GCE AS/AMathematics (5/6361, 5/6366, 5/6371)
- This specification was introduced with effect from the 2005 examination.
- Contact:
- tel: 01483 477 752
- or use our online enquiry service Ask AQA
For administrative materials and information such as Basedata, Timetables, including the Interboard online timetable, and Candidate Record Forms, please visit the Administration section of the AQA Website.
Examinations Update Issue 35
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 35 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the links above. Otherwise, the links will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.
Examinations Update Issue 34
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 34 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the links above. Otherwise, the links will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.
Changes to the aggregation and certification rules for GCE mathematics subjects
Aggregation of unit results in mathematics subjects up to 2007 had the following two special features.
Candidates' total uniform marks for an award were calculated using a procedure known as ‘least-best’, whereby the best possible grades were determined using the fewest possible uniform marks. The aim was to leave the highest possible uniform marks unused so that they could potentially contribute to a second mathematics qualification. With unit grades now being reported to UCAS, this method is no longer in candidates' best interests, because it means that unit grade profiles are not always the best possible.
From the June 2008 series, the procedure is therefore being modified. Subject grades will initially be calculated in the same way as before, but units will then be re-distributed across subject titles as necessary to give the best possible total uniform mark(s) without changing the subject grades. For a candidate entered for Mathematics and Further Mathematics, units will be re-distributed to optimise the total uniform mark for Mathematics. For candidates who have taken an extra unit or units (eg a candidate entered for Mathematics who has taken seven units), the new procedure will avoid the situation where the best unit result is left unused.
Candidates who wished to certificate Further Mathematics having (against JCQ advice) certificated Mathematics in a previous series were encouraged to decline their Mathematics grade in order to enable the best possible grades to be issued by certificating both titles in the same series. However, with the withdrawal of the facility to decline, some candidates certificating Mathematics before Further Mathematics could find that their grades are not optimal.
Therefore, a new procedure is being introduced starting in the June 2008 series, for mathematics subjects only, whereby re-entering for a qualification will release all units previously used in certificating that qualification. For example, for a candidate who has previously certificated AS and A level Mathematics and now wishes to certificate AS and A level Further Mathematics, re-entering AS and A level Mathematics (at the same time as AS and A level Further Mathematics) will allow all units to be available for aggregation and will give candidates their best possible grade combination (in the sense that the Further Mathematics grade is always subject to the awarding of the highest possible grade for Mathematics, eg A + C is awarded in preference to B + B – this rule has not changed). Therefore, there is no longer any need to avoid certificating mathematics qualifications part-way through a candidate's course, provided that all qualifications are certificated (or re-certificated) at the end. In these circumstances, a candidate's best grade combination will always appear on the final certificate, as there is no possibility of a candidate receiving a worse grade combination than that previously achieved.
Change to 2009 specification
Assessment units MS2A and MM2A have been withdrawn from the 2009 specification available on the Specifications page.
Examinations Update Issue 31
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 31 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the link above. Otherwise, the link will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.
Examinations Update Issue 30
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 30 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the link above. Otherwise, the link will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.
Support material for units MS/SS1A/W, MS/SS1B, MS03 and MS04 is available on the Guidance page.
Revision to MFP2 textbook
The MFP2 textbook has been updated to contain material now covered in MFP2 as a result of revisions to the 2007 specification. This is available on the Guidance page.
Examinations Update Issue 26
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 26 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the links above. Otherwise, the links will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.
Textbooks for Further Pure Mathematics
New textbooks, written by some of our Senior Examiners, to support Further Pure 2, 3, and 4, are now available on the Guidance page.
Coursework standardisation meetings
- Dates for coursework standardisation meetings are generally published on the AQA Website in September.
- Meetings are usually held between October and January and are free of charge.
- Centres are also usually notified in writing.
- If you are teaching this specification for the first time, please contact us to ensure that you are invited.
Policy on attending coursework standardisation meetings
Examinations Update Issue 23
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 23 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the links above. Otherwise, the links will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.