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Retired lady seeks help

I am wanting to study maths at home.i have had a look at amazon,and the amount of GCSE books,is very confusing.can anyone suggest a suitable course book for me.
eventually i would like to do a degree in maths with the open university.
The spec is changing this year so I would hold on as GCSE's are being reformed.
Original post by Foxygirl3
I am wanting to study maths at home.i have had a look at amazon,and the amount of GCSE books,is very confusing.can anyone suggest a suitable course book for me.
eventually i would like to do a degree in maths with the open university.


Hello,

Essentially any book(s) will be fine as what is covered is the same across exam boards. If you plan to actually sit the exam it may be worth waiting, but I would personally suggest that there is little need when there are so many excellent online resources. I would recommend watching all of these videos and taking relevant notes and then just doing past papers/watching worked solutions until you pass at the level you are aiming for.

GCSE subject videos: http://www.examsolutions.net/maths-revision/syllabuses/GCSE/period-1/Higher/module.php
Past exam walk-throughs: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg4h6xRhh6voZfG75oFso6w

The OU maths courses will start you from a level not very much higher than this but you would probably be well served by familiarising yourself with some A level subjects before you start - something you should have plenty of time to do if you intend to start this year.

Best of luck - do feel free to quote me or post in the maths forum here if you need any help :smile:
Original post by Foxygirl3
I am wanting to study maths at home.i have had a look at amazon,and the amount of GCSE books,is very confusing.can anyone suggest a suitable course book for me.
eventually i would like to do a degree in maths with the open university.


As already mentioned the specification for GCSE maths changes for new candidates for exams from summer 2017. While much of the maths is the same, the new specification includes additional topics and is focused differently from the current one. If you could find a centre offering the exams, your last chance to take the current specification would be a resit in November 2016 or summer 2017. Each examiner has their own style and as an independent candidate I'd recommend choosing resources that match your examiner. Whether you need a text book or revision guide depends on your current level of knowledge.

Summary: Depending which exams you will take and which examiner you have selected, you should buy resources matched to the specification and examiner.


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(edited 7 years ago)

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