A lot of students enter IB Mathematics convinced it’s all about formulas.
But honestly?

There aren’t even that many formulas to memorise.

Most of them are in the formula booklet anyway.

What really makes IB Math challenging — especially in AA — is something entirely different:

You have to think clearly, quickly, and calmly under exam pressure.

And that only happens when you actually understand what you’re doing.

It’s testing whether you understand the idea.**

The strongest students aren’t the ones who memorise the most.

They’re the ones who can:

• recognise what a question is really asking 
• see through unfamiliar wording 
• connect the pieces 
• adapt when their first method doesn’t work 
• stay calm when the exam throws something unexpected at them
   

They know the “why,” not just the “how.”

You open a question and your brain goes:
“Oh, this is a binomial expansion disguised as something else.”
or
“This is really a functions question pretending to be trigonometry.”

That instinct comes from understanding, not memorisation.

It’s not:
“I must remember this exact method.”

It’s:
“I know what’s happening here, so I know what tools apply.”

Part (a) makes no sense? Fine.
You still attempt part (b) because the structure of the question tells you where it’s going.

That’s understanding doing the heavy lifting.

IB Math questions are layered by design.

Missing part (a) doesn’t mean you’re done for — unless you panic and freeze.

A few essential signals:

• “Show that…”
  → They’re giving you the result for free. Use it later.
   
• “Hence…”
  → Build directly on what came before.
   
• A weird-looking final part
  → Often easier than it looks, because the earlier parts guide you toward it.
   

This is less about memory and more about reading the exam’s intentions.

Don’t just do 50 questions.
Understand what each question was really about.

Shortcuts are great — once the concept is solid.

IB repeats structures more than students realise.

It’s the language underneath everything.

Was it:

• a concept issue? 
• a careless slip? 
• exam pressure? 
• misreading the question?
   

You fix different problems in different ways. But you must own them first.

IB Math rewards thinkers, not memorizers.
You don’t need photographic recall.

You need clarity, structure, and calm reasoning under pressure.

And yes —
                    you can absolutely learn that.

You've got this.

Truly.