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IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation SL

IB Math AI SL, topic by topic

Applications and Interpretation SL is the IB's technology-first mathematics course: modelling real situations, statistics, and a calculator on both papers. This page maps the course — how it is assessed and what each topic contains — and links to a guide for every topic showing how its marks are actually awarded.

The course at a glance

The structure of the course as the IB publishes it.

Written papers

Paper 1 and Paper 2

Each 90 minutes, 80 marks and 40% of the grade, with a short-response and an extended-response section. Technology is used on both papers.

Internal assessment

Mathematical exploration

A piece of independent mathematical writing, worth 20% of the grade.

Syllabus

5 topics · 39 sections

From number and algebra to calculus, each section numbered SL 1.1 to SL 5.8.

Teaching time

150 hours

As recommended by the IB: 120 across the five topics, the rest for the toolkit and the exploration.

How AI SL differs from AA SL

Both are standard-level mathematics courses, built for different students. These are the differences that change what you practise.

  • AI SL is technology-first: a calculator is available on both papers, and modelling real situations is central. AA SL is algebra-first and has a paper without a calculator.

  • AI SL stays with degrees in trigonometry. AA SL moves to radians from SL 3.4.

  • AI SL calculus stays with polynomials, optimisation and the trapezoidal rule. AA SL goes on to trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic derivatives, the chain rule and integration by substitution.

  • AI SL statistics reaches hypothesis testing — χ² and t-tests — and Spearman's rank. AA SL does not, and adds formal conditional probability and standardisation instead.

  • Students who continue at higher level take AI HL, which contains all of AI SL and adds complex numbers, matrices, vectors, graph theory and differential equations.

See the Math AA SL course overview →

How AscentIQ covers AI SL

Every exercise is generated fresh, marked mark by mark against the IB scheme, with a reason for each M1, A1 and R1. For AI SL that comes with some course-specific behaviour.

  • 93 exam archetypes across all five topics, each generating a new exercise on every attempt — never a fixed bank.

  • Technology is part of the answer. The calculator is always available, and a result found with it is marked on what you entered and what the output means.

  • Statistics set up like the exam: the model, the hypotheses and the conclusion in context are each marked, not just the p-value.

  • Answers keep the figures asked for — exact where a question asks for exact, otherwise three significant figures.

  • Honest limit: one section, SL 2.3 (sketching graphs), does not have a dedicated exercise yet.

Questions

Questions about IB Math AI SL

Try AI SL practice, marked like the real thing

Seven days of full access, no card required. Every exercise is generated fresh and every mark comes with a reason.

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