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How I got an A* in maths in 1 year

So I started doing the A2 course in year 12 and I really wasn't a total natural. I'd struggle with the indice rules and remembering how to use logs etc, but from brute force, that all changed..

So basically, I did the A2 maths course in 1 year and got an A* with a sweaty revision method. I thought I'd post it in case it can help atleast 1 person do well :smile:

For c1 I did lots of practice questions from the textbook, but we did it's fast that I actually improved just from doing the rest of the course.. Apart from the arithmetic sequences which is the only thing separate.

What I did- I made notes on c2-c4 from watching the videos on www.examsolutions.net and did the questions he had. I then worked through the textbook and did lots of the mixed exercises.. For c4 I did every integration question (worked a treat)

For C2-C4 and M1 and D1 I went onto www.physicsandmathstutor.com and did all the questions by topic questions and then the chapter questions. Once I'd done all them I did every past paper, then once I did thatt, I did c1-c3 Solomon papers- c3 ones are really useful. Then I re did the c3/4 papers just before the exam :smile: I started to revsie hard properly in about January.. All my frees and break :smile:) 😅

Finally, I had an Excel Spreadsheet at a link to all the videos and question which I could tick off once I'd done, or make a note if I struggled on something.

I do honestly belive most people could get an A if want it. If you really want it, try what I did. Some of my friends are doing it now and they're finding the course much better now. If you really want it, the sky's the limit!

Good luck!
Original post by BDunlop
So I started doing the A2 course in year 12 and I really wasn't a total natural. I'd struggle with the indice rules and remembering how to use logs etc, but from brute force, that all changed..

So basically, I did the A2 maths course in 1 year and got an A* with a sweaty revision method. I thought I'd post it in case it can help atleast 1 person do well :smile:

For c1 I did lots of practice questions from the textbook, but we did it's fast that I actually improved just from doing the rest of the course.. Apart from the arithmetic sequences which is the only thing separate.

What I did- I made notes on c2-c4 from watching the videos on www.examsolutions.net and did the questions he had. I then worked through the textbook and did lots of the mixed exercises.. For c4 I did every integration question (worked a treat)

For C2-C4 and M1 and D1 I went onto www.physicsandmathstutor.com and did all the questions by topic questions and then the chapter questions. Once I'd done all them I did every past paper, then once I did thatt, I did c1-c3 Solomon papers- c3 ones are really useful. Then I re did the c3/4 papers just before the exam :smile: I started to revsie hard properly in about January.. All my frees and break :smile:) 😅

Finally, I had an Excel Spreadsheet at a link to all the videos and question which I could tick off once I'd done, or make a note if I struggled on something.

I do honestly belive most people could get an A if want it. If you really want it, try what I did. Some of my friends are doing it now and they're finding the course much better now. If you really want it, the sky's the limit!

Good luck!


Huh You did no IYGB paper then :wink:
Reply 2
Original post by Anonymouspsych
Huh You did no IYGB paper then :wink:


No, I did a few.. 😂
Wow congrats
Did you only do ocr past papers and soloman papers?
Original post by BDunlop
No, I did a few.. 😂


They're good right. I'm currently doing my A2 this year, already done AS and got 300/300 ums so far so it's going quite good haha. I'm finding it relatively easy so far for c3 and c4 and d1 is just utterly boring lol. I wish I did like M3 or M4 instead because I've already done M1 and M2 and done really well in those. Probably going to focus more on further maths and use the same techniques as you for my further pure modules as they can be nasty sometimes with the questions xD
What was your revision like during Sept - November?

And probably December (but December everyones revising lots eh!)

Any further tips? Like complete C4 before January? And straight to past papers?

Threads like these motivate me so much. Thank you!
Also, I just checked that the physics and maths tutor chapter tests for C1 were protected and needed a password?
Reply 8
Original post by Chelsea12345
Did you only do ocr past papers and soloman papers?


I did edexcel, I'm pretty sure Solomon is for edexcel and ocr. For c4 the Solomons are a bit too OCR so I didn't do every single one of them (plus I had limited time by that point) 😅 I did a few IYGB papers and another type which I can't remeber, but I only found those like 1 month before my c3/4 exam so wasn't particularly useful!
Reply 9
Original post by Anonymouspsych
They're good right. I'm currently doing my A2 this year, already done AS and got 300/300 ums so far so it's going quite good haha. I'm finding it relatively easy so far for c3 and c4 and d1 is just utterly boring lol. I wish I did like M3 or M4 instead because I've already done M1 and M2 and done really well in those. Probably going to focus more on further maths and use the same techniques as you for my further pure modules as they can be nasty sometimes with the questions xD


Wow that's great well done! I neglected c1 and c2 a bit.. Along with D1 I probably only did 7 or so papers for d1..hated it with a passion. I'm doing S1 this year for FM and notttttt a fan of it haha. M1 is very useful for physics, I find! Hope you get that 600/600! Would be beautiful...😂
Reply 10
Original post by GCSE 9
Also, I just checked that the physics and maths tutor chapter tests for C1 were protected and needed a password?


That's okay, you don't really need them, under c1 I used 'questions by topic'. There are hundreds and hundreds of questions which are exam questions, would be of the same use as the chapter tests really!
Original post by BDunlop
Wow that's great well done! I neglected c1 and c2 a bit.. Along with D1 I probably only did 7 or so papers for d1..hated it with a passion. I'm doing S1 this year for FM and notttttt a fan of it haha. M1 is very useful for physics, I find! Hope you get that 600/600! Would be beautiful...😂


haha I feel your pain... I also did S1 for AS further maths last year and it is quite boring too but it was an easy module so I wasn't going to let it slip 😂😂
Original post by BDunlop
That's okay, you don't really need them, under c1 I used 'questions by topic'. There are hundreds and hundreds of questions which are exam questions, would be of the same use as the chapter tests really!

Also, did you do the exercises from the textbook, then the worksheets, etc everday after school when you had a maths lesson, or spread it out throughout the year?
Reply 13
Original post by JayX0
What was your revision like during Sept - November?

And probably December (but December everyones revising lots eh!)

Any further tips? Like complete C4 before January? And straight to past papers?

Threads like these motivate me so much. Thank you!

Between Sept and Christmas I was doing questions by topic for C1 and C2 but I didn't really struggle with them so didn't bother with making notes. I presume your doing c3 now so I would be doing the notes and questions by topic now. I started c4 in what must've been March/April and finished vectors myself in the Easter holidays. But I was doing a lot of practice throughout so it wasn't such an issue to finish too early.

But all in all, I wouldn't say you need to try and read ahead too much it's not worth it extensively. I did vectors last and integration beforehand, I'd recommend doing integration in good time as that is by far the hardest area. Just keep practising lots as you go through, that's more important than getting ahead! Good luck.
Reply 14
Original post by GCSE 9
Also, did you do the exercises from the textbook, then the worksheets, etc everday after school when you had a maths lesson, or spread it out throughout the year?


I did do lots of the questions in the textbook, especially for C1 when I was trying to get to grips with the AS modules. My sort of thinking for c1/2 so the basic pure maths was just to do the text book questions until I really understood it, then I did the worksheets. Within Maths lessons we were moving quite fast so we did a bit of practice but I would be working during my fre periods/ lunch / morning break and after school for like 2 hours or so for all my subjects combined, but it varied, some days I would be doing chemsitry after school etc. You won't totally run out of questions so there's no need to spread them out, work till you drop😅 you'll forget the questions you've done previously if you do enough!
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by BDunlop
I did do lots of the questions in the textbook, especially for C1 when I was trying to get to grips with the AS modules. My sort of thinking for c1/2 so the basic pure maths was just to do the text book questions until I really understood it, then I did the worksheets. Within Maths lessons we were moving quite fast so we did a bit of practice but I would be working during my fre periods/ lunch / morning break and after school for like 2 hours or so for all my subjects combined, but it varied, some days I would be doing chemsitry after school etc. You won't totally run out of questions so there's no need to spread them out, work till you drop😅 you'll forget the questions you've done previously if you do enough!

Thanks, and also are you saying that if you do too many questions you will forget it by exam time?
Reply 16
Original post by GCSE 9
Thanks, and also are you saying that if you do too many questions you will forget it by exam time?


No definitely not, just make sure you're going back to previous topics every so often once you've mastered it.
That`s true.This is how I worked for c12 and got an a.Now struggling with c34 though!
Reply 18
if you have the spreadsheet pls do share it thank u!!

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