IB Math AI HL Formula Booklet

IB Math AI HL Formula Booklet — Complete Guide

The IB Math Applications & Interpretation HL data booklet is one of the most important tools you have in the exam — but most students don’t use it properly. In this guide, I walk you through exactly what’s in the booklet, what isn’t (and what you must memorise), and how to use it strategically in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3.

What’s in the IB Math AI HL Data Booklet?

The official booklet is provided in all AI HL papers. It contains formulas across all five topics:

  • Topic 1 — Number & Algebra: geometric sequences and series, compound interest formula, logarithm laws, binomial theorem
  • Topic 2 — Functions: key axis intercept and vertex formulas, graph transformations summary
  • Topic 3 — Geometry & Trigonometry: area formulas, sine and cosine rule, circle theorems, surface area and volume formulas, unit circle values, vector formulas
  • Topic 4 — Statistics & Probability: mean and standard deviation formulas, binomial and Poisson distributions, normal distribution, chi-squared test, correlation coefficient, regression line formula
  • Topic 5 — Calculus: derivative rules, integration rules, trapezoid rule, Euler’s method

The booklet also includes a GDC guide summary. You are allowed a graphic display calculator (GDC) in Paper 2 and Paper 3, which makes many statistics and calculus calculations much faster.

What You Still Need to Memorise

Having the booklet doesn’t mean you can stop learning. There are critical things not in the booklet that catch students out every year:

  • Exact trig values (sin, cos, tan for 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°)
  • Laws of logarithms and their applications
  • Rules for exponentials and their relationship to logarithms
  • Key integration and differentiation techniques beyond what’s listed
  • Probability rules — including conditional probability and Bayes’ theorem
  • Set notation and Venn diagram rules
  • Voronoi diagrams and network theory concepts

How to Use the Booklet in the Exam

Most students flip through the booklet looking for the right formula. That wastes time. The better approach — which I teach all my students — is to know the structure of the booklet so well that you go directly to the right page. Spend 10 minutes before your exam revision making a mental map of where each topic’s formulas sit.

In Paper 1 (no calculator), the booklet is your main resource. You need to be comfortable applying the formulas by hand. In Paper 2 and Paper 3 (GDC allowed), the booklet supports your calculator — together they should speed up your working significantly.

Download the Official AI HL Data Booklet

You can download the official IB Math AI HL data booklet from the formula sheets page, along with formula summaries for all four IB Math courses.

Need Help with AI HL?

If you’re finding the AI HL course challenging, I offer specialist one-to-one IB Math AI HL tutoring in Dubai and online. I’ll work through the booklet with you in the context of real past paper questions so you know exactly when and how to use each formula. See also my AI HL question bank and past papers for extra practice.

Ready to get started? Contact me here.