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How difficult is Further Pure 1?

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the correct section, and sorry if this is a common thread, but I'll go ahead anyway.

Right, here's me situation, I'm in year 13 going to university to study physics in September and the university I really want to study at requires AAA grades and the problem is that I got 232 (a high B) last year in OCR mathematics purely due to the "Probability and Statistics" Unit which I got 67 (a high C) on- I performed well in Core 1 and Core 2.

Now, I seem to be the kind of person who gets better at Maths as I get older as I'm finding the A2 year fine so far- Core 3 wasn't bad and D1 was fairly simple, whilst C4 seems great so far. Also, I have found that (probably due to my physics-based brain) that I am very good at calculus, trigonometry and quite a few pure Maths modules (as in the Core units) but not so great at probability and stats (I'm better at the latter though).

So, I would like the opinions and advice of people whom have taken a multitude of Maths units that I haven't taken- mostly people who have taken FP1 (note this is OCR as I mentioned earlier)- in order for me to decide which unit to sit in order to boost my marks and guarantee me an A grade rather than resitting the Probability and Statistics modules; which I will do if I have to, but taking into account my ability in calculus etc, I'd prefer a unit more catered to that!

Thanks. Any help is appreciated.

- PhysicsMan

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Reply 1

san_M

You need a combo of 2 pure modules and 1 applied for AS and the same for A2, dont think you can do all pure im afraid.

Reply 2

Blazy

Original post by PhysicsMan

FP1 has Matrices, Complex Numbers, Roots of Equations, Induction, and Summation of Series. If you do well in the Core Modules, you'll probably fare well. More importantly, are you confident with your algebra? Multiplying out brackets? Factorisation? A bit of trig as well. It's all new topics but the techniques really required no more than C2 sort of level (at least on OCR). Overall, it's worth doing, and from what you've said, I think you would fare well.

Reply 3

PhysicsMan

Original post by san_M

You need a combo of 2 pure modules and 1 applied for AS and the same for A2, dont think you can do all pure im afraid.

Darn, are you sure?

Reply 4

oh_1993

If you are capable of getting A's in C3/C4 you will probably be capable of getting an A in FP1 id say. I got 87 in FP1 which was one of my lowest marks, my worst being 79 in S1 and FP4. I found S1 harder tbh.

For AQA you cover loads of topics but its all quite easy to understand. I thought FP1 was compulsory for AS Further Maths anyway?

Reply 5

Dr A

Original post by PhysicsMan

FP1 is easier than the core A2 modules (applies to every exam board). It's not difficult. You say that core 3 wasn't bad, so you won't have any problems with FP1.

So you're picking up AS FM this year, right?

Reply 6

san_M

Original post by PhysicsMan

Darn, are you sure?

Taken directly from OCR website specification:

Advanced GCE Mathematics (7890)
C1, C2, C3 and C4, together with either two from M1, S1, D1 or M1, M2 or S1, S2 or D1, D2

Reply 7

PhysicsMan

Original post by Blazy

Yeah I'm pretty good at algebra and trigonometry- didn't find C3 trig too difficult and it's supposed to be renowned as one of the hardest topics in the OCR A-Level for Maths!

Anyway, thanks for your advice- and as long as I can get over 80 UMS on it, then that would help me a hell of a lot; and it should mean that I'd get an A, basically I'm just looking for a unit that I could fairly "easily" (relatively) get an A on without having to resit S1.

Reply 8

Intriguing Alias

Original post by san_M

You need a combo of 2 pure modules and 1 applied for AS and the same for A2, dont think you can do all pure im afraid.

I don't think that's true. You can do 'A-level pure maths' (just means take C1/2/3/4 FP1/2) BUT I'm pretty sure you can't do just 1 applied module. It's either 2 or zero.

Reply 9

Dreamweaver

FP1 is very easy. It's probably C1-C2 level.

Reply 10

PhysicsMan

Original post by Dr A

No, that's the predicament as it seems (shown by another poster on this thread) that I may not be able to actually sit it in place of S1! :s-smilie:

Reply 11

Llewellyn

Original post by PhysicsMan

Darn, are you sure?

I think you have 2 choices (from what I've heard from other students in my school)

1 - complete a pure maths A level with c1,c2,c3,c4,fp1,fp2

2 - complete a "normal" maths A level with c1->4 and 2 applied units (m, s or d)

You can't do c1>4 and fp1 and d1, that is not recognised as a complete A level qualification.

option 1 is more difficult imo. It's not unusual for people to find statistics difficult or strange. Have you tried m1 yet? Mechanics is much more similar to pure maths, and definitely doable if you're coping with c3 and c4. If I was in your position, I would do c1>c4 and d1 (since as you find it ok) and m1. If you find d1 hard, then see about m1 and m2, as that may be more suited to you.

Reply 12

PhysicsMan

Hmmm... Thanks for the advice people! I may consider M1 again as I did briefly consider it when I started A2 but thought it'd be too much work and the unit actually seemed quite difficult- but maybe that's because I was looking through the standard textbook for it which may over complicate things? I don't know.

Anyway, it seems a bit weird that you can't take FP1 with D1/S1/M1. Oh well. I suppose if my result for D1 in March is not as great as I expect, then I could take FP1 and FP2 if they seem ok.

I suppose I'll wait and see what I get in C3 and D1 on March 8th (that dreaded results day!)

Reply 13

S1L3NTPR3Y

M1 is very physics related and will count as your AS Maths applied module, think about that.

Reply 14

FatumaRocks

Actually further pure 1 is not very hard,,,,,the problem is your algebra and putting your head into it....this means that your algebra has to be spot on (not saying that mine is) and that you need to understand it

Reply 15

PhysicsMan

Original post by SBarns

The OCR textbooks make everything seem far more difficult that in actually is, but I would say that the mechanics in maths is more 'formal' than the mechanics in physics, but the actual raw content is not that much harder. Much more about exam technique with M1 as opposed to simply memorising the content.

Thanks, I'll keep these options in mind- and if it comes down to it, I'll resit S1; but M1 does seems like a plausible possibility.

Reply 16

whatever_x

FP1 is pretty easy, I found it much easier than S1 and M1.

Reply 17

PhysicsMan

Original post by whatever_x

FP1 is pretty easy, I found it much easier than S1 and M1.

S1 was horrible, if it wasn't for that bloody exam I wouldn't be in this situation. Wish my teachers had chosen D1 for last year and M1 this year instead, would've been much better. Oh well!

Reply 18

AnAngryHippo

"it's easy"

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 19

whatever_x

Original post by PhysicsMan

S1 was horrible, if it wasn't for that bloody exam I wouldn't be in this situation. Wish my teachers had chosen D1 for last year and M1 this year instead, would've been much better. Oh well!