IB Math IA Examples — What a High-Scoring Exploration Looks Like
Seeing strong examples is one of the fastest ways to understand what examiners are looking for. This page breaks down the characteristics of high-scoring IB Math IAs across both AA and AI, with annotated example structures you can use as a reference when planning your own.
What a 18–20/20 IA Looks Like
Top-scoring IAs share several structural and stylistic qualities regardless of topic:
- A focused, answerable research question stated clearly in the introduction
- Mathematics that builds progressively — each section leads logically to the next
- Analytical commentary throughout — the student explains their choices, not just their calculations
- Genuine personal engagement — the topic connects to something the student cares about, and this is evident in the writing
- Critical reflection woven into the body — limitations and improvements discussed where relevant, not just at the end
- Accurate, sophisticated mathematics — at or above the level of the course, used correctly throughout
Example IA Structure — IB Math AA HL
Topic: Investigating whether the logistic differential equation accurately models the growth of a YouTube channel’s subscriber count
- Introduction: Personal connection (student runs a gaming channel), research question stated precisely, why logistic growth is hypothesised
- Mathematical background: Derivation of the logistic ODE, separation of variables, solution in terms of carrying capacity and growth rate
- Data collection and parameter estimation: Actual subscriber data collected over 12 months, least-squares fitting for parameters K and r
- Model evaluation: Residual analysis, comparison to exponential growth model, chi-squared goodness-of-fit test
- Reflection: Why the model underperforms at early time points, what a more refined model would include, limitations of the data
- Conclusion: Direct answer to research question with mathematical justification
Example IA Structure — IB Math AI SL
Topic: Does the time of day a student studies affect their test scores? A regression study
- Introduction: Student’s own experience studying at different times, specific hypothesis stated
- Data collection: Survey of 40 IB students, ethical considerations noted, variables defined precisely
- Descriptive statistics: Mean, median, standard deviation by study-time category; box plots and scatter diagrams
- Inferential analysis: Pearson correlation coefficient, linear regression with equation, t-test for significance
- Evaluation: Discussion of confounding variables (sleep quality, subject difficulty), outlier analysis, what the R² value means in context
- Conclusion: Nuanced answer acknowledging correlation vs causation
What Separates a 14 From an 18
Students who score in the 14–16 range typically have correct mathematics and a clear structure, but fall short on reflection and sophistication. They describe what they did rather than evaluating why and whether it was appropriate. The jump from good to excellent is almost always about adding analytical depth — not more calculations.
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Mr. Ahmad reviews IB Math IA drafts and provides criterion-by-criterion feedback, helping students understand exactly where they are losing marks and how to recover them. If you have a draft or a topic idea, get in touch — every mark counts at this level.
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