The Most-Tested Topics in IB Maths AA HL
Every IB Maths AA HL past-paper question, mapped to the current syllabus and ranked by how often each topic is tested (2021–2024).
All topics (HL) ()
33 papers analysed · top 15 of 59 topics
| # | Topic | % of all HL questions | Questions | Avg marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Function concepts, domain, range and notation | 16.4% | 45 | 11.3 |
| 2 | Probability, conditional probability and independent events | 13.1% | 36 | 9.5 |
| 3 | Stationary points, monotonicity and concavity | 12.4% | 34 | 18.4 |
| 4 | Differentiation of trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions | 10.9% | 30 | 11.8 |
| 5 | Definite integration and fundamental theorem of calculus | 9.1% | 25 | 10.1 |
| 6 | Polynomial and rational functions | 7.6% | 21 | 15.1 |
| 7 | Indefinite integration and anti-differentiation | 7.3% | 20 | 8.6 |
| 8 | Quadratic functions, roots and discriminant | 6.5% | 18 | 13.8 |
| 9 | Vector fundamentals and dot product | 6.5% | 18 | 12.1 |
| 10 | Bivariate data: correlation and regression | 6.5% | 18 | 6.2 |
| 11 | Normal probability distribution | 6.2% | 17 | 10.4 |
| 12 | Vector equations of lines and planes (HL only) | 5.8% | 16 | 13.2 |
| 13 | Complex numbers fundamentals | 5.8% | 16 | 12.4 |
| 14 | Right triangle trigonometry and the unit circle | 5.5% | 15 | 9.5 |
| 15 | First order differential equations (HL only) | 5.5% | 15 | 19.9 |
How this was measured
Based on OwlsPrep's database of IB Maths AA HL past papers (2021–2024), 275 questions each tagged to its syllabus topic and mapped to the current IB syllabus via our topic crosswalk. “% of all HL questions” = the share of all tagged IB Maths AA HL questions that test the topic. Topics no longer in the current syllabus are excluded; because one question can test several topics, shares do not sum to 100%. Figures are aggregate statistics from question metadata — no exam questions or mark schemes are reproduced.
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