Specification at a glance

This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course.

This A-level qualification builds on the skills, knowledge and understanding set out in the whole GCSE subject content for mathematics and the subject content for AS and A-level mathematics.

Subject content

Core content

All students must study this content.

  • OT1: Mathematical argument, language and proof
  • OT2: Mathematical problem solving
  • OT3: Mathematical modelling
  • Compulsory content

Options

Students must study two of these options.

  • Optional application 1 – mechanics
  • Optional application 2 – statistics
  • Optional application 3 – discrete

Assessments

Paper 1

What's assessed

May assess content from the following sections:

  • A: Proof
  • B: Complex numbers
  • C: Matrices
  • D: Further Algebra and Functions
  • E: Further Calculus
  • F: Further Vectors
  • G: Polar coordinates
  • H: Hyperbolic functions
  • I: Differential equations
  • J: Trigonometry
  • K: Numerical Methods

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 2 hours
  • 100 marks
  • 33⅓ % of A-level

Questions

A mix of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems.

Paper 2

What's assessed

May assess content from the following sections:

  • A: Proof
  • B: Complex numbers
  • C: Matrices
  • D: Further Algebra and Functions
  • E: Further Calculus
  • F: Further Vectors
  • G: Polar coordinates
  • H: Hyperbolic functions
  • I: Differential equations
  • J: Trigonometry
  • K: Numerical Methods

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 2 hours
  • 100 marks
  • 33⅓ % of A-level

Questions

A mix of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems.

Paper 3

What's assessed

One question paper answer booklet on Discrete and one question paper answer booklet on Statistics.

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 2 hours
  • 100 marks
  • 33⅓ % of A-level

Questions

A mix of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems.

OR

Paper 3

What's assessed

One question paper answer booklet on Statistics and one question paper answer booklet on Mechanics.

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 2 hours
  • 100 marks
  • 33⅓ % of A-level

Questions

A mix of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems.

OR

Paper 3

What's assessed

One question paper answer booklet on Mechanics and one question paper answer booklet on Discrete.

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 2 hours
  • 100 marks
  • 33⅓ % of A-level

Questions

A mix of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems.