Edexcel New Spec {FP1} discussion + PAPER & SOLUTIONS

I think it's better than the other one...

I don't have the other one yet so I can't really compare, but I detest the Oxford Press one.

I got the other one today and I had a flick through and it's cluttered. However, they do show practically every single step of working which may be useful.

If you're self teaching then why didn't you look for another text book for FP1 if you hated this one?

Just curious.

EDIT: You get a CD aswell.

Very jealous of you guys doing the new syllabus.. Lucky bastards.

Well look at it like this, we have harder FP2 and FP3 modules.

Well look at it like this, we have harder FP2 and FP3 modules.

You don't. Your FP2 is easier than the current FP2. By a mile. The Edexcel A level in further maths has been made much easier. They've made FP3 harder, but you don't need to take FP3 to get an A level in further maths. Most of the current FP1 stuff that's hard has been moved to FP2, and the hard stuff from FP2 to FP3. The easy stuff from FP3 has then been moved into FP1. So they've made an A level in Further Maths (FP1, FP2 + 4 applied) much easier, so long as you avoid FP3.

I'm only taking the AS anyway..

It also takes the stress off in your A2 year when you're taking your hardest modules. Rather than having to worry about two hard modules (FP1 and FP2) you knock FP1 off a year before hand.

There's a lot of debate and disagreement about what the hardest module is, and I don't agree that it has been made any harder or easier overall. FP1 is the easiest module, much easier than ordinary A2 maths; they have turned FP1 into an actual AS module. Having worked through P4+ and FP1-3 past paper questions (all old spec), you find a few easy complex number questions, easy proofs, easy matrices, but now those questions will not appear anymore as they are covered in FP1. So getting an A* has been made much harder, as you cannot rely on getting good marks in the easier modules. Has it made getting an A easier? possibly.

I'm also taking pretty much every module, though I haven't decided on whether to do M5, D1 and D2, but I will cover everything else (don't really fancy doing 9 modules next summer, and I hear M5 is a killer). So moving the topics around hasn't made anything easier for me...

Yeah if you're taking FP1->FP3 it doesn't make a difference. All I'm saying is that what it has done is devalued the current AS level in further maths (on edexcel), and possibly the whole A level in further maths providing FP3 is excluded.. Which is what has frustrated me. Looking at the new FP2 papers, most of it is stuff I've covered in FP1, plus some of the easier stuff that used to be in FP3.

FP1 is a module I've had to work hard towards, the new one is a complete and utter joke and my qualification is going to have exactly the same value as this new AS.

Yeah if you're taking FP1->FP3 it doesn't make a difference. All I'm saying is that what it has done is devalued the current AS level in further maths (on edexcel), and possibly the whole A level in further maths providing FP3 is excluded.. Which is what has frustrated me. Looking at the new FP2 papers, most of it is stuff I've covered in FP1, plus some of the easier stuff that used to be in FP3.

FP1 is a module I've had to work hard towards, the new one is a complete and utter joke and my qualification is going to have exactly the same value as this new AS.

everyones just shifted around, so FP2 and FP3 is now much much harder, and we have A* level questions added in

No, FP2 is definately easier. FP1 is much easier. FP3 is much harder. Most people don't take FP3 anyway, you can just avoid it to get a full A2 in further maths.

What's an "A* level question"? The papers don't look like they have an "extra-hard" question added at the end or something. An A* is just 90% or above in all A2 modules.

stretch and challenge questions have been put in all subjects, could also be maths but im not sure definitly in all other subjects, which you have to answer in order to get the A*

stretch and challenge questions have been put in all subjects, could also be maths but im not sure definitly in all other subjects, which you have to answer in order to get the A*