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How long would it take me to learn A level maths by myself?

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I also do Edexcel and I am about to sit my c3 and c4 papers this week.

Firstly, why would you choose to do S2? There are easier options to choose.

Anyway, I mainly taught myself A2 maths and was able to do it in about 6months. This was also at the same time as juggling two other subjects. C3 and C4 are a big jump from C1 and C2. However if you put in a lot of time and work it will become easier of course.

To put this into perspective, for C2 the only identities for trig you need are
1. tanx = sinx/cosx
2. sin^2x + cos^2x = 1

However for C3 you need to know around 17-20 trig identities (although they do give you 6 in the formula booklet).
Sorry if that sounds daunting, it does at first. But once you learn it all it isn't too hard.

It would be a great idea to get started on this before year 13 starts and it'd give you a huge head start. So I advise doing as much as possible. But I couldn't imagine more than 70% of C3 being completed and learnt in thorough detail over the summer unless you chose to spend a lot of your lovely summer inside.

My advice is go for it and do as much as you can as it'll help you a lot, but don't expect to finish it all over the summer.

Hope that helps.
Reply 2
Original post by asherdan1997
Firstly, why would you choose to do S2? There are easier options to choose.


Subjective. It's well regarded that S2 is an extremely easy module. Personal experience shows that it takes a day or two to learn and get to A* standard.

However for C3 you need to know around 17-20 trig identities (although they do give you 6 in the formula booklet).


This is incorrect, you don't need to know 17-20 trig identities for C3. All you need are the ones in the booklet.
Original post by Zacken
Subjective. It's well regarded that S2 is an extremely easy module. Personal experience shows that it takes a day or two to learn and get to A* standard.

That is a fair point.

This is incorrect, you don't need to know 17-20 trig identities for C3. All you need are the ones in the booklet.


Are you referring to the formula booklet?
If so you still need to be able to derive the double angle rule from the formulas given. You also need to be able to derive formulas from sin^2x + cos^2x = 1 and be familiar with the Rcos(x-a) rules and there are others that i can't be bothered to list. In theory there are more than 17 identities to learn. You may consider them all as one as they derive from each other but for someone starting C3 you do have to almost learn 17 identities.
However, I do agree with you.
Reply 4
Original post by asherdan1997
Are you referring to the formula booklet?
If so you still need to be able to derive the double angle rule from the formulas given. You also need to be able to derive formulas from sin^2x + cos^2x = 1 and be familiar with the Rcos(x-a) rules and there are others that i can't be bothered to list. In theory there are more than 17 identities to learn. You may consider them all as one as they derive from each other but for someone starting C3 you do have to almost learn 17 identities.
However, I do agree with you.


Rcos(x-a) is just the compound angle formula, it's not a new trig identity. That's pretty much it, there's nothing else in C3.
Reply 5
Original post by asherdan1997
I also do Edexcel and I am about to sit my c3 and c4 papers this week.

Firstly, why would you choose to do S2? There are easier options to choose.

Anyway, I mainly taught myself A2 maths and was able to do it in about 6months. This was also at the same time as juggling two other subjects. C3 and C4 are a big jump from C1 and C2. However if you put in a lot of time and work it will become easier of course.

To put this into perspective, for C2 the only identities for trig you need are
1. tanx = sinx/cosx
2. sin^2x + cos^2x = 1

However for C3 you need to know around 17-20 trig identities (although they do give you 6 in the formula booklet).
Sorry if that sounds daunting, it does at first. But once you learn it all it isn't too hard.

It would be a great idea to get started on this before year 13 starts and it'd give you a huge head start. So I advise doing as much as possible. But I couldn't imagine more than 70% of C3 being completed and learnt in thorough detail over the summer unless you chose to spend a lot of your lovely summer inside.

My advice is go for it and do as much as you can as it'll help you a lot, but don't expect to finish it all over the summer.

Hope that helps.


This is a lil false, you do not need to know 17-20 identities, where exactly did you pull this out of? And 6 months is more than sufficient time to get through C3/C4 content?

Doing one of each a day (3 topics a day, maybe 2 hours work) will get through summer with time to spare
Original post by Zacken
Rcos(x-a) is just the compound angle formula, it's not a new trig identity. That's pretty much it, there's nothing else in C3.


Indeed, the inclusion of Rcos(x-a) as an identity was a bad choice but regardless it is something new that a student must learn.
Reply 7
Original post by asherdan1997
Indeed, the inclusion of Rcos(x-a) as an identity was a bad choice but regardless it is something new that a student must learn.


Once they've learnt the compound angle formulae then they're done with trig for C3. The double angles follow as a trivial consequence, the Rcos(x-a) follows as a trivial consequence, etc... so it's more like "learn sin^2 x + cos^2 x = 1, tan x = sin x / cos x, cos (a+b) = ..., sin (a+b) =..." and you're done.
Original post by rxns_00
This is a lil false, you do not need to know 17-20 identities, where exactly did you pull this out of? And 6 months is more than sufficient time to get through C3/C4 content?

Doing one of each a day (3 topics a day, maybe 2 hours work) will get through summer with time to spare


My decision to include all possible trig concepts and variations of identities may be seen as exaggeration of what you may actually need to learn. However, you do need to have an understanding of each of them, how they're derived, how they can be used. From experience many students struggle with variations of formulas such as: half angles. Hence my decision to include them all.
Original post by Zacken
Once they've learnt the compound angle formulae then they're done with trig for C3. The double angles follow as a trivial consequence, the Rcos(x-a) follows as a trivial consequence, etc... so it's more like "learn sin^2 x + cos^2 x = 1, tan x = sin x / cos x, cos (a+b) = ..., sin (a+b) =..." and you're done.


Fair point and I agree.
However from experience it isn't as easy as that for many students as they often struggle with 'trivial consequence' and for them it is like learning something entirely new, for example the half angles. Each to their own.
You could learn it all. You have the choice of S2, D1 and M1 - if I had to pick one, personally it would be S2.

You could easily learn all of the content over the summer. It's just the practicing that takes more time. Also, don't go too hard. You need a break after exams and just to enjoy your holidays.
Reply 11
Original post by SeanFM
Also, don't go too hard. You need a break after exams and just to enjoy your holidays.


This. 100% agree.
Original post by asherdan1997
My decision to include all possible trig concepts and variations of identities may be seen as exaggeration of what you may actually need to learn. However, you do need to have an understanding of each of them, how they're derived, how they can be used. From experience many students struggle with variations of formulas such as: half angles. Hence my decision to include them all.


Derivations do not need to be known in detail at all. Usage of the formulas is quite obvious. Half angle formulae are being taken out of specifications such as from Edexcel this year and I believe AQA for next year.

It's just disheartening for someone motivated to do these over the summer and it may be a tad discouraging
Original post by NeverGrowUp
Hi. I want to sit the maths exams next year as a private candidate.
I did AS this year but I'm sure I didn't do very well as I did very minimal revision.
If work on A-level maths this summer - e.g. c3 c4 and s2 , how many weeks and how many hours per day do you think it will take for me to feel fairly confident in all the topics? I just want to get most of it done before year 13 so i can focus more on my other 3 subjects. :smile: Also is it a very big jump from year AS? I do edexcel.


C3 and C4 would take you around a month and half (Thats how long it took me) if you go through each topic slowly
Original post by rxns_00
Derivations do not need to be known in detail at all. Usage of the formulas is quite obvious. Half angle formulae are being taken out of specifications such as from Edexcel this year and I believe AQA for next year.

It's just disheartening for someone motivated to do these over the summer and it may be a tad discouraging


Firstly, I am only aware of the 2008 Edexcel specification. Thus apologies for any confusoin.

However, if it was "quite obvious" then students across the country wouldn't struggle to grapple with the concepts and the exam would be a walk on the park. But the fact is its not.

My comments are not disheartening. I have encouraged the student to do whatever he can achieve in the time and I personally advised that summer work is a good idea.

However, I did admit that what I have said could be 'daunting'. What is 'disheartening' is if a student is told a topic is 'quite obvious' and then during the summer the student is having trouble getting their head round this topic, despite being told it is 'obvious'.
Original post by NeverGrowUp
thanks! aha dw I will be abroad for 7 weeks so I probably won't have much time during the holidays ,but I'll see what I can do. The topics seem endless!


:lol: alright, that's good to hear :tongue: it can seem endless, especially when you are on chapter 1 or 2, but it is not endless, believe me :tongue:

I think C3 is of similar difficulty to C2, and then C4 is bit of a jump up, but that's just how I found it :tongue:
Original post by NeverGrowUp
ohh okay thanks! Which topics did you find most difficult?


Vectors in C4 by far. Integration / trig is probably the topics that students find difficult the most in general, apart from vectors.
You could easily do the whole thing in two years just learning over evenings and weekends and still have social life, if you are disciplined.
Original post by SeanFM
You could learn it all. You have the choice of S2, D1 and M1 - if I had to pick one, personally it would be S2.

You could easily learn all of the content over the summer. It's just the practicing that takes more time. Also, don't go too hard. You need a break after exams and just to enjoy your holidays.

Is M1 easy? Because I'm planning on choosing that next year for chemical engineering
Original post by Magic Member
You could easily do the whole thing in two years just learning over evenings and weekends and still have social life, if you are disciplined.


2 years?! lol

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