IB Math Revision

IB Math AA HL revision:
one exam question at a time.

This is the IB Maths Analysis and Approaches HL (AA HL) hub of IB Math Revision, an independent IB Maths revision site: 750+ exam-style questions with full mark schemes across the five syllabus topics, 17 free topic question pages with worked solutions and 5 free practice exams (PDF). Every question is written or checked by Pete Bromfield, a former Head of Maths with IB examining experience.

Start Revising → How it works ↓ 🔍 Examiner Insights: where marks are lost 📄 Free 20-Q sample PDF 📝 Free practice exams (PDF) 📐 One-page formula sheet
Your Overall Mastery Needs 30 attempts per unit for full

Pick a Topic

Each syllabus topic has its own standalone practice engine. Questions are drawn randomly from a bank covering every sub-topic, presented one at a time — with worked reasoning behind every answer — so you actively build understanding of a specific weakness or work through all five topics in sequence.

What AA HL adds, and how it differs from AI HL

Analysis and Approaches HL is the algebraic, proof-based HL course. On top of the SL content it adds proof by induction, contradiction and counterexample; complex numbers in Cartesian, polar and Euler form, with De Moivre's theorem and roots of complex numbers; counting with permutations and combinations, and the binomial expansion for fractional and negative powers; partial fractions and systems of three linear equations; vector equations of lines and planes in three dimensions; reciprocal and inverse trigonometric functions; Bayes' theorem and continuous random variables; and calculus from first principles to integration by parts, Maclaurin series and differential equations.

The difference from AI HL shows in the questions. Paper 1 is sat without a calculator, so AA HL questions ask for exact answers and algebra you can follow line by line: "show that" steps, proofs and manipulation of surds, logarithms and complex numbers. AI HL spends its time on modelling, statistics and networks with a calculator instead. The topic pages above follow the AA HL syllabus only. Not sure which course is yours? See IB Maths AI vs AA and how hard AA HL is.

Built for the IB Way of Thinking

Three things separate this from a generic problem set — and they're the same three things that separate a 6 from a 7 in the real exam.

Feature

Marking That Explains Itself

Type your working and the AI marker compares it line by line with the question's IB-style mark scheme (Pro). You see exactly where each method mark was earned, where the accuracy dropped, and what an examiner would have circled in red.

Try it →
Feature

Mark Schemes That Teach

Every question hides a fully worked solution with method marks broken out, alternative approaches marked as accepted, and the accuracy tolerances that quietly decide grade boundaries.

Peek inside →
Feature

Honest Progress, Not Vanity Stats

Your topic mastery bar only fills once you've genuinely proved it — twenty questions per topic is the confidence threshold. No inflated 91%-after-three-questions nonsense.

Check my progress →

How the AA HL Exam Works

Your final grade comes from three pieces: three written papers (Paper 1 without a calculator, Papers 2 and 3 with one) sat at the end of Year 2, and a written investigation you complete during the course. Here's how the weighting breaks down — so your revision matches what actually earns marks.

Paper 1 · 30%

Non-Calculator

120 minutes, no GDC. Short and extended-response covering the full syllabus. Algebraic technique and clear written working carry the weight.

Paper 2 · 30%

Calculator

120 minutes, GDC required. Short and extended-response with GDC-driven modelling and interpretation.

Paper 3 · 20%

Investigation

75 minutes, GDC required. Two extended problem-solving questions requiring rigorous reasoning and communication.

IA · 20%

Mathematical Exploration

A self-chosen written investigation. Internally marked, IB-moderated.

Four Habits of Top Scorers

Every year I watch two students with the same ability get two different final grades. The gap almost always comes down to these four habits.

  1. Sanity-check the size of your answer. A village of 2.7 million people is obviously wrong. A savings account earning €4.71 in year 1 might not be. Ask "does this feel right?" before you move on.
  2. Reuse your own answers. Multi-part questions almost always feed forward — the value you found in (a)(i) is meant to slot straight into (b). If a later part looks impossible, go back and check whether you've already computed what you need.
  3. Write down what you did, not just what you got. Method marks are still awarded when the final answer is wrong. A single line labelled "substituting into the formula" is often worth 1 mark on its own.
  4. Own your GDC, and your algebra. Papers 2 and 3 assume you're fluent with your calculator: storing a value, using the solver or finding a normal probability in a few keystrokes saves minutes and avoids arithmetic slips. Paper 1 has no calculator at all, so practise exact work by hand too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this platform for?

Any IB Diploma student sitting Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches at Higher Level on the current syllabus (first examined in 2021). HL AA is the most theoretical of the four IB math courses, aimed at students going into mathematics, physics, engineering, or computer science at university.

How does a typical session work?

Pick a topic from the tiles above. A randomised question appears — attempt it on paper or on-screen. When you're ready, either reveal the worked mark scheme, or paste your working in for AI marking against the question's mark scheme (Pro). Whichever route you take, your marks are silently logged so your progress bars stay accurate.

Do I need to pay upfront?

No — sign in with any account (Google, Microsoft or email) and you get seven days of full access to every question and mark scheme, plus three free AI-marked answers. After that, Pro is €99 a year (or €12 a month): all four courses, every mark scheme, AI marking and the tutor.

What's "confidence-weighted mastery"?

Regular percentage scores lie when you've only tried a few questions. If you get 3 out of 3 correct, that's technically 100% — but you clearly haven't proved mastery yet. This platform waits until you've attempted 30 questions in a topic before your bar can hit its true percentage. Below that, the bar shows a scaled-down "provisional" mastery — an honest picture of where you actually stand. More in how mastery works.

What if I change my mind?

You can cancel any time, and you keep access until the end of the period you've paid for. To cancel, open your Account page and choose "Manage subscription". If you hit a genuine problem, email pbromfield@ibmathrevision.com directly to sort it out.

Past papers: IB Math AA HL past papers (the official specimen papers, where to get past papers, and our own timed practice papers).

Not sure AA HL is the right course for you? Compare IB Maths HL vs SL and IB Maths AI vs AA.

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