A-level Mathematics₇₃₅₇

As set out in the Department for Education’s Mathematics: AS and A-level content document, students studying A-level Mathematics must:

• become familiar with one or more specific large data set(s) in advance of the final assessment (these data must be real and sufficiently rich to enable the concepts and skills of data presentation and interpretation in the specification to be explored)
• use technology such as spreadsheets or specialist statistical packages to explore the data set(s)
• interpret real data presented in summary or graphical form
• use data to investigate questions arising in real contexts.

This requirement is common to all exam boards.

3.21.1 Large data set

The dataset featured in statistics questions for exams in 2018 and 2019 is an extract of a dataset that underpins DEFRA ‘Family Food 2014 report’ (published in 2015). The dataset contains information on purchased quantities of household food and drink by Government Office Region from 2001 until 2014. The specific extract that students need to be familiar with for the exam is only available via the AQA website.

For exams from 2020 there is a new dataset. This replacement dataset is also only available on the AQA website.

The data set must be used in teaching to allow students to perform tasks that build familiarity with the contexts, the main features of the data and the ways in which technology can help explore the data. Students should also be able to demonstrate the ability to analyse a subset or features of the data using a calculator with standard statistical functions.

For the data set that students should be familiar with and supporting resources, visit aqa.org.uk/7357