Which IB Maths AA topics carry the most marks?
We sorted all 873 Paper 1 and 2 questions from the first exams of the current course (May 2021) to May 2026 by topic: how many marks each topic is worth, how often it appears, and how the calculator and non-calculator papers differ.
Updated regularlyLast updated 19 October 2026
This guide is updated whenever new official data comes out. Bookmark it and check back.
Five things the past papers show
Calculus is the biggest topic
Calculus is 26% of SL and 31% of HL Paper 1 and 2 marks. Every HL exam had between 42 and 84 of its 220 marks on calculus.
Exam weight is not teaching time
HL calculus takes 26% of the IB's recommended teaching hours but 31% of the marks. Functions take 15% of the hours but 9% of the marks, because function skills are tested inside calculus questions (we count each question once, under its main topic).
Some topics come up every time
At SL, geometry (triangles, circles, 3D) was in all 22 exams, and sequences and trigonometry in 21. At HL, vectors and continuous random variables were in all 20, and complex numbers in 19.
Paper 1 and Paper 2 test different topics
Continuous random variables and the normal distribution are almost all on Paper 2 (SL 97%, HL 92% of their marks). HL complex numbers (84%) and proof (93%) are mostly on the non-calculator Paper 1.
Rare topics come as big questions
HL Maclaurin series appeared in only 7 of 20 exams, but averaged 14 marks each time. Graphs, limits and L'Hôpital's rule appeared 9 times at 17 marks each, usually as a long Section B question.
Marks by topic against teaching hours
For each of the IB's five topics: its share of Paper 1 and 2 marks (dark bar) and its share of the IB's recommended teaching hours (light bar).
- Share of past-paper marks (Paper 1 and 2)
- Share of IB recommended teaching hours
SL
22 exams, 3,520 marksHL
20 exams, 4,400 marksTeaching hours are the IB guide's recommended hours for the five topics (the 30 hours for the toolkit and the exploration are left out). Exponents and logarithms are counted under number and algebra, and the factor and remainder theorems under functions.
Marks and frequency by question type
Based on the question types in Alex's past-paper books (27 at HL, 19 at SL). 'Appeared in' counts the exams where the type came up at least once in Paper 1 or Paper 2.
| Question type | Topic | Share of marks | Average per exam | Appeared in | On Paper 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vectors, lines and planes | Geometry and trigonometry | 10.6% | 23.2 marks | 20 of 20 | 43% |
| Complex numbers | Number and algebra | 7.2% | 15.8 marks | 19 of 20 | 84% |
| Continuous random variables and the normal distribution | Statistics and probability | 7.1% | 15.6 marks | 20 of 20 | 8% |
| Differential equations | Calculus | 6.6% | 14.6 marks | 18 of 20 | 29% |
| Geometry (triangles, circles, 3D) | Geometry and trigonometry | 5.5% | 12.2 marks | 19 of 20 | 39% |
| Functions and graphs | Functions | 5.2% | 11.4 marks | 18 of 20 | 67% |
| Trigonometric functions and equations | Geometry and trigonometry | 5.2% | 11.4 marks | 18 of 20 | 66% |
| Properties of curves (stationary points, concavity) | Calculus | 4.9% | 10.7 marks | 16 of 20 | 49% |
| Sequences and series | Number and algebra | 4.6% | 10.2 marks | 18 of 20 | 61% |
| Discrete random variables and the binomial distribution | Statistics and probability | 3.6% | 8.0 marks | 14 of 20 | 29% |
| Proof (induction at HL) | Number and algebra | 3.5% | 7.8 marks | 16 of 20 | 93% |
| Applications of differentiation (optimisation) | Calculus | 3.5% | 7.7 marks | 14 of 20 | 56% |
| Graphs, limits and L'Hôpital's rule | Calculus | 3.4% | 7.5 marks | 9 of 20 | 17% |
| Kinematics | Calculus | 3.0% | 6.5 marks | 15 of 20 | 16% |
| Definite integrals and areas | Calculus | 2.8% | 6.2 marks | 11 of 20 | 68% |
| Probability | Statistics and probability | 2.7% | 5.8 marks | 14 of 20 | 61% |
| Volumes of revolution and improper integrals | Calculus | 2.5% | 5.5 marks | 14 of 20 | 24% |
| Binomial expansion | Number and algebra | 2.4% | 5.3 marks | 14 of 20 | 67% |
| Maclaurin series | Calculus | 2.2% | 5.0 marks | 7 of 20 | 92% |
| Exponents and logarithms | Number and algebra | 2.2% | 4.8 marks | 13 of 20 | 58% |
| Quadratics | Functions | 2.1% | 4.7 marks | 9 of 20 | 95% |
| Integration techniques | Calculus | 1.9% | 4.2 marks | 9 of 20 | 85% |
| Counting (permutations, combinations) | Number and algebra | 1.9% | 4.1 marks | 14 of 20 | 24% |
| Correlation and regression | Statistics and probability | 1.8% | 4.0 marks | 13 of 20 | 9% |
| Factor and remainder theorems | Functions | 1.8% | 3.9 marks | 10 of 20 | 69% |
| Sampling and data | Statistics and probability | 1.2% | 2.6 marks | 9 of 20 | 32% |
| Rules of differentiation | Calculus | 0.6% | 1.3 marks | 2 of 20 | 42% |
| Question type | Topic | Share of marks | Average per exam | Appeared in | On Paper 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry (triangles, circles, 3D) | Geometry and trigonometry | 12.6% | 20.2 marks | 22 of 22 | 31% |
| Sequences and series | Number and algebra | 9.1% | 14.5 marks | 21 of 22 | 46% |
| Trigonometric functions and equations | Geometry and trigonometry | 8.5% | 13.5 marks | 21 of 22 | 57% |
| Properties of curves (stationary points, concavity) | Calculus | 7.5% | 12.0 marks | 18 of 22 | 80% |
| Functions and graphs | Functions | 7.0% | 11.2 marks | 20 of 22 | 64% |
| Exponents and logarithms | Number and algebra | 6.8% | 10.9 marks | 18 of 22 | 68% |
| Continuous random variables and the normal distribution | Statistics and probability | 6.2% | 10.0 marks | 19 of 22 | 3% |
| Applications of differentiation (optimisation) | Calculus | 5.8% | 9.2 marks | 14 of 22 | 49% |
| Kinematics | Calculus | 5.6% | 8.9 marks | 20 of 22 | 33% |
| Discrete random variables and the binomial distribution | Statistics and probability | 5.6% | 8.9 marks | 19 of 22 | 40% |
| Definite integrals and areas | Calculus | 5.5% | 8.8 marks | 17 of 22 | 79% |
| Sampling and data | Statistics and probability | 4.3% | 6.9 marks | 15 of 22 | 54% |
| Probability | Statistics and probability | 4.3% | 6.9 marks | 18 of 22 | 57% |
| Quadratics | Functions | 3.9% | 6.3 marks | 13 of 22 | 83% |
| Correlation and regression | Statistics and probability | 2.8% | 4.5 marks | 15 of 22 | 7% |
| Binomial expansion | Number and algebra | 2.4% | 3.9 marks | 15 of 22 | 44% |
| Integration techniques | Calculus | 1.5% | 2.4 marks | 10 of 22 | 46% |
| Proof (induction at HL) | Number and algebra | 0.5% | 0.8 marks | 4 of 22 | 100% |
| Rules of differentiation | Calculus | 0.1% | 0.2 marks | 1 of 22 | 100% |
A long question that mixes topics is counted once, under the type that carries most of its marks. The HL November 2023 TZ2 papers are not in the books and are left out.
Non-calculator and calculator papers
Question types with at least 80% of their marks on one paper (types worth at least 40 marks in total).
Mostly Paper 1 (no calculator)
- HLQuadratics95% of its marks
- HLProof (induction at HL)93% of its marks
- HLMaclaurin series92% of its marks
- HLIntegration techniques85% of its marks
- HLComplex numbers84% of its marks
- SLQuadratics83% of its marks
Mostly Paper 2 (calculator)
- SLContinuous random variables and the normal distribution97% of its marks
- SLCorrelation and regression93% of its marks
- HLContinuous random variables and the normal distribution92% of its marks
- HLCorrelation and regression91% of its marks
- HLKinematics84% of its marks
- HLGraphs, limits and L'Hôpital's rule83% of its marks
How to plan revision with it
Start with the types that come up every time
Types that appear in nearly every exam (SL geometry, sequences, trigonometry; HL vectors, continuous random variables, complex numbers) carry marks in every paper. Working through their past questions type by type pays off first.
Practise Paper 2 topics with the calculator
For topics concentrated on Paper 2, such as the normal distribution and regression, students need fluent GDC use to finish in time.
Practise Paper 1 topics by hand
HL complex numbers, proof and Maclaurin series, and SL properties of curves and definite integrals, need accurate working without a calculator.
Do not skip the small topics
Rare HL types tend to come as long questions when they appear. A student aiming for a 7 should try every type in past papers at least once.
Prepare Paper 3 separately
HL Paper 3 (20% of the grade) is two long problem-solving questions across topics, so it is not in this analysis.
How we counted
- Data: the IB's official past papers for May 2021 to May 2026 (English versions), 873 Paper 1 and 2 questions, 7,920 marks.
- Classification: the question types in the topic-by-topic past-paper books Alex makes for his students. Each question counts once.
- Marks: the maximum mark printed on each question. For every exam we checked that Paper 1 and Paper 2 add up to 80 (SL) or 110 (HL) marks.
- Left out: specimen papers, HL Paper 3, and the HL November 2023 TZ2 papers.
- Teaching hours: the IB's Mathematics: analysis and approaches guide (first assessment 2021), syllabus outline.
- We recount when new exam papers come out.
Sources
Past papers are the IB's official papers, which Alex buys from the IB each session; questions are not reproduced here.
Preparing for a 7 in AA HL?
The AA HL video course follows the syllabus topic by topic, with exam-style questions worked through. Sign up on the course page to hear when new lessons open.
This analysis is Math with Alex's own classification of the IB's official past papers and is not affiliated with the IB. It shows past exams and does not predict future papers.
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