Both GCSE and A Level Maths are related to subject-based exams and qualifications taken in the UK in six form school or college. The differences Between A Level Maths And GCSE Maths will be clarified. Don’t dismiss our information raised below in this article to consider which course is much more suitable for yourself!

 

1. What is GCSE Math? 

 

gcse maths
Those who intend to pursue A Levels might usually be required to succeed in GCSEs

GCSEs or General Certificates of Secondary Education are related to the distinctive examinations that students take in various subjects during their secondary education. More specifically, apart from optional subjects like modern foreign language, History, Geography, Religious Studies, etc., English, Maths and Science are the core subjects everyone must take at GCSE in England and Wales.

Normally, students usually take GCSEs at the age of 16 and above. What’s more, to those who intend to pursue A Levels, they might usually be required to succeed in GCSEs. When you’ve chosen to study for the GCSEs, you’ll usually have 2 years to work toward your exams and assessments

Out of all the GCSE subjects, Maths is supposed to be one of the most crucial and challenging tests which students must take. Bear in mind that nearly 97% of the jobs are requiring their candidate to pass GCSE in mathematics with a decent grade at present. Thus, it seems difficult for students to qualify for desired jobs in the future if they fail the GCSE Maths exam.  The aforementioned fact might partly reflect the significance of a GCSE in mathematics. 

 

2. What is A Level Maths?

 

a level maths
A-level Maths is normally studied after doing GCSE Maths in UK schools and colleges.

A Level Maths standing for Advanced Level Mathematics is a subject-based qualification of further mathematical education taken in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica and some other Commonwealth countries. In the UK, A-Level programs are typically taken by 17-18 year-old pupils after a 2-year course at a sixth form school or college. 

A-Level Math programs, which create a turning point and a solid mathematical foundation for students in admission to universities as well as future career options, are right for those who wish to study a mathematics-based degree at university, or related degree courses such as physics or computer science.

What’s more, A-level Maths is normally studied after doing GCSE Maths in United Kingdom  schools and colleges. Unlike AS Maths which is a one year course, You will spend 2 year getting  full A-Level qualification. Furthermore, A level can lead to further study at university, apprenticeships, training or work. 

Among numerous A Level subjects, A level Mathematics is the most popular subject  taken in England. Many young people reckon that A Level Maths is a highly desirable qualification that might help them gain their aspirations for further study and their future career. Besides, A Level Maths has been administered by the main examination boards containing Edexcel, OCR and AQA.

Related article >>> All About Standard A Level Maths Exam 

3. What are the differences between A Level Maths and GCSE Maths?

In common, there’s big differences between GCSE and A-Levels Maths regarding the level of difficulty, the amount of workload, and the style of exam questions. Let’s take a closer look to the differences following:

 

3.1. The topics are covered on A Level Maths in comparison to GCSE Maths

 

Generally, A Level Maths has harder content than GCSE because its syllabus is built  based on GCSE Maths with more difficulties. In this article, we use the Edexcel GCSE Maths Specification and the Edexcel A-Level Maths Specification to make a clear comparison between two math courses. 

+ Topics are included on the Edexcel GCSE Maths course:

  • Number
  • Algebra
  • Ratio
  • Proportion
  • Rates of Change
  • Geometry
  • Measures
  • Probability
  • Statistics

 

As you can see from the list above, the grand total of GCSE Maths topics is 9, which cover a wide range of skills. 

Unlike the huge list of topics as GCSE, A-Level Maths is split up into 3 separate main components: Pure Maths, Statistics and Mechanics, however, each of which has plenty of sub-topics as follows: 

+ A-Level Maths Pure Topics:

  • Proof
  • Algebra and Functions
  • Coordinate Geometry
  • Sequences and Series
  • Trigonometry
  • Exponentials and Logarithms
  • Differentiation
  • Integration
  • Numerical Methods
  • Vectors

 

+ A-Level Maths Statistics Topics:

  • Statistical Sampling
  • Data Presentation and Interpretation
  • Probability
  • Statistical Distributions
  • Statistical Hypothesis Testing

 

+ A-Level Maths Mechanics Topics:

  • Quantities and Units in Mechanics
  • Kinematics
  • Forces and Newton’s Laws
  • Moments

 

From the 3 main distinctive topics listed above, you can see that there are 10 pure maths topics, 5 statistical maths topics and 4 mechanical maths topics; i.e. there are 19 topics in total for the Edexcel A-Level Maths course. Hence, there is roughly twice the amount of content in A-Level Maths (19 topics) than GCSE Maths (10 topics). Furthermore, the mathematical concepts covered in A-Level Maths are very similar to ones in GCSE, thus if you have been already adept with the GCSE concepts, you will find A Level a little easier. 

 

3.2. The Level of Difficulties Between A-Level Maths And GCSE Maths

 

In essence, A-Level Maths is much harder than GCSE. It’s a step up in independence since you’re expected to learn content by yourself. Hence, you aren’t encouraged to take A Level Math if you haven’t achieved at least a 6 (or a B) overall in your GCSE Math exams. 

Although the first year of A-Level Maths appears to have a very similar difficulty to GCSE Maths, the difficulty steps up in the 2nd year of A-Level Maths when your mathematical ability will really be tested and you start to get your teeth into much more challenging A-Level topics. Moreover, A-Level Math is a lot more independent than GCSE Math, and so you’ll have to teach yourself most of the content.  This in itself will make it harder. Besides, you’d better have the right calculator if you want to compete with other students and ace the A Level Maths. 

 

3.3. The Style of Exam Questions Compared Between A-Level And GCSE

 

A-Level Maths questions will be more time consuming, less wordy and worth a lot more marks than GCSE ones. For instance, the highest mark question in a GCSE Maths paper would most likely be 5 marks, meanwhile, A-Level style questions can be up to 7 marks for a single segment question which is much challenging.

Moreover, the way you approach a question in an A-Level Maths paper is completely different from how you would address a GCSE Maths question. More specifically, GCSE Maths questions are often paragraphs that lead you down the right path to work out the mathematical problems. More specifically,  you have a rough idea of what skills you should be applying to solve the problems when you read carefully the questions given. Hence, the only thing that prevents you from getting good marks is if you don’t have the Maths skills or you applied the wrong skills. 

In contrast, A-Level questions often do not lead you down the right path. Actually, you do need actual Maths skills and the knowledge to know which skill you have to apply to gain good marks in the A Level Maths exam. 

 

3.4. The Final Exams Compare Between A-Level Maths and GCSE Maths

 

GCSE students will take 3 Maths papers (1 non-calculator, 2 calculators) at the end of Year 11, each of which are worth 80 marks. Therefore, the final GCSE Maths score is out of 240 marks in total.

Similarly, at the end of Year 13, A-Level Maths requires pupils to take 3 Maths papers ( all calculators). However, these papers will instead be worth 100 marks each. Hence, the final A-Level Maths score is out of 300 marks. More specifically, the first two A-Level Maths papers comprise just pure Maths content, meanwhile, the third A-Level Maths paper includes questions on just statistics and mechanics. The mechanics test on the A Level Maths Paper is purely physics based which is very similar to GCSE and A-Level Physics.

Hence, if you are not good at physics in your GCSE, your performance in the third A-Level Maths paper will be affected and get a lower score –  this could make the A-Level really hard for some people.

To sum up, the differences between A Level Maths and GCSE Maths are the level of difficulty, the amount of content, and the style of exam questions. Therefore, A Level Maths is much more challenging compared to the GCSE Maths. If you are planning on sitting for A Level Maths exam in your near future, let’s head over to our A Level Maths Practice Tests by Estudyme to measure your ability and knowledge as well.