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IB Math AA vs AI: how to choose the right course

Global TutorsOctober 21, 2026

Every IB Diploma student takes exactly one mathematics course, and the IB offers two: Mathematics: analysis and approaches (AA) and Mathematics: applications and interpretation (AI). Both run at standard level (SL) and higher level (HL), so there are four options in total. The choice affects how your child learns maths for two years and how they're examined, and the IB says its maths courses are designed to meet the requirements of a range of university and career aspirations. This guide sets out what the IB says about each course and how to decide.

IB Math AA vs AI: the short answer

AA is the more algebraic, proof-focused course. The IB says it "has a strong emphasis on the ability to construct, communicate and justify correct mathematical arguments", and its new subject brief describes "a specific focus on mathematical analysis using functions and calculus".

AI is the modelling and statistics course. The IB says it "emphasizes the meaning of mathematics in context by focusing on topics that are often used as applications or in mathematical modelling", and that "all external assessments involve the use of technology".

Both courses still include calculus and statistics, and both share 60 hours of common SL content. The difference is emphasis: AA leans towards abstract reasoning and working without a calculator, and AI towards real data, modelling and using technology well.

How the exams differ

For the current courses (first assessed in 2021), the IB's subject briefs set out this structure:

  • AA SL: Paper 1 with no technology allowed (1.5 hours, 40%), Paper 2 with technology allowed (1.5 hours, 40%) and the exploration (20%).
  • AA HL: Paper 1 with no technology (2 hours, 30%), Paper 2 with technology (2 hours, 30%), Paper 3 with two extended problem-solving questions (20%) and the exploration (20%).
  • AI SL: Paper 1 with technology allowed (1.5 hours, 40%), Paper 2 with technology allowed (1.5 hours, 40%) and the exploration (20%).
  • AI HL: Paper 1 (2 hours, 30%), Paper 2 (2 hours, 30%) and Paper 3 (20%), all with technology allowed, plus the exploration (20%).

The practical difference is the no-calculator paper. In AA, Paper 1 counts for 40% of the SL grade and 30% of the HL grade, so algebra done without a calculator counts for a large share of the grade. In AI, every paper allows technology, so fluency with the graphic display calculator matters more. The IB says all DP maths courses require students to "become proficient with graphic display calculators".

The exploration is the internal assessment in both courses. It's a piece of written work on an area of maths the student chooses, and it counts for 20% at both levels.

What changes from 2027

The IB is replacing both courses. According to its mathematics page, the final assessment of the current courses is in November 2028, and "a new curriculum will be taught from 2027", with first assessment in 2029. That means:

  • Students sitting their IB exams in 2027 or 2028 take the current AA and AI courses.
  • Students whose first assessment is in 2029 take the new courses.

The new courses keep AA and AI at SL and HL, with 150 teaching hours at SL and 240 at HL. External exams still make up 80% and the exploration 20%. According to the new subject briefs:

  • AA: Paper 1 allows no technology, while Papers 2 and 3 require technology. The IB says each topic "is studied with and without a calculator".
  • AI: all papers require technology, and students "study each topic using technology".
  • The exploration gets 30 recommended hours (up from 15 in the current briefs) and four marking criteria: problem specification (4 marks), abstraction (6), computation (4) and interpretation (6), a total of 20.

The new topic hours show the difference in emphasis clearly. At SL, AA gives 33 hours to functions and 30 to calculus, while AI gives 36 hours to probability and statistics and 19 to calculus. Only AA HL includes complex numbers and Maclaurin series. AI HL includes matrices and graph theory.

Bar chart of recommended teaching hours by topic in the new IB maths courses, first assessment 2029. SL, AA then AI: number and algebra 19 and 16, functions 33 and 31, geometry 16 and 18, probability and statistics 22 and 36, calculus 30 and 19, exploration 30 and 30. HL: 42 and 27, 46 and 45, 35 and 45, 28 and 52, 59 and 41, 30 and 30

The exploration has the same 30 hours in all four options, so every difference in teaching time sits in the five main topics.

Check university requirements before choosing

The IB's general regulations say the requirements of individual universities are beyond the IB's control, and that students and their families bear the sole responsibility for checking the entry requirements of the universities they're interested in. That includes any requirement for a particular maths course or level.

So the practical step comes first: look up the published entry requirements for each degree and university your child is considering, in every country on the list, before they choose. If none of them names a maths requirement, choose the course that matches how your child likes to work, at the most demanding level they can do well in. The IB counts a grade at SL and HL the same way towards the diploma total.

How to choose: questions to ask

Use these questions with your child and their DP coordinator:

  1. What do they want to study? If a degree on their list names AA or AI, or HL, that answers the question.
  2. How do they handle algebra without a calculator? AA rewards confident algebraic manipulation and proof. If simplifying expressions by hand is a struggle, that will show in AA Paper 1.
  3. Do they enjoy data and real-world problems? AI puts statistics, modelling and technology at the centre.
  4. Which options does their school run? Find out which of the four courses fit your child's timetable before planning.
  5. How heavy is the rest of their programme? Students take three or four subjects at HL, and HL maths is 240 teaching hours on its own. Balance it against their other HL choices.

How a tutor can help with either course

A good tutor can help in both directions:

  • Before the choice: honestly assess your child's algebra and their comfort with abstract work.
  • In AA: build non-calculator fluency for Paper 1.
  • In AI: build confident, accurate use of the graphic display calculator and clear interpretation of results in context.
  • In both: give feedback while your child plans the exploration. The final work must be their own.

FAQ

Is IB Math AA harder than AI?

They're hard in different ways. AA demands more abstract algebra and has a no-technology paper, while AI demands strong modelling, statistics and calculator skills. The IB grades both on the same 1 to 7 scale.

What is the IB maths exploration?

It's the internal assessment in both AA and AI: written work in which the student investigates an area of maths that interests them. It counts for 20% of the final grade at SL and HL.

Do the new courses affect students who started the DP in 2026?

No. The DP is a two-year programme, so students who started in 2026 sit their final exams in 2027 or 2028, and the current courses are assessed for the last time in November 2028. The new courses are first assessed in 2029.

Is HL worth more points than SL?

No. The IB awards the same number of points for HL and SL courses. HL covers more content, at 240 teaching hours compared with 150 at SL.

Can a student take both AA and AI?

No. The IB says students can only study one course in mathematics as part of their diploma.

Get help from an experienced IB maths tutor

Our 124 tutors include 16 with examiner, marker or moderator experience, and 51% hold a teaching qualification. We'll match your child with an IB maths tutor for AA or AI, at SL or HL, within a day. You start with a free, no-obligation Meet & Greet, and there's no long-term contract.

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