IB HL Math Paper 3: Strategies to Help YOU Ace the Exam

Summary

The video offers exam strategies for IB Mathematics HL Paper 3, applicable to both Applications and Interpretations (AI) and Analysis and Approaches (AA). The paper is short and demanding, so careful time management is essential.

Key strategies

• Manage time strictly. Paper 3 lasts one hour and is worth 55 marks, split across two questions worth approximately 27 and 28 marks. Aim to spend about 30 minutes on each question. If you get stuck on a difficult part, move on and secure accessible marks elsewhere before returning to it.
• Prioritize attainable marks. Try to collect the first 10–15 marks in each question. If a later part depends on a difficult idea, such as phase shifts with complex numbers, move on rather than sacrificing time that could earn more straightforward marks.
• Use the five-minute reading time. Arrive on time and use reading time to understand each question’s context and structure. Pay attention to bold opening phrases, which can signal the mathematical topic or methods likely to be needed. For example, a question about revolutions may indicate sinusoidal modelling, while one about validity and reliability may point toward hypothesis testing. This can help you anticipate which parts of the formula booklet you may use.
• Show supporting work when using a calculator. In AI, if you use a graphical calculator to solve an equation, include suitable supporting work, such as a sketch of the graph and the solution. Leave time to show this work rather than relying only on calculator output.
• For AA students, build calculator fluency. Paper 3 is a calculator paper, even though many AA methods are often practised without one. Practise relevant functions on your graphical display calculator, such as a TI-Nspire, CG50, or TI-84, and ask your teacher which methods you should be comfortable using.
• Practise with Paper 3-style questions. The presenter recommends working through a question from the specimen paper to become familiar with the format and demands.

Speakers and sources

• Presenter: Ginger Mathematician, identified in the video metadata as Sam Gower.
• Sources discussed: IB HL Mathematics Paper 3 examples from May 2021 and a specimen-paper question.