中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
IB Maths AA HL Paper 1 Drill Guide: No-Calculator Pacing
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB MATHS AA HL PAPER 1: WORKING WITHOUT A CALCULATOR
Paper 1 is taken without a calculator, so the real test is whether you can break a question into steps you can do in your head. Most lost marks come from grinding a heavy expression and running out of time for the last questions. This page is the drilling method only: time split, which questions to skip, and how to keep the error log.
How is IB Mathematics AA HL Paper 1 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (no technology): Compulsory short-response; HL 110 marks, 2 h, 30% (HL 30% / SL 40%); Paper 2 (technology allowed): Compulsory extended-response; HL 110 marks, 2 h, 30% (HL 30% / SL 40%); Paper 3 (HL only, no technology): Two compulsory extended problem-solving questions; 55 marks, 1 h, 20% (HL 20% (HL only)); Mathematical exploration (IA): 20% at both levels; 15 recommended hours (20% (SL and HL))
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (no technology) | Compulsory short-response; HL 110 marks, 2 h, 30% | HL 30% / SL 40% | 2 h |
| Paper 2 (technology allowed) | Compulsory extended-response; HL 110 marks, 2 h, 30% | HL 30% / SL 40% | 2 h |
| Paper 3 (HL only, no technology) | Two compulsory extended problem-solving questions; 55 marks, 1 h, 20% | HL 20% (HL only) | 1 h |
| Mathematical exploration (IA) | 20% at both levels; 15 recommended hours | 20% (SL and HL) | 15 recommended hours |
The official HL Paper 1 runs 120 minutes for 110 marks; this set’s 10 questions work out at about 11 minutes each. No-calculator marks are rarely lost to slow arithmetic but to leaving a decimal where an exact value is wanted – AA answers are surds, fractions or pi, not approximations.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (no technology) | answers must be exact (surd, fraction, pi), not decimals | Grinding an expression that will not simplify, losing ten minutes on one question. |
| Paper 2 (technology allowed) | state the method before computing | Skipping the opening of a proof and writing only the conclusion, losing all method marks. |
| Paper 3 (HL only, no technology) | write the route and assumptions first | Leaving out units or the required accuracy and dropping the final mark. |
| Mathematical exploration (IA) | choose a question open to mathematical investigation | Splitting time evenly so the long later questions never get finished. |
What is each IB Mathematics AA HL Paper 1 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (no technology): answers must be exact (surd, fraction, pi), not decimals; Paper 2 (technology allowed): state the method before computing; Paper 3 (HL only, no technology): write the route and assumptions first; Mathematical exploration (IA): choose a question open to mathematical investigation
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Weeks one to four drill one topic at a time in eight-minute sets until each question type has a fixed opening move. Weeks five to eight run whole papers but only the first half, forcing eighty per cent completion inside the time. The final four weeks are full timed papers, then mark and flag every question that should have been skipped.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (no technology) | 2 h | about 110 min with 10 min checking |
| Paper 2 (technology allowed) | 2 h | extended-response with the GDC |
| Paper 3 (HL only, no technology) | 1 h | about 26 min per question |
| Mathematical exploration (IA) | 15 recommended hours | topic, derivation, computation, interpretation |
How should the time be split inside each IB Mathematics AA HL Paper 1 paper?
Paper 1 (no technology): about 110 min with 10 min checking; Paper 2 (technology allowed): extended-response with the GDC; Paper 3 (HL only, no technology): about 26 min per question; Mathematical exploration (IA): topic, derivation, computation, interpretation
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaving decimals | Writing 1.41 | AA Paper 1 wants surds, fractions or pi | Write √2, 3/28, π/6 as exact values |
| Different bases | Comparing exponents directly | Different bases cannot be equated directly | Make the base equal first, then compare exponents |
| Replacement probability | Dividing by 8 again | Without replacement the denominator drops each time | Use 7 for the second draw |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: question type and chapter; the sentence that lost the mark (no simplification, no working, no units); and the fixed opening move for next time. Keeping the openers on one page stops you stalling at the reading stage.
How many years should you drill?
The IB paper structure has been stable for years, so older papers stay useful: time the last five as whole papers and split earlier ones by topic. The official mark scheme is the closest thing to real marking, so mark against it point by point.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The IB paper structure has been stable for years, so older papers stay useful: time the last five as whole papers and split earlier ones by topic. The official mark scheme is the closest thing to real marking, so mark against it point by point.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB Mathematics AA HL Paper 1 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the IB Mathematics AA HL Paper 1 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
How many formulae should I memorise for the no-calculator paper?
Not as many as possible: keep one small set per topic that you write on sight, and derive each one once in practice. If you can derive it, you know it.
Does skipping questions leave me without time to return?
Write the estimated minutes beside the number when you skip, and skip only what clearly needs grinding. For everything else, partial working beats a blank.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IBO Mathematics AA subject brief (first assessment 2021) | Confirm the SL/HL weightings, durations and the no-technology policy |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-math-aa-past-paper-drill-guide/ | IB Maths AA drilling guide: algebra and no-calculator answering |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-math-ai-sl-mock-paper/ | IB Maths AI SL mock (every paper allows the GDC) |
Original mock: IB Mathematics AA HL Paper 1 mock paper with answers; more practice in the practice area.
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
Demand for tutors in this subject is steady, and those who can explain the marking scheme and where marks are won are especially sought after. Register free; you pay only when a match succeeds.
