While the math problems in IXL can get tough, using the system is easy!
If you do not have an IXL account, you can complete up to 20 questions every day, measured in 24-hour periods. It's a great way to try out the system and find out what all the buzz is about. But without an account, IXL does not save your scores and you cannot use the game board or earn awards, so you're not experiencing the real power of the system. You'll need an account for that.
Math practice is designed for child accounts in family memberships and student accounts in educator subscriptions. Teachers and parents can complete math problems in IXL under their accounts, as a way to try out the system and see how it works, but IXL does not save these scores or awards.
Note: If you are an educator using IXL with a lab license subscription, you do not have any teacher accounts.
Math problems in IXL are categorized by grade and skill. Each grade category includes numerous skills, appropriately aligned with that grade level. For example, skills at the first-grade level include counting and comparisons, while skills at the third-grade level include multiplication and long division.
When you enter correct answers, IXL displays the next problem. When you enter wrong answers, IXL displays a window that shows you the correct answer and provides an optional explanation.
If you exit out of a skill without submitting an answer to the current problem, IXL will display the same problem the next time you return to that skill.
IXL tracks the amount of time you spend on a skill during your current session and displays it in the timer on the screen. If you are idle for a period of two minutes or more, the timer pauses, resuming when you become active again. The timer also tracks the total amount of time you spend on each skill, for all sessions, and the total time you spend signed in to IXL. The system displays this information in various reports.
IXL tracks your success and computes a score based on your results, which it displays on the screen.
When you begin working on a skill, your initial score for that skill is zero. When you answer a problem correctly, your score increases. When you enter a wrong answer, your score decreases. Scores cannot be lower than zero or higher than 100.
As you work through a skill and your score rises, the problems become more difficult and your score increases in smaller jumps. Likewise, your score may decrease only slightly if you enter a wrong answer when you begin working on a skill, but as you progress towards mastery, wrong answers cause your score to decrease in larger and larger dips.
If you leave an answer blank when you submit it, the system treats it like a wrong answer.
IXL also rates your score as Needs Improvement (<70), Satisfactory (70-79), Good (80-89), Excellent (90-99), Mastered (100), and Provisional. A Provisional rating indicates that IXL cannot accurately rate your score because you have not yet answered enough problems in that skill. If you have mastered a skill, your rating for that skill remains "Mastered" even if you continue to practice it later and score lower.
IXL awards you medals when you master skills and prizes after you meet certain challenges. These awards are displayed on the Awards tab.
Need more help? If you still have questions, contact us at 877-282-4400 x2, or e-mail your question to help@ixl.com.
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