The Most-Tested Topics in IB Maths AI HL
Every IB Maths AI HL past-paper question, tagged to its syllabus topic — ranked by how often each is tested (2021–2024).
All topics (HL) ()
36 papers analysed · top 15 of 73 topics
| # | Topic | % of all HL questions | Questions | Avg marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First order separable ODEs; Euler's method; coupled systems | 9.5% | 29 | 13.6 |
| 2 | Linear, quadratic, exponential, cubic, sinusoidal, direct/inverse variation models | 8.6% | 26 | 10.4 |
| 3 | Derivatives of sin, cos, e^x, ln x; chain/product/quotient rules | 7.6% | 23 | 12.3 |
| 4 | Vectors; components; magnitude; position vectors; scalar multiplication | 6.2% | 19 | 11.5 |
| 5 | t-test, chi-squared, binomial test; Type I/II errors; p-value | 6.2% | 19 | 16.1 |
| 6 | Distance, midpoint, volume, surface area of 3D solids | 5.9% | 18 | 12 |
| 7 | Mean, median, mode; standard deviation, variance, IQR | 5.9% | 18 | 12.8 |
| 8 | Hypothesis testing: chi-squared independence; chi-squared goodness of fit; two-sample t-test; H0/H1, p-values | 5.9% | 18 | 15.9 |
| 9 | Eigenvalues, eigenvectors; diagonalization of 2x2 matrices | 5.6% | 17 | 12.1 |
| 10 | Trial, outcome, sample space, complementary events, expected value | 5.6% | 17 | 9.4 |
| 11 | Max/min, intercepts, asymptotes, intersection points | 5.6% | 17 | 12.1 |
| 12 | Slope fields; phase portraits; qualitative analysis | 4.9% | 15 | 13.8 |
| 13 | Graphs; vertices; edges; degree; adjacency matrix; weighted graphs | 4.9% | 15 | 13.1 |
| 14 | Equations of straight lines; gradient; parallel/perpendicular | 4.9% | 15 | 8.1 |
| 15 | Binomial distribution; B(n,p) | 4.6% | 14 | 11.9 |
How this was measured
Based on OwlsPrep's database of IB Maths AI HL past papers (2021–2024), 304 questions each tagged to its syllabus topic. “% of all HL questions” = the share of all tagged IB Maths AI HL questions that test the topic. Because one question can test several topics, shares do not sum to 100%. HL papers include both core and AHL (HL-only) content. Figures are aggregate statistics from question metadata — no exam questions or mark schemes are reproduced.
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