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GCSE Biology8461

8461

7.0 Mathematical requirements

Students will be required to demonstrate the following mathematics skills in GCSE Biology assessments.

Questions will target maths skills at a level of demand appropriate to each subject. In Foundation Tier papers questions assessing maths requirements will not be lower than that expected at Key Stage 3 (as outlined in Mathematics Programmes of Study: Key Stage 3 , by the DfE, document reference DFE-00179-2013). In Higher Tier papers questions assessing maths requirements will not be lower than that of questions and tasks in assessments for the Foundation Tier in a GCSE Qualification in Mathematics.

1
Arithmetic and numerical computation
a
Recognise and use expressions in decimal form
b
Recognise and use expressions in standard form
c
Use ratios, fractions and percentages
d
Make estimates of the results of simple calculations
2
Handling data
a
Use an appropriate number of significant figures
b
Find arithmetic means
c
Construct and interpret frequency tables and diagrams, bar charts and histograms
d
Understand the principles of sampling as applied to scientific data
e
Understand simple probability
f
Understand the terms mean, mode and median
g
Use a scatter diagram to identify a correlation between two variables
h
Make order of magnitude calculations
3
Algebra
a
Understand and use the symbols: =, <, <<, >>, >, ∝ , ~
d
Solve simple algebraic equations
4
Graphs
a
Translate information between graphical and numeric form
b
Understand that
y = mx + c
represents a linear relationship
c
Plot two variables from experimental or other data
d
Determine the slope and intercept of a linear graph
5
Geometry and trigonometry
c
Calculate areas of triangles and rectangles, surface areas and volumes of cubes

Mathematical skills references are taken from the DfE subject criteria. Where there is a break in a sequence, the 'missing' references are criteria not applicable to GCSE Biology and have been deliberately omitted from this list.