The Student Room Group

How is everyone finding the new 9-1 Maths GCSE

Wondering how people are finding the mocks that they might have done by PiXL. I'm currently finding this Maths GCSE to be unexpectedly difficult and for the old syllabus I feel A* would have been all too easy but as of now I am on target for a level 7a going from our PiXl mock exams. How is everyone else finding it?:bricks:

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Reply 1
In what ways do you feel the difficulty has increased?
My target is a scale 6.
Hopefully in the mocks i'll get a 5. Then I can improve further from there.
I'm finding it reasonably easy, but that is due to a high aptitude in Maths.

The majority of people are finding it (varying degrees of) hard.
Im finding the content fine, but the exams are a total disaster i seem to do so bad on exam papers and got a U in my mocks for first time. On the old spec i used to get B's and Cs, my target is 4 but i have to get 6 to do the subjects i want to.
Original post by _gcx
I'm finding it reasonably easy, but that is due to a high aptitude in Maths.

The majority of people are finding it (varying degrees of) hard.


Really how!? do you have any tips or resources it would help so much
Original post by Misaki24
Really how!? do you have any tips or resources it would help so much


I would recommend worksheets such as these.
I'm finding it quite difficult as someone who isn't naturally great at maths, although I need it for A level! I got a grade 5 in my recent mock and hope for a grade 7 in the real thing but it's going to be very tough
Original post by _gcx
I would recommend worksheets such as these.


thank u
Reply 9
I'm finding it easy as well, due to natural high aptitude mainly though
Got a grade 8 in my mocks - it's not easy, the old spec is much easier than this.
Original post by CoffeeGeek
Got a grade 8 in my mocks - it's not easy, the old spec is much easier than this.


That's such a great grade! How do you revise for maths?? I'm currently struggling and need a 7 to do it at A level
Original post by astralnerd
That's such a great grade! How do you revise for maths?? I'm currently struggling and need a 7 to do it at A level


I just did lots of practice, did past papers, textbook questions - just practice! If you misunderstand anything, watch videos and maybe read over any notes you made in class or a revision guide.
Reply 13
Original post by CoffeeGeek
Got a grade 8 in my mocks - it's not easy, the old spec is much easier than this.


In what ways do you think?
Original post by B_9710
In what ways do you think?


1) Don't have to memorise formulae
2) Doesn't have most of the exam paper with problem solving questions
3) Doesn't have parts of A-Level Maths in there
got a 5 in the mocks... need a 6 in the real thing or i'm screwed :frown:
Reply 16
Original post by CoffeeGeek
Got a grade 8 in my mocks - it's not easy, the old spec is much easier than this.

The new spec is similar in difficulty to the old spec but the old exam was much easier. The 9-1 exam will have 50% grade 7-9 questions (A/A* in the old spec), which is a big change.

But the grade boundaries will be set so that the percentage of students who got e.g. an A in the old exam will be the same as the percentage who get a 7 in the new exam. So students sitting the new spec won't be at any disadvantage in theory.

Be prepared for some crazy grade boundaries!
(edited 7 years ago)
i got 180 in my mocks and 196 in my most recent exam. I'm not too sure what grade that would be because my school's putting the grade boundaries much lower than the rest. I do think that the grade boundaries are going to e quite low this year since everyone seems to be finding it quite difficult.
i got grade 8 but id much rather be learning the old spec

however english 9-1 is rubbish
Reply 19
Original post by dcencima
i got grade 8 but id much rather be learning the old spec

however english 9-1 is rubbish


It's the opposite for me: I am consistently getting level 9s in English but for Maths I am underachieving due to the higher proportion of difficult questions. I strongly agree the old spec was much easier

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