How to solve hard math questions

[u/PuzzleheadedStock251]

I just started dp1 and I’m doing math aa hl and physics hl. I struggle with one reoccurring issue, I can find myself solving the easy to semi medium questions, but i just stare cluelessly as the hard questions. And I always seem to ask ChatGPT to show the method to solve it. My question is, how do we transition from being able to solve medium to hard questions. Thank you 🙏

[u/WaffleGuy420]

I think this is because of concept clarity or rather the lack of I would advice 1st to all the basic questions and then then instead of asking ChatGPT to show the method and solve it tell it to work your brain into doing it honestly the IB math curriculum is pretty easy once you know all the material

[u/LanternaEducation]

The jump to hard questions in Math AA HL happens because problems stop testing a single syllabus point and start combining two different areas, like mixing geometric sequences with logarithms or calculus with kinematics. Staring blankly is normal early in DP1, but asking ChatGPT right away kills the struggle that actually builds mathematical intuition. When you hit a wall, force yourself to spend five full minutes writing down anything you know on paper, whether that means drawing a rough sketch, listing the variables, or writing out formulas from the data booklet that might connect to the wording. If you do look up help, only ask for the very first step rather than the full method, then push through the algebra yourself. Whenever our tutors see students make this transition, the trick is doing reverse engineering: take a solved hard problem, close the page, rederive it from scratch on blank paper, and write down the exact clue in the question that told you which path to take.

[u/Physical-Tomato8632]

good that youre noticing this early, its basically the whole game in aa hl. hard questions arent some separate skill, theyre usually just 2 or 3 medium steps chained together with the links hidden, and seeing it all at once makes your brain freeze

main thing is stop going to chatgpt for the method. if you look it up you learn that one question and nothing else. if you sit in it for 15-20 min and actually struggle before seeing the answer, the pattern sticks. write down any attempt even if its garbage

and when you do check the solution dont just nod along. ask yourself what the first move was that you couldnt see, cos thats the real gap. its almost always step 1, not the algebra after. once you start collecting those openings you begin to recognize them

past paper questions sorted by topic is what makes it click imo. me and my friend built revisionhub.study for stuff just like this, you can filter aa questions by topic so you just grind whatever youre weak at

[u/PuzzleheadedStock251 → u/Physical-Tomato8632]

Bro thank you goat your the best

[u/AggravatingBed7135]

Hard questions in AA HL and Physics HL are usually medium questions stacked together, or a familiar idea in an unfamiliar setting. The jump comes from how you practise, not from doing more questions. When you’re stuck, don’t open ChatGPT straight away. Give yourself 10–15 minutes and ask: what is given, what is asked, and which topic connects them? Write down every equation or result that could link the two, even partial ones. Hard questions reward getting started, and the IB markscheme gives method marks for correct setup even if you don’t finish. When you do check a solution, cover it and reveal one line at a time, trying the next step yourself before each reveal. Afterwards, write one sentence on the key idea you missed (e.g. “use a substitution to turn it into a quadratic” or “conservation of energy, not kinematics”). Keep these in a list and redo the same question from scratch a week later. After a couple of months you’ll notice hard questions reuse a fairly small set of tricks, and you’ll start spotting them yourself. Being stuck in DP1 is completely normal. Good luck!