What Are the Best Resources for IB Maths?

The best combination is IB past papers (2016 onward, matched to your syllabus), a topical question bank for targeted practice, and short revision notes for formula recall. Textbooks alone rarely build exam speed. On RevisionPrep, topical worksheets and mock papers are built specifically around the current AA/AI syllabus, first examined 2021.

No — past papers test you, they don't teach you. If you're weak on a topic, grinding past papers just repeats the same mistakes. Pair them with topic-specific worksheets to fix the gap first, then use past papers to check the fix under real exam conditions and timing.

Start with your last mock paper or topic test — mark every lost mark by topic, not by paper. Whichever topic has the most losses, that's your priority, regardless of how much you personally like or dislike it. A topical question bank lets you drill that exact weak spot without wading through everything else.

Know your GDC's core functions cold before results season: solving equations numerically, finding definite integrals, running statistical regressions and drawing graphs with trace. Examiners award marks for correct GDC output even without full working in Paper 2, but only if you write down what you entered.

IB Maths AA is generally considered more demanding — it's proof-based and abstract, with heavier calculus and algebra, especially at HL. AI is more applied and statistics-heavy, using technology throughout. Neither is "easier" outright; the right choice depends on whether you're heading toward engineering/physics (AA) or economics/social sciences (AI).

Yes — both AA and AI still run at Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL); the terminology hasn't changed since the 2019 first-teaching update. HL adds an extra 90 taught hours and a third exam paper, with more demanding content like complex numbers, vectors in 3D, and further calculus.

Maths AA HL covers less pure content than A-Level Further Maths but demands stronger exam technique under time pressure and includes a written internal assessment worth 20% of the final grade. Students moving from a strong GCSE/national-exam maths background generally cope fine with focused practice from the start of DP1.

The Maths IA is a 12-20 page mathematical exploration on a topic you choose, worth 20% of your final grade at both SL and HL. It's marked against five criteria: Presentation, Mathematical Communication, Personal Engagement, Reflection, and Use of Mathematics — each capped between 3 and 6 marks.

At SL, Paper 1 (no GDC) and Paper 2 (GDC allowed) each count 40%, with the IA making up the remaining 20%. At HL, Papers 1 and 2 count 30% each, Paper 3 (extended problem-solving) counts 20%, and the IA counts 20%.

The IA rubric itself — the five assessment criteria in the Mathematics guide — should sit next to you while you write, not just before you submit. Beyond that, worked exemplars showing what a genuine Criterion C (Personal Engagement) response looks like help far more than generic "IA topic idea" lists.

Not necessarily — the biggest grade gains usually come from consistent weekly topical practice and past-paper marking, which cost far less than private tutoring and can be done independently with a good question bank and revision notes. Save tutoring budgets for genuine sticking points, not general revision.

Official IB past papers and markschemes (available through your school or the IB's own store) are the single best free resource, alongside your school-issued Mathematics guide, which lists every syllabus point examinable. Free YouTube walkthroughs help for specific stuck topics but rarely replace structured, marked practice.

Digital resources now cover everything a printed guide does — topic notes, worked examples, timed practice — and update faster when the IB revises a syllabus point. A printed formula booklet is still worth having physically, since that's exactly what's provided in the real exam.