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 secondary school.

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 combined score of these modules determining the final grade. 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.

Contents 1 Modular system 2 Further mathematics 3 Results and statistics 3.1 Mathematics 3.2 Further mathematics 4 Criticisms 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Modular system

Mathematics candidates have a certain element of choice over which modules are sat, however examination boards have certain regulations about which combination can and can't be used. In total 6 modules must be completed to obtain an A-level qualification.

Edexcel[1]	OCR[2]	AQA[3]	WJEC[4]	CCEA[5]	MEI[6]
Core 1 Core 2 Core 3 Core 4 Statistics 1 Statistics 2 Statistics 3 Statistics 4 Mechanics 1 Mechanics 2 Mechanics 3 Mechanics 4 Mechanics 5 Decision 1 Decision 2 Further Pure 1 Further Pure 2 Further Pure 3	Core 1 Core 2 Core 3 Core 4 Statistics 1 Statistics 2 Statistics 3 Statistics 4 Mechanics 1 Mechanics 2 Mechanics 3 Mechanics 4 Decision 1 Decision 2 Further Pure 1 Further Pure 2 Further Pure 3	Core 1 Core 2 Core 3 Core 4 Statistics 1 Statistics 2 Statistics 3 Statistics 4 Mechanics 1 Mechanics 2 Mechanics 3 Mechanics 4 Mechanics 5 Decision 1 Decision 2 Further Pure 1 Further Pure 2 Further Pure 3 Further Pure 4	Core 1 Core 2 Core 3 Core 4 Statistics 1 Statistics 2 Statistics 3 Mechanics 1 Mechanics 2 Mechanics 3 Further Pure 1 Further Pure 2 Further Pure 3	Core 1 Core 2 Core 3 Core 4 Statistics 1 Statistics 2 Mechanics 1 Mechanics 2 Mechanics 3 Mechanics 4 Further Pure 1 Further Pure 2 Further Pure 3	Core 1 Core 2 Core 3 Core 4 Statistics 1 Statistics 2 Statistics 3 Statistics 4 Mechanics 1 Mechanics 2 Mechanics 3 Mechanics 4 Decision 1 Decision 2 Further Pure 1 Further Pure 2 Further Pure 3 Differential Equations Decision Computation Numerical Methods Numerical Computation

Generally, students must sit Core 1, Core 2, Core 3, Core 4, and two other modules (excluding Further Pure) to obtain a full A-level in Mathematics. To be awarded an AS level (Advanced Subsidiary level, worth half an A-level), Core 1, Core 2 and one other applied maths module (Decision, Statistics or Mechanics) must be sat.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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	80	240	480
B	70	210	420
C	60	180	360
D	50	150	300
E	40	120	240

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

[edit] 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 (Fail)	3.5%	2.2%	3.0%

[edit] 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 (Fail)	1.7%	1.5%	1.6%

[edit] Criticisms

It has been suggested 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 will introduce an A* grade that distinguishes between better candidates.

It has also been suggested that there are inconsistencies in the difficulties of the mathematics modules, it has been suggested that students who take mechanics modules have a harder challenge than those taking statistics or decision modules. This is not borne out in the results which show in fact that the Decision modules have the lowest percentage of A grades.

[edit] See also

• Curriculum 2000
• A-level

[edit] References

1. ^ Edexcel GCE Mathematics specification
2. ^ OCR GCE Mathematics specification
3. ^ AQA GCE Mathematics specification
4. ^ WJEC GCE Mathematics specification
5. ^ CCEA GCE Mathematics
6. ^ MEI GCE Mathematics syllabuses