Advanced level mathematics

Advanced Level (A-Level) Mathematics is a qualification of further education taken in the United Kingdom and occasionally in other countries as well. In the UK A-Level exams are traditionally taken by 18-year-olds after a two-year course at a sixth form or college. Advanced Level Further Mathematics is often taken by students who wish to study a mathematics based degree at university.

Like other A-level subjects, mathematics has been assessed in a modular system since the introduction of Curriculum 2000, whereby each candidate must take six modules, with the best achieved score in each of these modules (after any retakes) contributing to the final grade.[1] Most students will complete three modules in one year, which will create an AS-level qualification in their own right and will complete the A-level course the following year with three more modules.

Overview

The basic A-Level course consists of six modules, four standard (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and two modules that can be chosen by the student or school/college, etc. The C1 through C4 modules are referred to by A-level textbooks as "Core" modules, encompassing the major topics of mathematics such as logarithms, differentiation/integration and geometric/arithmetic progressions, to name but a few.

The two chosen modules for the final two parts of the A-Level are determined either by a student's personal choices or the course choice of their school/college, but commonly take the form of S1 (Statistics) and M1 (Mechanics)

Further mathematics

Some mathematics students will choose to take an A-level in Further Mathematics which requires taking a further 6 modules to give a second qualification. The grades of the two A-levels will be independent of each other. Further Mathematics requires students to take a minimum of two Further Pure modules, one of which must be FP1, and the other either FP2 or FP3,[2] which are simply extensions of the four Core modules from the normal Maths A-Level. Four more modules need to be taken; those available vary with different specifications.

Not all schools are able to offer Further Mathematics, due to low students numbers preventing the course being financially viable, or due to a lack of suitably experienced teachers, so to fulfil the demand extra tutoring such as from the Further Mathematics Support Programme is available.[3]

Some students can also take a third maths qualification, "Additional Further Mathematics", which adds more modules from those not used for Mathematics or Further Mathematics. Schools that offer this qualification usually only take this to AS-level, taking three modules, but some students can go further, taking the extra six modules to gain another full A-Level qualification. Additional Further Mathematics is offered by Edexcel and OCR only. Lastly, a Pure Mathematics A-level is available for those students who (on the Edexcel exam board) take the modules C1, C2, C3, C4, FP1 and either FP2 or FP3.

Results and statistics

Each module carries a maximum of 100 points towards the total grade and each module is also given a separate grade depending on its score. The number of points required for different grades are defined below:

Grade Module (Out of 100) AS level (Out of 300) A level (Out of 600)
A* - - 480 (With 180/200 from C3 + C4)
A 80 240 480
B 70 210 420
C 60 180 360
D 50 150 300
E 40 120 240

The proportion of candidates acquiring these grades in 2007 are below:

Mathematics

Male Female Combined
Entries 60093
Grade A 42.6% 45.5% 43.7%
Grade B 20.8% 22.2% 21.4%
Grade C 15.8% 15.1% 15.6%
Grade D 10.9% 10.0% 10.4%
Grade E 6.4% 5.0% 5.9%
Grade U 3.5% 2.2% 3.0%

Further mathematics

Male Female Combined
Entries 7972
Grade A 57.1% 56.2% 56.8%
Grade B 19.4% 20.2% 20.3%
Grade C 11.6% 10.9% 11.4%
Grade D 6.6% 6.2% 6.5%
Grade E 3.6% 3.0% 3.4%
Grade U 1.7% 1.5% 1.6%

Criticisms

It has been suggested by The Department for Education that the high proportion of candidates who obtain grade A makes it difficult for universities to distinguish between the most able candidates. The 2010 exam session has introduced an A* grade that distinguishes between better candidates.[4]

The A* grade in maths is awarded to candidates who achieve an A (480/600) in their overall A Level as well as achieving a combined score of 180/200 in modules Core 3 and Core 4.

The A* grade in further maths is awarded slightly differently. The same minimum score of 480/600 is required across all six modules, however a 90% average (or a score of 270/300) must be obtained across the candidate's best 'A2' modules. A2 modules include any modules other than those with a '1' (FP1, S1, M1 and D1 are not A2 modules, whereas FP2, FP3, FP4 (from AQA only), S2, S3, S4, M2, M3 and D2 are).[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.cife.org.uk/FAQs-about-A-level-retakes.html
  2. ↑ http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/GCE%20New%20GCE/UA024850%20GCE%20in%20Mathematics%20issue%202%20180510.pdf
  3. ↑ "Supporting and Promoting Advanced and Further Mathematics". The Further Mathematics Support Programme. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  4. ↑ http://www.cie.org.uk/news/features/detail?feature_id=31480
  5. ↑ http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/GCE%20New%20GCE/UA024850%20GCE%20in%20Mathematics%20issue%202%20180510.pdf
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