The Mathematics IA is a short written report based on a topic the student selects. It is a compulsory component of both Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (AA) and Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation (AI), at Standard Level and Higher Level.

It is the one part of the diploma where marks are not decided by an external exam. The exploration is marked by the student’s teacher and then moderated by the IB. That means your work must satisfy two different sets of eyes, and the criteria must be visible on the page. It contributes 20% of the final subject grade.

Unlike a traditional exam, the exploration is not about speed or memorisation. It is about mathematical communication — formulae, diagrams, graphs, and clear written commentary. Examiners are not just looking for correct answers. They are looking for how clearly you communicate the spaces between those answers.

Because the criteria are specific and the recommended page range is limited, many students struggle to present their mathematics in a way that earns full marks. This is where expert guidance makes a measurable difference.

We provide online support across the following areas:

• Topic Selection — We don’t just hand you a list of generic topics. We help you brainstorm concepts tailored to your level — whether that’s modelling fluid dynamics for HL Analysis & Approaches or analysing local traffic patterns using matrices for SL Applications & Interpretation — ensuring your topic has enough mathematical depth to hit Criterion E (Use of Mathematics) from day one.
• Understanding the Criteria — Breaking down the assessment criteria in simple terms so students understand precisely what examiners reward.
• Research Planning — Helping students shape a research question, methodology, and schedule for gathering and analysing data.
• Mathematical Communication — Guiding students on notation, diagrams, graphs, and the balance between mathematics and commentary. This includes ensuring that diagrams and graphs are properly labelled, and that mathematical language is used consistently and appropriately.
• Active Draft Review Sessions — We know how overwhelming it is to stare at a blank screen or a broken equation. While academic integrity means we will never write a line of your paper, we work through your draft line by line via live screen-share. We show you exactly where your mathematical arguments break down and ask the right questions so you know precisely how to fix them.
• Criteria Alignment — Helping students make sure their work meets the assessment criteria to the best of their ability.

We do not:

• Produce any section of the exploration on the student’s behalf.
• Provide dictated content.
• Promise a particular grade or mark.
• Carry out any work for the student.

Any exploration a student submits has to be wholly their own. What we provide is educational guidance, not authorship.

The exploration is first marked by the student’s own teacher, using the official IB criteria. The IB then moderates a sample of this work externally.

This is criterion-related rather than norm-referenced: the student’s work is measured against level descriptors, not compared with peers. The IB picks a sample of Math IA work from every school. A moderator outside the school reviews this sample against the same criteria the teacher applied. This process is known as Dynamic Sampling. Where the teacher’s marking differs substantially from the IB’s global standard, a moderation factor is applied to every mark for Math at that school.

The examiner also gives the school feedback where substantial adjustments have been made. Once moderation is complete, the IA marks are combined with the examination marks to produce the final subject grade. Internal assessments cannot be re-marked.

This is why criteria-aligned work matters. A student whose exploration is not aligned with the official criteria may lose marks during moderation, regardless of how strong their teacher’s initial marking was.

The exploration varies by student, but the official requirements are consistent. Students must:

• Choose a topic that allows for a genuine mathematical exploration.
• Present mathematics using correct notation, formulae, diagrams, and graphs. The mathematics used should be relevant to the exploration, and the level should be commensurate with the course.
• Provide commentary that explains the mathematics and reflects on its significance.
• Stay within the recommended page range (typically 12–20 pages, double-spaced).
• Submit work that is entirely their own.

A student who approaches the exploration as a general essay, or who focuses on description rather than mathematics, will almost certainly underperform. The criteria reward mathematical rigour, communication, and reflection.

The table below summarises common high-failure topics and the examiner correction.

Whether you are navigating the early internal draft deadlines common in major UAE school networks, preparing your final submissions under academy schedules, or managing independent study timelines across Abu Dhabi international systems, our online sessions are mapped directly to your school’s specific academic calendar.

Your Personal Classes follows the highest standards of academic integrity and operates within the IB’s expectations for tutoring and assessment support.

• We will not write your exploration, because a written-for-you exploration collapses under questioning in your final exams.
• We will not hand you a topic, because the strongest explorations come from your own curiosity.
• Our IB Math IA Tutors will not promise a 7, because the criteria reward genuine mathematical thinking, not shortcuts.
• Our examiners declare any tutoring activity, as the IB requires, and we make sure our IB Math IA tutors do so.

Your exploration must genuinely be your own work — not just to satisfy the IB, but because the process of building it teaches you the skills you will need in your final exams. Our IB Math IA Tutors help you understand the mathematics, defend your choices, and walk into submission knowing the work is genuinely yours.

Our approach is straightforward: it should feel as though a teacher is sitting beside the student, helping them work through their own exploration.

Your Personal Classes operates as an independent tutoring provider. We have no affiliation with, endorsement from, or sponsorship by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). “IB” and “International Baccalaureate” are registered trademarks of the IBO.