Departmental contact

Miss Patel – [email protected]

Examining board & Qualification

AQA Level 3 Mathematical Studies

Entry requirements

Please see current prospectus for further information

Students say

“Core Maths was useful in Psychology (research methods) and maths questions in Geography.”

“I found Core Maths helpful in other subjects where I would have struggled otherwise.”

“Core Maths was very useful for my other subjects like Business and Biology. For Business, I used my knowledge of confidence intervals and in Biology, I used my knowledge of standard deviation.”

WHY STUDY THIS SUBJECT?

This is a one-year course for anyone who wants to build on their GCSE maths skills. Studying Core Maths helps students develop their quantitative and problem-solving skills. This gives them confidence in understanding the mathematical content in other courses they are studying such as Psychology, Geography and Business. It helps students become better informed citizens, able to make sense of the information they will be presented with in employment, further study or later life.

Some universities reduce their entrance requirements with a good grade in Core Maths. The UCAS points are the same as an AS level.

WHAT SKILLS WILL I DEVELOP?

Core Maths develops the mathematical skills students gained at GCSE. It focuses on using and applying maths to solve problems drawn from other subjects, work, and real life. The Core Maths course includes new content such as financial maths and statistics.

Personal finance skills: students will learn about subjects such as student loans, mortgages, and payslips which will help prepare you for work and/or university.

Statistics: You will learn how to collect and statistically analyse interpret information. This is useful if you are studying a Social Science subject and give you the skills to understand scientific papers.

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

Unit 1 – Representing Data: box plots, histograms

Unit 2 – Personal Finance: tax, mortgages, inflation, loans, budgeting.

Unit 3 – Estimation and Modelling

Unit 4 – Critical Analysis

Unit 5 – Statistics: Normal Distribution

Unit 6 – Statistics: Correlation and Regression

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

You will have two externally assessed exams at the end of the Year 12.

• Paper 1: Data analysis, estimation and finance (60 marks, 90 minutes)
• Paper 2: Critical analysis and statistics (60 marks, 90 minutes)

Preliminary information is used in both exams and calculators are allowed.

WHAT ARE MY POST-18 OPTIONS?

Core Maths is looked upon favourably by many universities when they are considering applications for degree study. They recognise the transferable skills and knowledge that students gain through studying Core Maths. It offers valuable preparation for the quantitative skills students will need for subjects for which AS/A Mathematics is not required such as Psychology, Geography, business-related courses, Sports and Social Sciences, and the Life Sciences.

In terms of UCAS tariff points, Core Maths has the same number points as an AS level qualification and therefore contributes to the overall UCAS points required for university admissions.

Some universities have shown their recognition for Core Maths by making alternative offers for students who have taken Core Maths, alongside other qualifications, reducing the grades required for entry to some of their degree courses.