Andrew's IB Maths Vault

Hiya! It's almost August, and another cohort is starting the course very soon. As I've repeated like a broken record, solid algebraic skills are crucial if you want to get a respectable score at the end of the course. Seven key areas to focus on: numbers, expansion, factorisation, surds, equations, inequalities, simultaneous equations. If you can handle most questions with ease you're ready for the course. If you don't think you're ready yet, please have a look at the Algebraic Skills booklet on the website to brush up before commencing the course.  AAHL: AAHL MS: AASL: AASL MS: Andrew  

Hiya! Let's start 2026 with a unit test on basic algebraic skills. This test is ideally taken at the start of DP1, but it's still not too late to turn around if your algebra is not as strong as it should. c;  Starting off with basic number skills and ending with inequalities, this test covers everything you need to know to succeed in IB maths.  AAHL: AAHL MS: AASL: AASL MS: Andrew  

Hiya! With just a bit more than a month before the exams, it's time to make sure your algebraic skills are up to par. There's still time to turn it around, but you gotta act fast. Good algebraic skills are a must if you want to get a respectable score on the exam. Today's test follows the same structure as Foundations of Algebra (v2.2) - there's a section on number skills, expanding brackets, factorisation, surds and negative indices, equations, simultaneous equations and inequalities. Use this as a template for AI if you'd like to generate more practice tests.  After finishing the test, you can also watch the video walkthrough below. Note that all SL questions are on the HL papers, so please feel free to skip the questions that don't apply to you. If you're looking for more personalised support, don't hesitate to reach out and complete the form ! I'm @adventurousandrew on Discord.     AAHL: AAHL MS: AASL: AASL MS: Solution walkthrough: Algebraic Sk...

Hey y'all! A little different from my regularly scheduled posts, this time around I'm just gonna make some quick announcements! For many, a new school year is right around the corner (or already started!) and some of you have apprehensions going into the course, especially AAHL, perhaps due to your friends and upperclassmen scaring you (they're not entirely wrong) or you just realised you're totally out of your depth since day one (oop-). It's not too late to get help. For new DP1s, a solid foundation of algebra will save you SO MANY MARKS on exams. Every high-performing student will tell you to focus on algebra earlier on because it's worth half of the marks on some questions. Quadratics in trigonometry, simultaneous equations in sequences and series, you name it. The gaps in your basics will come back and bite you if you aren't careful. For current DP2s, lots of you have a hard time with trig functions, equations and identities. Unfortunately, there's ...

Hey there new DP1s (and anyone interested!) A new school year is on the horizon and as a tradition I'll send you a gift to help you prepare yourself mentally for the course: AAHL Foundations of Algebra Unit Test. The same test can be used for SL, though you don't need to tick every single box like the HL kiddos. If you find these questions difficult, it's time to revisit the Foundations of Algebra Unit or ask your teacher for additional work. Don't kick the can down the road; algebra will come back and bite you in just a month's time. Unit Test:   MS:   May the odds be ever in your favour, Andrew

Hello! Three weeks of AFK and now I'm back with another set of unit tests! I'm working with RS and others to grind out as much stuff for y'all as possible. c: Today I'm back with binomial expansion and binomial distributions (alongside normal distributions!) - without any further ado, here ya go! AASL: AASL Answers: AAHL: AASL Answers:

 If there’s a biggest killer in your maths grades that I’ve noticed throughout the years, that’s poor algebra skills. I even made a meme on my brane’s failure in arithmetic. Before IB, algebra only comes in waves. A couple short questions on the GCSE exam. Factorise this for 2 marks. Solve this equation for 3 marks.   Soon you’ll see algebra dominates ALL topics in IB. Algebra is just a natural part of a longer question, even in the most unexpected place. Trigonometry and algebra, check. Statistics and algebra, absolutely. Calculus and algebra, inseparable.   If you’re in the summer right before IB, no matter which course you’ll take: please brush up on your algebra. You don’t have to work at the Olympiad level, no, but you should be ready to factorise trinomials as natural as breathing. Or else you’re flushing 3-4 marks every time down the drain and you can say goodbye to a 5, let alone a 7.   Here’s the good news: you don’t have to be a child prodig...

Hey y'all. How's 2023 treating you? Hope everything's going well, but if not, fingers crossed things will get better! Here's the third set of tests from [v2]: Sequences and series! AAHL AASL AAHL Answers AASL Answers As usual, if there are any errors, let me know and I'll fix asap! Have fun folks. For M23:  START PREPARING FOR YOUR FINALS! By now you should've covered most of the content. It's now time to put everything together and get the grades you deserve. Mocks will be coming in April, ideally   on the first week of April. A bit of hectic scheduling for me, but I'm positive things will be alright. Ciao!

Hey y'all! This post is aimed at students who have just started IB or planning to take IB AAHL/AIHL courses in the future, as well as future A-level Maths students, but everyone would benefit from doing some more algebra here and there. Why do we have this booklet? The state of students entering AAHL/AIHL is alarming, especially algebra-wise. Many students managed to get on the course with a 6 at GCSE, which means one could theoretically barely  know any algebra and still being allowed to take a very algebra-intensive course. During the course, algebra is like the air we breathe - you do it in most questions, often without prompts and guidance. There'll be no flashing sign saying "you gotta use simultaneous equations to solve this question", it's just "solve this problem" and you gotta figure out what  you have to do. I specifically wanted to focus on algebra because trigonometry can be covered during our recap of the trio (sine rule, cosine rule and are...