IB Math AI SL exam-day guide
IB Math AI SL · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Approved calculator
Bring a calculator permitted for IB Mathematics: AI SL. The Paper 1 (no-calculator) and Paper 2 (calculator) split and the exact permitted models are set by the IB and your school's exam office, so confirm the current approved calculator list with your provider before exam day.
Spare batteries or charged device
If your calculator uses batteries, carry spares or ensure it is fully charged. Practise the same device you will bring so keystrokes and menu navigation are automatic.
Photo ID
Bring the identification your school or exam centre requires. Accepted forms vary, so confirm the exact ID requirement with the provider.
Admission or candidate details
Have your candidate number and any admission slip your centre issues. Confirm with the provider whether a printed slip is required.
Formula booklet awareness
The IB mathematics formula booklet is normally provided in the exam room rather than brought by candidates. Confirm with the provider whether a copy is supplied and which version applies to your session.
Pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener
Carry black or blue pens for written answers, pencils for graphs and diagrams, and an eraser. Clear pencil cases only; confirm any centre-specific stationery rules with the provider.
Analogue watch
A simple watch helps pacing. Smart watches and any device with communication or storage capability are not permitted in the exam room.
Transparent water bottle
Bring water in a clear, label-free bottle if allowed. Food and drink rules vary by centre, so confirm with the provider.
No phone or smart device in the room
Leave phones and wearables outside the exam room or surrendered as directed. Even a switched-off phone in a pocket can be treated as misconduct.
Prepared mental formula sheet
You cannot bring notes, but you can memorise key results not guaranteed in the booklet, such as the quadratic formula, sine and cosine rules, and the normal distribution standardisation z = (x - mu)/sigma. Verify which formulas the booklet contains for your session.
Timing plan rehearsed
Know the mark allocation and time per paper for your session and rehearse pacing on full past papers under timed conditions before the exam.
Rest and logistics confirmed
Confirm start time, room, and travel plan with your centre the day before. Sleep and a normal breakfast matter more than last-minute cramming.
Plan the day
Do one full timed past paper per paper type under exam conditions, then mark it strictly. List every lost mark by cause: misread question, method error, calculator error, or missing formula. Spend remaining study time only on your top three error causes.
Rehearse calculator routines for Paper 2: graphing functions, finding intersections and zeros, numerical solve, and statistics functions. Confirm the exact permitted calculator models and paper structure with your provider.
Review the formula booklet and write out from memory the formulas it does not contain. Check definitions and typical command terms such as 'find', 'show that', 'hence', and 'comment', and practise answering at the depth each term demands.
Do light revision only: skim your error list and one or two worked examples per topic. Pack your calculator, ID, stationery, and watch. Confirm room, start time, and travel with your centre. Avoid new topics and avoid all-nighters.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive early, and check you have calculator, ID, and stationery. Do not attempt a full past paper; a short warm-up of two or three routine calculations is enough to activate recall.
Read the instructions and check the number of questions and marks. Scan the whole paper and note which questions look routine versus demanding. Budget roughly one minute per mark and leave time to check.
Show working clearly because method marks are awarded for correct steps. Do exact arithmetic and simplify surds and fractions carefully. If stuck, leave a gap, mark the question, and return after securing easier marks.
Write down the setup before using the calculator, and record intermediate values so method marks survive a wrong final answer. Watch rounding: keep full precision in the calculator and round only the final answer as instructed.
Check that every question has an answer, units are stated where required, and three-significant-figure or specified rounding has been applied. Re-read 'show that' and 'hence' questions to confirm you used the required method.
Rules to check
Bring only permitted items into the exam room. Phones, smart watches, and any device with communication or storage capability must be left outside or surrendered as directed; confirm the exact device policy with the provider.
Carry the identification your centre requires and be ready to show it. Accepted ID forms vary, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming a passport or school card is sufficient.
Use only a calculator from the IB-approved list, and only where the paper permits it. If you are unsure whether your model is allowed, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Breaks and supervised restroom visits are arranged by the centre and invigilator. Raise your hand and wait to be accompanied; do not leave the room unescorted.
Any communication with another candidate during the exam, or looking at another candidate's work, is misconduct and can lead to invalidated results.
Scoring rewards method as well as the final answer. Write clear working, define variables, and state assumptions, because method marks can be earned even when the final value is wrong.
Follow the command terms exactly: 'show that' requires full supporting working, 'hence' requires using the previous part, and 'comment' or 'interpret' requires a sentence in context, not just a number.
If you believe there is a printing error or a question is unclear, ask the invigilator rather than guessing. Appeal and special-consideration procedures are set by the IB and your centre, so confirm them with the provider.