IB Maths AA Paper 1 vs Paper 2 — Exam Strategy

• M — method. Awarded for a valid, complete approach — the right equation, the right integral, the right substitution. You earn it even if the arithmetic afterwards goes wrong.
• A — accuracy. Awarded for the correct answer or a correct intermediate value. An A mark is usually dependent on the preceding M mark: no method on the page, no accuracy mark.
• R — reasoning. Awarded for a correct justification or logical step — common in "explain" and proof questions.
• AG — answer given. When the result is printed in the question ("show that…"), you must show every step. Jumping to the printed answer earns nothing.
• FT — follow-through. Carry a wrong earlier value into a correct later method and you still earn the later marks. One slip does not cascade to zero.
• ISW — ignore subsequent working. Once the correct answer is written, tidy extra scribbles below are ignored, not penalised.

Equivalent and exact forms (surds, π, fractions) are accepted, as are correctly-rounded answers — 3 significant figures unless the question says otherwise.

Why this changes how you write. A right-method / wrong-number answer still scores. Say a tangent-line question is worth (M1)(A1)(M1)(A1). You differentiate correctly (M1) but evaluate the gradient as 5 instead of 6 (lose one A1). You then substitute correctly into y − y₁ = m(x − x₁) (M1, follow-through) and simplify cleanly (A1, follow-through). That is 3 out of 4 with the wrong final answer. A student who writes only "y = 6x − 7" with no working risks 1 or 0 — the method marks were never demonstrated. This is true on both papers, which is why "show working" is not nagging; it is how the marks are physically allocated.

• Leave answers exact. √2, not 1.41. π/6, not 0.524. ln 3, not 1.10. Converting an exact value to a decimal can lose the accuracy mark, because the scheme's answer is the exact form.
• Show the algebra line by line. Factorising, log and index laws, trig identities, the quotient rule, integration by substitution — the examiner needs to see the route. Compressed jumps risk the M mark.
• Watch the classic Paper 1 traps: sign errors expanding brackets, dropped constants of integration, lost domain/range restrictions, and mis-cancelled fractions.

Paper 1 is where clean, fast algebra directly becomes grade points. Drill the standard techniques until they are automatic, because you have no calculator to check yourself.

• Write down what you entered. "Solving 2ˣ = 40 on GDC → x = 5.32" shows method; a lone "5.32" can miss the M mark. State the equation, the integral, or the distribution you used.
• Keep full precision on screen; round only on the final line. Rounding a stored value early is the most common accuracy loss on Paper 2 — a value that should land at 12.7 drifts to 12.6 and the A mark is gone.
• Check the mode before you start. Radians for calculus and most trig; degrees only when the question is stated in degrees. A wrong mode silently wrecks every trig and calculus answer on the paper.
• "Show that" and "hence" still need working. The GDC cannot rescue an AG question — you must produce the algebra, then you may use the calculator to check.

Reach for the GDC when the question involves:

• Solving equations with no clean algebraic solution (mixed exponential/polynomial, transcendental).
• Definite integrals and areas/volumes with awkward limits.
• Finding intersections, maxima, minima and roots of a modelled function.
• Statistics: normal and binomial probabilities, regression, summary statistics.

Work by hand when:

• It is a "show that", "prove" or "hence" instruction — working is mandatory and the answer may be printed.
• The algebra is quicker than typing (a simple linear equation, an obvious factorisation).
• You need an exact form and the GDC only gives a decimal.

The 7-grade habit is to decide per part which tool is faster, and to leave a written trail either way.

• No working (both papers). The commonest ceiling. Bare answers forfeit method marks and score nothing on "show that".
• Rounding too early (mostly Paper 2). Intermediate rounding pushes the final answer outside the accepted range.
• Wrong calculator mode (Paper 2). Degrees instead of radians silently corrupts trig and calculus.
• Decimals where exact is required (mostly Paper 1). Writing 1.41 when the scheme wants √2 loses the accuracy mark.
• Trying to "do it in your head" (Paper 1). Skipping algebra to save time skips the very steps the M marks are attached to.
• Bringing/using a calculator on Paper 1. Not allowed, and a serious problem if used.

Can I use a calculator in IB Maths AA Paper 1?

No. Paper 1 is sat entirely without a calculator, which is why answers are expected in exact form (surds, fractions, π) and why the paper rewards algebraic fluency. A GDC is only permitted on Paper 2.

Do I still show working on Paper 2?

Yes. Even though the GDC produces the answer, the mark scheme awards method marks for the mathematics you set up. Write down the equation you solved or the integral you evaluated, and always show full working on "show that" and "hence" questions — a bare answer can lose the M mark.

What's the difference in answer form between the two papers?

Paper 1 wants exact values; Paper 2 accepts 3 significant figures unless told otherwise (with exact forms still fine where natural). On Paper 2, keep full precision until the final line, then round once.

How do method and accuracy marks work if my answer is wrong?

Method (M) marks are awarded for a valid approach independent of the final number, and follow-through (FT) means a correct method applied to a wrong earlier value still earns credit. So a right-method / wrong-answer response keeps most of its marks — as long as the working is on the page.

How should I split my time in the exam?

Budget by marks, roughly 1.5 minutes per mark. Don't over-invest in a low-mark part; if you're stuck, write your method to bank the M marks and move on rather than leaving a blank.