Which course does AscentIQ cover?

IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation SL, completely — every topic in the syllabus, calibrated against real past papers and mark schemes. We cover one course properly rather than several superficially. Additional IB courses are on our roadmap; the Math AI SL depth is the standard we'll hold them to.

How does the marking actually work?

Your work is transcribed, then evaluated against the exercise's mark scheme one mark at a time. Each Method, Answer, and Reasoning mark is awarded or withheld with a written reason. Follow-through is applied, so an early error doesn't automatically cost you the marks that depend on it.

Can the AI get the maths wrong?

The maths isn't generated by AI. Every number in every exercise is computed deterministically before the AI is involved — the AI only writes the wording around values it's been given, and is blocked from producing numbers of its own.

Do I have to write by hand?

You don't have to, but the whiteboard is where the marking is worth most. Writing out formula, substitution, and answer lets each method mark be awarded or withheld on its own. Typing takes final answers only — quicker, but there's no working to mark, and nothing to review afterwards.

What do I need to use it?

A tablet with a stylus is the best experience — the whiteboard is built for it. A laptop or desktop works fully too. We wouldn't recommend a phone: the whiteboard needs more room than a phone screen gives it.

What's in the free trial?

Seven days of full access — every topic in the Math AI SL syllabus, unlimited generated exercises, and per-mark feedback on the work you write out. No card required to start — we'll ask for one on day 7 to continue.

What does "founding cohort" mean?

Founding cohort is open now and stays open based on demand, for as long as we're in this early stage of the platform. Founding members pay a reduced rate and keep it for as long as their subscription stays active, and they have direct input into what gets built next.

Subscriptions are annual and renew once a year. You can turn off renewal at any time from your account and keep access until the term ends.

IB mark scheme

IB Math marks explained: M1, A1, R1.

Every IB mathematics paper is marked code by code — not as a percentage. Understanding what M1, A1 and R1 reward is the fastest way to understand why two students with the same final answer can walk away with different grades.

The three codes

These appear on every official IB mathematics mark scheme, AI SL included.

M1Method

Awarded for a valid method: substituting correctly into a formula, setting up an equation, choosing the right rule. It survives arithmetic slips — papers state that an incorrect answer may still earn marks if correct working is shown. This is why writing your method matters more than a clean calculator screen.

A1Answer

Awarded for the correct value or expression, usually exact or to three significant figures. An A1 typically depends on its M mark: no visible method, no accuracy mark even when the number happens to be right.

R1Reasoning

Awarded for justification that appears in words: interpreting a result in context, classifying a maximum against a minimum, comparing a p-value with a significance level, explaining why a model fits. It is never awarded for assertion — and it is the single most-lost mark in the course.

Two more you will see

Smaller annotations, same logic.

AG: Answer given — used in 'show that' questions: the target result is printed on the paper, so marks are earned for the derivation, not for landing on it.
ft: Follow-through — lets you earn later marks by using your own earlier wrong answer consistently, as long as the method stays correct and readable.

A question marked code by code

One short calculus question, marked exactly as an examiner would — including where the reasoning mark disappears.

A score of 6/10 hides everything: which methods were sound, which answers slipped, which justifications never made it onto the page. Per-mark feedback shows all three layers separately — and once you can see that your methods survive while your R marks vanish, revision finally has a direction. That is exactly how AscentIQ returns every exercise: each mark awarded or withheld, each with a written reason.

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Tangents · SL 5.4

Seed 3D17

Let f(x) = x². Find the equation of the tangent to the curve at x = 2.

(a)Find the gradient of the tangent at x = 2.
(b)Hence write down the equation of the tangent line.

Your work

f′(x) = 2x

f′(2) = 4

y = 4x − 4

Marks awarded

M1Mark awarded. Differentiated and evaluated the gradient at x = 2.
A1Mark awarded. y = 4x − 4, correct.
R1Mark not awarded. Point of tangency (2, 4) never stated — the line appeared from nowhere, so the connecting reasoning earns nothing.