During your twelve years of schooling, maths has felt like a breath of fresh air compared to many other subjects.
Maths doesn’t ask you to write tons of pages based on opinion and interpretation. It doesn’t ask you to dream up stories or learn hundreds of dates or the names of all the bones in the inner ear.
Maths is about the numbers, diagrams and letters on the page. It’s about right and wrong; it’s about applying a method. And you get that.
Now, you’ve gained a good GCSE grade, and your school or college has given you the go-ahead to study A-level maths.
You’re eyeing up the end goal: an A-level in maths gives you a better chance of future economic success than any other subject. What could possibly go wrong?You’re eyeing up the end goal: an A-level in maths gives you a better chance of future economic success than any other subject. What could possibly go wrong?
Before you plan your lucrative career at a top bank, you may want to consider that A-level maths will not be a breeze.
In 2024, 24.1% of AQA’s A-level maths students did not gain a C or above. Take into account that most schools and colleges don’t take students at A-level unless they’ve achieved a grade 5 (perhaps even a 6) in a subject, and you can see that intelligent, often hardworking students sometimes don’t make the grade at A-level maths.
Let’s face facts: most students find the leap from GCSE to A level a shock. There’s a reason they’re called advanced levels, after all.
So what is it about maths specifically that makes it a notoriously tricky A-level?
You can take steps to ensure you’re one of the 75.9% obtaining a C or above at A-level maths. Maybe you can even achieve the lofty heights of an A* like 12.3% of 2024’s AQA students.
Here’s how to do it:
This may well be what you want at the end of this exhausting A-level experience – to head a top brand or own your own business.
You can practice your managerial skills now while studying for maths A-level by being organised and taking the initiative to study theories. You can immerse yourself in the curriculum outside of lessons. Because A-levels are just as much about what you do out of lessons as in them.
Here are some useful resources to begin your endeavour:
Did you find a concept tricky in class? Practice. Did you sort of get the idea? Practice. Did you find it easy? Still: practice! Because with so much content to cover, you need to be comfortable with all areas of mathematics and able to pick up your strategies in an exam at a moment’s notice.
Although the apps and websites listed above are great for keeping your learning techniques varied and fresh, past exam papers are your best friends when it comes to preparing you for the final A-level. They’re all there for the taking on each exam board’s website, so use them!
With the past papers, you’ll find mark schemes. These are great for finding out whether you answered correctly, but they also show how marks are awarded. Know when you need to show workings and when you are wasting your time.
Just like in GCSE exams, A-level maths is not just about knowing your stuff. It calls on you to perfect your exam technique. This means learning how to interpret questions quickly and correctly, and ensuring you spend the correct amount of time on each question.
Also, with so much content to cover and remember, it will not serve you well to cram. Build revision of subject content you’ve already covered into your week if possible, and make sure that in the final months before the big exam you have time carved out to revise all areas of the A-level.
Successful mathematicians are tenacious. When the going gets tough, they don’t give up and they’re flexible in their approach to finding answers. So, when you’re answering a problem, or trying to understand a particular concept or struggling with a whole unit, keep trying.
Finally, whilst A-level maths does call on your independent study skills, there will undoubtedly come a time when you’ll need help.
If you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher or a personal tutor for assistance. It can be useful to spend some 121 time with a professional who’ll help to make that tricky area click.
So, as you step forward into the great unknown of A-level maths, know that it will be tough.
Know that you’ll have to explore further into the deep, dark unknown of formulas and equations than you’ve ever imagined.
But know that, with hard work, the right attitude and maybe a little help along the way, you can succeed. Good luck.
