of DP1
Find out where a student is starting from at the start of DP1. 20 multiple-choice questions on the GCSE / MYP maths an AA SL course builds on: number, algebra, graphs, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability, marked instantly, with a report that shows which topics are secure and which need work.
Free: sign in and start. Use Google, Microsoft or your email; you come straight back to the test.
What it covers
The test is written for the start of DP1 of IB Maths AA SL. It covers the GCSE / MYP maths an AA SL course builds on: number, algebra, graphs, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability. Each question is tagged with the topic it tests, so the report maps straight onto the course:
- Order of operations
- Dividing fractions
- Sharing in a ratio
- Standard form
- Laws of indices
- Expanding brackets
- Factorising quadratics
- Linear equations
- Linear inequalities
- Rearranging formulae
- Substituting into formulae
- Gradient of a line
- Equation of a straight line
- Volume of a cylinder
- Pythagoras' theorem
- Right-angled trigonometry
- Mean from a frequency table
- Probability without replacement
- Rationalising the denominator
- Simultaneous equations
How it works
- 20 questions, four options each, one mark per question, about 40 minutes. Calculator allowed.
- Online or on paper. Click A, B, C or D online, or fill in the one-page answer sheet and upload a photo: the bubbles are read for you and anything unclear is shown to check.
- Students on their own see their result and topic report as soon as they submit.
- Teachers set it for a class from the class page, print the paper and answer sheets, and release results when everyone has finished. The class report shows each student's gaps and the weakest topics across the class, and results go into the class's mastery grid.
Two sample questions
These are like the questions in the test, with different numbers. They are not in the test itself.
Sample 1 · Linear equations
Solve \(7x - 3 = 3x + 13\).
- \(x = \frac{5}{2}\)
- \(x = \frac{8}{5}\)
- \(x = 4\)
- \(x = \frac{1}{4}\)
Show the answer and working
Answer: C
Collect the \(x\) terms on one side and the numbers on the other: \(x = 4\).
A is what you get if you moved a number across without changing its sign. B is what you get if you moved an x-term across without changing its sign. D is what you get if you divided the wrong way round.
Sample 2 · Gradient of a line
What is the gradient of the straight line through \((1, 4)\) and \((5, -8)\)?
- \(-\frac{1}{3}\)
- \(-3\)
- \(-\frac{2}{3}\)
- \(3\)
Show the answer and working
Answer: B
\(m = \frac{-8 - (4)}{5 - (1)} = -3\).
A is what you get if you divided the change in x by the change in y. C is what you get if you added the coordinates instead of subtracting. D is what you get if you subtracted in opposite orders on the top and bottom.
What the report looks like
Example report (made-up results for one student):
Score 13 / 20 (65%)
- Order of operationsGap
- Dividing fractionsGap
- Sharing in a ratioDeveloping
- Standard formDeveloping
- Laws of indicesSecure
- Expanding bracketsSecure
Each weak topic links to practice on that topic, and each wrong answer names the common mistake it comes from (for example “moved a number across without changing its sign”).
Questions students and teachers ask
Is the baseline test free?
Yes. The test, the result and the topic report are free. Sign in with a free account (Google, Microsoft or email) so your result is saved; there is no payment and no card. Teachers use it free with a class too: printable papers, answer sheets and the class report come with a free teacher account.
How long does it take?
20 multiple-choice questions, about 40 minutes. A calculator is allowed. A teacher can set it as a timed test.
Can it be done on paper?
Yes. A teacher prints the question paper and a one-page answer sheet. Students fill in one bubble per question; a photo of the sheet is read for you. The bubbles are read twice (on the device and with AI), and any question where the readings disagree is shown on screen to check. Everyone can also answer online by clicking A, B, C or D.
What does the result show?
The score, a topic-by-topic report with the weakest topics first, the common mistake behind each wrong answer, and links to practise each weak topic. It shows where a student is starting from; it is not a grade prediction.
Can a student take it more than once?
Each student takes each test once (and once for each class it is set for), so the result stays a fair starting point. Teachers release class results when everyone has finished.
Other free baseline tests
- IB Maths AA HL: start of DP1 baseline · Start of DP1
- IB Maths AI SL: start of DP1 baseline · Start of DP1
- IB Maths AI HL: start of DP1 baseline · Start of DP1
- IB Maths AA SL: start of DP2 baseline · Start of DP2
- IB Maths AA HL: start of DP2 baseline · Start of DP2
- IB Maths AI SL: start of DP2 baseline · Start of DP2
- IB Maths AI HL: start of DP2 baseline · Start of DP2