A Level Maths

Mathematics is now the most popular A-Level Subject in the UK.

Mathematics is one of the most versatile and well respected subjects that you can take.  The course is stimulating and challenging.  It develops key employability skills such as problem-solving, logical reasoning, communication and resilience.  It provides you with an increased knowledge and understanding of mathematical techniques and their applications.  It also supports the study of other A-Level subjects and provides excellent preparation for a wide range of university courses.

Throughout the course you are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for your own learning and the evaluation of your own mathematical development.

Have you ever been on a rollercoaster?  Have you ever wondered what keeps the carriages from flying off the rails? Do you play cricket? What angle would you hit the ball to maximise the distance that it travels? It models the physics of the world around us.  Mechanics has the key to the answers.  It looks at why things move in the way that they do, or why they don’t move.  In Mechanics you will learn to analyse the effect of the forces acting on an object in a wide range of situations.

Statistics involves collecting and analysing data, using increasingly sophisticated techniques, to make predictions about future events.  It is used to determine whether or not a new medicine is effective or what the weather will be like next week. Actuaries study statistical information to calculate the risk of a driver of a certain age having a car accident. This information would be used by insurers in establishing the cost of the annual premiums.

The Structure of the Qualifications

Content Overview

Pure Mathematics consists of the following:

  • Proof
  • Algebra and Functions
  • Co-Ordinarte Geometry in the (x,y) plane
  • Sequences and Series
  • Trigonometry
  • Exponentials and Logarithms
  • Differentiation
  • Integration
  • Numerical Methods
  • Vectors

Statistics and Mechanics consist of the following:

  • Statistics
    • Statistical Sampling
    • Data Presentation and Interpretation
    • Probability
    • Statistical distributions
    • Statistical hypothesis Testing
  • Mechanics
    • Quantities and Units in Mechanics
    • Kinematics
    • Forces and Newton’s Law
    • Moments

Assessment Overview

The qualification is divided into 3 exam papers each making up 33% of the qualification and consisting of 100 marks:

  • Paper 1: Pure Mathematics 1 (2 hour written examination)
  • Paper 2: Pure Mathematics 2 (2 hour written examination)
  • Paper 3: Statistics and Mechanics (2 Hour written examination)

Entry Requirements

We would normally expect yo to have acheived at least a Grade 7 in GCSE Mathematics. Students are also considered on an individual basis.

Common Career Misconceptions

Unless you plan to do a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) degree, you don’t need A-Level Mathematics.

Most careers that require A-Level Mathematics are male-dominated.

You only do a Mathematics Degree to become a Mathematics teacher.

Further Mathematics is an A-Level just for students who want to become Engineers or Physicists.

“Maths is the only A-Level proven to increase earnings in later life – by an average of 10%.”