IB Math AA SL Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the Mathematics Standard Level syllabus
For most students who come to us for IB Math AA SL the problem is not the IB topics but the algebra and trigonometry underneath them; until that is repaired, calculus never settles. We rebuild the foundation first, then use 90-minute sessions for the by-hand practice the non-calculator Paper 1 demands.
Quick Answer
Most students arriving for AA SL need the foundations repaired first, which typically takes six to eight sessions before exam practice can begin. That is why a 20-lesson package tends to be the realistic plan rather than ten. Lessons are 90 minutes, one to one and online.
SL
Level
Fully Online
Format
90 min
Lesson length
€82 per 90 min one-to-one lesson
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund.
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Experienced in IB
Specialist Team
About IB Math AA SL Tutoring
Our IB Math AA SL (Analysis and Approaches Standard Level) tutoring programme fully covers the AA SL syllabus. AA SL offers a pure-mathematics and theoretical-analysis approach but with a narrower scope than HL. It is preferred by students continuing engineering, the sciences or theoretical fields involving mathematics at SL level.
The core topics of the AA SL syllabus include algebra (sequences, logarithms, introductory binomial theorem), functions (exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, piecewise), trigonometry (identities, equations, triangle geometry), statistics and probability (distributions, the normal distribution, correlation) and calculus (limits, differentiation rules, integration, area calculations).
The AA SL exam consists of two written papers plus the IA. Paper 1 (40%, 1.5 hours) is solved without a calculator. Paper 2 (40%, 1.5 hours) is solved with a GDC. The Internal Assessment (20%) is a mathematical exploration on a topic of the student's own interest (Math Exploration).
The Internal Assessment (IA) makes up 20% of the AA SL grade. We work with you at every stage of the IA: choosing a research question, mathematical modelling, the use of derivatives/integrals, data analysis, formula proofs and academic report writing. Our teachers know the IA assessment criteria inside out.
Our programme for AA SL is built on two core goals: solidifying the subject foundation and developing exam-format-specific strategy. Manual calculation skills for Paper 1 (no calculator), GDC use for Paper 2 and structuring answers to the mark scheme are integrated into each student's programme.
All lessons are delivered fully one-to-one through our own online teaching platform.
IB assessment experience
Lessons are, wherever possible, planned with teachers who have relevant subject experience and a strong command of the IB assessment criteria. For some subjects we can offer lessons with teachers who have IB Examiner experience; matching is done based on subject, level and teacher availability.
Syllabus Topics
Exam Papers
IB Math AA SL Tutoring exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 5 hours | 40% | Short + long-response questions, no calculator, 1.5 hours |
| Paper 2 | 5 hours | 40% | Short + long-response questions, GDC required, 1.5 hours |
| IA | — | 20% | Internal Assessment - Math Exploration |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB Math AA SL subject guide published by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Your school's IB coordinator can access the current session documents. ibo.org
About grade boundaries: According to the grade boundary documents the International Baccalaureate Organization publishes for each exam session, the total percentage needed for a 7 varies by subject, level and session in a band of roughly 55–85%. Your school's IB coordinator can access the relevant May/November Grade descriptors and boundaries document. In our one-to-one lessons we review the student's realistic grade range together using past-session boundaries and mock results.
IA / Written-Task Support
Where do one-to-one lessons provide support on the Internal Assessment and written tasks?
Pitching the topic at SL level
The two accidents we see most are a topic whose mathematics sits below the syllabus and one so far above it that you cannot defend the work. In AA SL that balance tips most often around calculus. We test a candidate topic by having you write out every step you would use.
Not reproducing a derivation from a book
AA students often pick a known formula and reproduce the textbook derivation. The mathematics may be right, but nothing comes back on personal engagement and reflection. We move the topic to where you apply one step of that derivation yourself, or carry it to a different situation.
Notation and presentation
A symbol used before it is defined, a domain never stated, indices that drift - this is where marks quietly leave SL reports. Reading the draft, we check that every symbol is defined where it first appears.
The writing does not end with the calculation
What you write after the result is marked by its own criterion: what it means, which assumption it holds under, where the method breaks down. Most students finish the last calculation and close the document; we treat that section as its own round.
School approval and drafts
Topic approval and deadlines belong to your school, so we start the plan during IB 1. We read three times: at topic choice, at the draft where the mathematics settles, and on the full text. We do not write it for you.
Comparing Preparation Paths
The differences between self-study, group classes and one-to-one support for IB Math AA SL Tutoring
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Students with sound foundations who work through questions regularly. |
| School lessons and group courses |
|
| Students meeting the syllabus for the first time. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students who think calculus is the problem when the real gap sits further back. |
Lesson packages
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund. Split 10 and 20-lesson packages across any subjects you like, with no expiry date.
Study Plan Framework
A typical 4-phase structure for IB Math AA SL Tutoring in one-to-one lessons; adapted to the student's exam date.
Establishing the baseline
week 1
- Measuring algebra and functions with a short exercise
- Separating whether errors are in the content or the manipulation
- The weighting of the programme follows from that
Algebra and functions
weeks 2-6
- Indices, logarithms and solving equations
- Function transformations and their graphs
- Trigonometric relationships
Calculus and statistics
weeks 7-13
- Differentiation, integration and area
- The normal distribution and correlation
- A non-calculator question at the end of each topic
The Math Exploration
5-6 weeks, set by your school's approval calendar
- Pitching the topic at SL level
- Getting the notation right from the start
- Writing the interpretation as its own round
Exam practice
the 6 weeks before the exam
- Working Paper 1 under no-calculator conditions
- Writing out the steps behind answers reached on the GDC
- Full-length past papers under timed conditions
This framework is a sample plan; it is customised for each student based on exam date, target grade and current level.
How One-to-One Lessons Work
The general structure of IB Math AA SL Tutoring sessions
Algebra before calculus
Most students who say they are stuck on differentiation in AA SL are really missing the algebra and functions that come before it. We make that distinction in the first session, because it is not a gap that explaining derivatives will close. Break the order and the same error repeats in every topic.
Part of every session runs without a calculator
Most school work happens with a GDC, so a manipulation gap stays invisible all year and appears for the first time in Paper 1. We put non-calculator work into the programme from the first session rather than leaving it to the exam term.
We correct how the answer is written too
Reaching the right result is not enough; showing the intermediate steps, keeping the notation consistent and writing the answer in the form the question asked all carry marks. Getting the working right is not where we stop.
A written progress report every two weeks
We share which topics were covered, what stage the Exploration is at and what comes next, in writing.
IA Grading Tool
Evaluate your Internal Assessment report yourself. IA Grader for all subjects →
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Where Students Struggle
Our experienced IB teachers guide you through overcoming these challenges.
Our Teaching Approach
IB-Focused Methodology
Work with teachers who know the IB assessment criteria inside out.
Where We Start
The first lesson sets the level, and the topic order follows from it.
The IA and the Exam
From the research question to the report, from past papers to mark schemes.
Past-Paper Focused
Real exam questions and mark scheme analysis.
Share before your first lesson
The information below helps the lesson plan focus on the student's real needs from the very first minutes.
- Target IB grade (e.g. 6 or 7) and exam date
- Current level: latest mock grade, predicted grade or weak topics
- School curriculum: the textbook used, IA / EE topic, deadline dates
- Study schedule: lessons per week, available days and time slots
Who Is This Program For?
Frequently Asked Questions
Program Features
- Repairing the algebra and trigonometry underneath
- Putting calculus on a foundation that holds
- Hand computation practice for the calculator-free Paper 1
- Reading function transformations off the graph
- Six to eight sessions on foundations first
- A 20-lesson package is the realistic plan here
- Exam practice only once the basics are secure
Contact us for a lesson plan
Tell us your target grade, where you are now and when you sit the exam, and we will work out the weekly schedule with you.
Quick Info
Tutors who teach this course
Tutor matching for this course is based on the subject, HL/SL level, the student's current level, IA stage, exam date and preferred lesson format.
Our tutors provide mentoring, structure suggestions and feedback during the IA / EE process. IB Courses does not write a student's IA or assignment for them.
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Let us work out where to start with IB Math AA SL Tutoring
In a free consultation with our experienced IB teachers, let's decide together on the number of lessons and focus areas that fit your goals.
The consultation is free and non-binding. We do not guarantee a specific IB grade.