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Aqa maths unit 3 higher tier Official Discussion

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Very hard paper I really struggled on this one, however i did seen to stumble to the correct answers in the end (I believe). Harder than past papers ive done and a few surprises too.
I believe i still managed 70+ and know I got a 1 point wuestion wrong (first of the 3 sine graphs) they really through me. Think i got the other 2 though.

I think i got...

Unit 1: A but just under an A* (always my weaker unit)

Unit 2: A* easy, I flapped on the completing the square question, but don't think i dropped any other marks so a strong A* and close to 100%

Unit 3: A* Very hard but i hope i managed to get all the questions in the end, my working needed correcting a few times so no bonus points for neatness lol, but I think i got 70-74 out of 80 in the end. I expect this exam to have low grade boundaries.

Overall i very happy and sure I got the A* I was aiming for 😃😃😃😃
Original post by MathsExamUnit3
Study the unpredictable, it seemed to have worked for me while I was at school: Anyway for anyone that wants to know my grades:

English language & literature: (A, B)
Maths: B
Science Core & Additional (A, A)
Religious Education (A)
Graphic Products (B)
Drama (A)
Citizenship (A*)
History (B)


Your Grades are very similar to my predicted grades:

English Literature - A/B
English Language - B/A
Maths: A
Science Core - A (did last year)
Science Additional- A*
Religious Studies-A
DT - A/B
Art - B/A
Don't do citizenship or history.
Original post by bigoliver
Very hard paper I really struggled on this one, however i did seen to stumble to the correct answers in the end (I believe). Harder than past papers ive done and a few surprises too.
I believe i still managed 70+ and know I got a 1 point wuestion wrong (first of the 3 sine graphs) they really through me. Think i got the other 2 though.

I think i got...

Unit 1: A but just under an A* (always my weaker unit)

Unit 2: A* easy, I flapped on the completing the square question, but don't think i dropped any other marks so a strong A* and close to 100%

Unit 3: A* Very hard but i hope i managed to get all the questions in the end, my working needed correcting a few times so no bonus points for neatness lol, but I think i got 70-74 out of 80 in the end. I expect this exam to have low grade boundaries.

Overall i very happy and sure I got the A* I was aiming for 😃😃😃😃


Cry, Let's hope you are the only one.
Original post by Bulletzone
Cry, Let's hope you are the only one.


This is the only GCSE I've taken this year though, im 38!
I got a D in maths at school and E in every other subject. This is the first study I've done since leaving school at 15/16.
Found out I'm dyslexic too, which is why my spelling on here is bad (that and auto correct on my phone)
So I had the advantages of only having one subject to revise and an extra 25% time.
Mostly I've self taught myself.
Original post by bigoliver
This is the only GCSE I've taken this year though, im 38!
I got a D in maths at school and E in every other subject. This is the first study I've done since leaving school at 15/16.
Found out I'm dyslexic too, which is why my spelling on here is bad (that and auto correct on my phone)
So I had the advantages of only having one subject to revise and an extra 25% time.
Mostly I've self taught myself.

:colonhash:

Yet here I am having to revise for useless French (It's done).
Well Sir, You have given me hope that even If I mess up in a GCSE (I hope I don't) I can always come back and re-take.
Good Luck on results day.
-Bulletzone
Original post by bigoliver
This is the only GCSE I've taken this year though, im 38!
I got a D in maths at school and E in every other subject. This is the first study I've done since leaving school at 15/16.
Found out I'm dyslexic too, which is why my spelling on here is bad (that and auto correct on my phone)
So I had the advantages of only having one subject to revise and an extra 25% time.
Mostly I've self taught myself.


I was wondering about your maturity. It's good you're getting high marks now! I think I've just scraped an A.

So if you get an A*, say, will that be seen in the same way as a 15/16 year old getting one? What made you redo Maths? Is it more important nowadays in employment?
Original post by Jamie Vardy
I was wondering about your maturity. It's good you're getting high marks now! I think I've just scraped an A.

So if you get an A*, say, will that be seen in the same way as a 15/16 year old getting one? What made you redo Maths? Is it more important nowadays in employment?


I started doing ks3 maths with my then 10 yo son after his teacher told me it was one of his weaker subjects, he is now 13 and very strong at maths.
I really enjoyed ks3 and started on GCSE, about a year ago I was getting A/A* in past papers so moved on to As level core 1, I self marked and got a C in a core 1 past paper.

My college doesnt allow external candidates so I had to do a full year (it was free to do the year and exam, but strangly I would have had to pay just to do the exam in another college).

Been concentrating on A* questions so not done any As in the past 3 months.

I cant say I need the grade for work, I dont. I just really enjoy doing maths and sit for hours at home doing maths for fun.

I always felt stupid growing up with a bad lisp, undiagnosed dyslexia and being in the lowest set for every subject. I guess I wanted to prove to myself and maybe some others that Iam capable.

Id like to change careers now and would like to be a support teacher, basicly I would like to give the support that I never got.

Basicly I do maths for fun, my grade will be a bonus :smile:


omg rowannnnnn
Original post by ssoliman00
omg rowannnnnn


Sarahhh <3 omggg check out my thread and tell me how many i got wrong lmao
Original post by rumrumrose
Sarahhh <3 omggg check out my thread and tell me how many i got wrong lmao


1) i don't remember half the paper 2) i definetly got a C considering last year's grade boundaries and the fact that most of my answers are different... Isa they pick up marks from my working though, same with unit 2 - anyway gotta go revise for chemistry lol
Original post by ssoliman00
1) i don't remember half the paper 2) i definetly got a C considering last year's grade boundaries and the fact that most of my answers are different... Isa they pick up marks from my working though, same with unit 2 - anyway gotta go revise for chemistry lol


Yeahh :frown: Good luck with chemistry and physics, the last important exams then were FREE
This years exam was terrible the boundaries need to drop and dramatically
Original post by monelbailey
This years exam was terrible the boundaries need to drop and dramatically


This year's exam was perfectly accessible. You should have revised and practised everything a lot more because that's what Unit 3 requires. The minimum mark for an A is 52 (however, it wasn't the hardest so I estimate around 56/57) and an A* would be around 66. For a C/B you'll need around 40-49.

You might have done better on Units 1 and 2?
Original post by Jamie Vardy
This year's exam was perfectly accessible. You should have revised and practised everything a lot more because that's what Unit 3 requires. The minimum mark for an A is 52 (however, it wasn't the hardest so I estimate around 56/57) and an A* would be around 66. For a C/B you'll need around 40-49.

You might have done better on Units 1 and 2?


Oh I wish . I revised a lot don't get me wrong but that paper was solid for me
Original post by Jamie Vardy

So if you get an A*, say, will that be seen in the same way as a 15/16 year old getting one? What made you redo Maths? Is it more important nowadays in employment?


I don't think any employer asks when you sat your GCSEs so I guess they'll just assume I got the A* at 15/16. They might think it's odd that I got an A* in maths and E grades in every other subject, might even think the exam board made a mistake giving me an A* lol.
If a potenial employer asked about it, I would explain that I retook it at 38, I hope the potenial employer would look favourly at the fact I motivated and educated my self. Maybe they would even overlook my E grades? One can wish 😃
Original post by monelbailey
Oh I wish . I revised a lot don't get me wrong but that paper was solid for me


What grade are you looking at?
Original post by bigoliver
I don't think any employer asks when you sat your GCSEs so I guess they'll just assume I got the A* at 15/16. They might think it's odd that I got an A* in maths and E grades in every other subject, might even think the exam board made a mistake giving me an A* lol.
If a potenial employer asked about it, I would explain that I retook it at 38, I hope the potenial employer would look favourly at the fact I motivated and educated my self. Maybe they would even overlook my E grades? One can wish 😃


You should be fine :smile: To be honest, most 38 year olds can't even get a C in Maths, if the were to sit it, let alone an A*. You have even taught yourself which is quite a bold move.
Original post by Jamie Vardy
What grade are you looking at?


In all my mocks I received a D. I tried over the year I really did. I was scared to sit foundation because I was predicted an E so o said to myself that if push myself a phew mark I can get a C but I see it's not that easy.
Original post by monelbailey
In all my mocks I received a D. I tried over the year I really did. I was scared to sit foundation because I was predicted an E so o said to myself that if push myself a phew mark I can get a C but I see it's not that easy.


You only need 30% of the marks for the whole GCSE to get a C. It may be even lower this year as many found the papers hard.

You haven't got lower than 30% of 200 at least?
Original post by monelbailey
In all my mocks I received a D. I tried over the year I really did. I was scared to sit foundation because I was predicted an E so o said to myself that if push myself a phew mark I can get a C but I see it's not that easy.


I really hope you have done better than you think and prove your teachers predicted grade wrong. I'm my class most student where scared to take the higher paper, even some of the stronger ones who could have perhaps got Bs.
So big credit to you that you have struggled on foundation but decided not to give up, but tr y your luck at the higher paper in the hope of hitting your C grade target.

My son's school said they put all students in for the higher paper "because it's easier to get a C grade at higher than at foundation" which I agree with.
My college teacher disagreed and said it depends on the indivual.

Personally I think you made a bold move and gave yourself the best chance of getting a C grade. I really think that kind of attutude deserves to pay of. If not atleast you gave it your best mate.

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