GCSE Maths New Curriculum

hi guys,
I am in year 11 who is starting the new GCSE for both english and maths which have more difficult questions that previous years so i just wanted to know on how i should revise for maths... should i go through my whole textbook which is the AQA 4th edition by collins or do past papers but when i attempt some questions i get stuck and i try to find the method in either my textbook or revision guide but it doesn't have the right method.
so please leave a message below to help me get through this nightmare because i am expecting a grade 9 by my school (Set 1).
Thank you

Reply 1

A.J.Rimmer

Original post by catchthe1z

Firstly, what revision guide do you have? Is it the 1-9 spec, or old spec? I'd recommend getting a 1-9 one if you haven't already (the CGP one is good because it labels everything according to what grade it is).

Maybe do those past papers/ textbook questions again, and see which kind of question you get stuck on. Is it circle theorems? Trigonometry? Functions? Then ask your teacher to go over stuff with you/ make sure you're clear on those sections in the textbook. Alternatively, there's the examiners' reports for past papers on the AQA website- they don't say exactly how to solve questions, but they often state the common problems students had with the question. That could help if your answers don't seem to make sense.

Or you could post those questions on here and ask people how to solve them :smile:

Reply 2

idfk_

I'm targeted a 9 also, but don't focus on this too much if it's pressuring you. I've set my own target that I think is reasonable for me, which is something that helped me a lot.

If you try past papers and get stuck on a method, there are plenty of videos on Youtube that go through past papers and show you a method. As mentioned above, if you haven't got the new 1-9 revision guides, I'd recommend purchasing one. In class, we were given the Edexcel 1-9 Revision Guide (Higher) which is pretty good.

Reply 3

daniella.14

Original post by idfk_

I do Edexcel as well. Are there any resources you have in mind or recommend apart from the revision guide for the 9 -1 spec? Also, how different is the new spec to the old spec? Thanks

Reply 4

username1994081

Hello, my Maths teacher once made us do the 3 specimen papers (edexcel) as mocks and I got grade 9 (93%). I used the big orange collins edexcel maths 4th edition book (higher) and the cgp edexcel maths 9-1 (higher). PAST PAPERS ARE KEY and my big brother (a cambridge graduate) helps me sometimes too :smile:

. Pm me if you need more details :smile:

Happy to help

Reply 5

idfk_

Original post by daniella.14

I do Edexcel as well. Are there any resources you have in mind or recommend apart from the revision guide for the 9 -1 spec? Also, how different is the new spec to the old spec? Thanks

I've found the MathsWatch videos helpful, but I don't know whether you can sign up to that as an individual or whether it has to be done through school. It has videos on everything you'll need to know for the 9-1 spec.

I don't really know how different they are, but I do know that we'll have 3 papers instead of 2. 1 of which being Non-Calc and the other two with. We don't get given equations on the paper, I don't think. And also, things that may have been A*/A's on the previous spec may only be 6/7 on the new one. This is just stuff I've been told in lesson :smile:

Reply 6

daniella.14

Original post by idfk_

Do you know where I can find a list of the new topics on the 9- 1 spec?

Reply 7

username1994081

Original post by idfk_

Yes, when my brother looked at the 9-1 spec, he told me they've added a few A-Level type questions aka more harder A*/A content. But he got A* in his GCSE and A-Level Maths by using Mathswatch+Past papers+CGP= his A*. We have to memorise the formulae now.

Reply 8

username1994081

Original post by daniella.14

Do you know where I can find a list of the new topics on the 9- 1 spec?

Yes, darling here :smile:

you're welcome :wink:

:

http://www.mathsmadeeasy.co.uk/gcsemathspapers-9-1.htm

Reply 9

A.J.Rimmer

Original post by idfk_

Yes, we don't get any equations given. They've brought down some stuff from A levels, and A* topics are now graded as 8s (see below)

Finally, the papers will seem different- previously, papers start with the 'easy' content, then get harder until you reach A* topics at the end of the paper. However, now the topics are dotted around randomly, with harder topics suddenly followed by easier ones, so it's worth reading through the paper first once you start.

Reply 10

idfk_

Original post by ShiawaseNekox3

Will using the old edexcel past papers be effective? I know there are new 9-1 specimen papers out, but I'm pretty sure they're the ones I'm going to be doing next week, in school, as a test to see where I am at, so I'd rather not look at the questions beforehand. Thankyou!