Maths

What is the difference between Maths and Futher Maths for A-Levels? Could someone explain the difference including the amount of exams you take etc...

I figured I'll post it in here seeing as you lot probably know more than the GCSE people about this.

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Reply 1

tktaylor6

in short, maths is 6 modules and counts as one a level, if you do further maths you will do these 6 plus a further 6, making 12 modules and counts as 2 a levels. what do you hope to do at uni?

Economics.

Laker_Fan

Economics.

At my sixth form it worked like this:

Maths (AS)
Pure 1
Stats 1
Mechanics 1

Maths (A2)
Pure 2
Pure 3
Stats 2

Further Maths (AS)
Discrete 1
Discrete 2
Pure 4

Further Maths (A2)
Pure 5
Pure 6
Mechanics 2

It varies from place to place, but the structure is the same. Discrete is a joke, it's easier than stats, so you might consider taking the AS level in Further Maths. I tried taking the full Further Maths A-Level but there is a big step up at A2. I got a U in my P4 exam because at the point when I took it, we hadn't even done P3 and most of P2 in normal maths, plus the fact I had a really bad teacher.

~Ian

Reply 4

joshdajoker

Your meant to take the Pures in order. You dont need to stick to the specification so tightly. Should have taken p1,p2,p3,s1,m1,d1, in first year. Then second year p4,p5,p6,m2,d2,s2. to complete the Alevels. I belive you can shift them around about to get two A grades even if they aren't strictly in the correct "Alevel".

Reply 5

Eye Jay

joshdajoker

Maths A level MUST include P1, P2, P3
F. Maths A level MUST include P4, P5, P6

What you're suggesting is OK, but if you got to A2 and realised you just couldn't cut it anymore (like me) then you're pretty screwed, because you would still have to continue to get your AS in Further Maths.

~Ian

Reply 6

magic_neutrino

Laker_Fan

heya! well i think it depends slightly on which exam board the college is doing, but there is a bit of flexability with the amount of pure maths and applied you do. However most teachers at my college seem to believe that pure is more useful for most people going onto higher maths.

This year we started following the new specification for AQA and have done

AS:Pure core 1, pure core 2 and decision 1

A2 :tongue:

ure core 3, pure core 4 and stats 2

(our college decided to do normal A2 maths in a year and then go onto further maths next year)

and next year for further we will be doing further pure core 4,5,6 and mechanics 1,2 and stats2. and i think we will study a few extra applied modules and pure modules and then chose which exams to take.

But generally it is made up of 12 modules for further maths

Additionally there are some further maths modules (such as pure core 6) which can not be used to make up part of the normal A2 maths (if someone decided to give up half way through further maths and did better in further modules!) As some of the AS further maths modules can be studied from scratch without relying on A2 normal maths!

Some colleges start the first years with AS normal maths and AS further maths, so the candidate ends the first year with 2 AS's!

Further maths modules tend to be more interesting than normal maths!

Reply 7

Laker_Fan

Is further maths more difficult in terms of the actual work or is it the same difficulty but there is more of it to do? I do Edexcel for GCSE so I assume it will be the same for A-Level.

Reply 8

Featherflare

Laker_Fan

Is further maths more difficult in terms of the actual work or is it the same difficulty but there is more of it to do? I do Edexcel for GCSE so I assume it will be the same for A-Level.

For edexcel you need (with new specification):

Maths - C1-C4 + 2 applied modules (eg stats or mechanics)
Further Maths - FP1-FP3 + 3 applied modules

No it's not all the same level, the books gradually get more difficult. If you have a flair for maths and enjoy it, i suggest you do further maths because you'll find single maths extremely boring.

Reply 9

magic_neutrino

Laker_Fan

Is further maths more difficult in terms of the actual work or is it the same difficulty but there is more of it to do? I do Edexcel for GCSE so I assume it will be the same for A-Level.

we've just started further and the modules are just different. every module pretty much has the same number of topics in them and as long as you keep learning it doesn't seem too much. In some terms it can be seen as more difficult because there are bits that assume you know basic skills such as integration and vectors etc but because AS further maths can be studied after GCSE it is generally not too bad if you like maths and there are some topics that are completely new! A few people i know self studied a few further pure modules as well as all the A2 maths modules and didn't find it too bad even though they had no help from the teacher what-so-ever....and took the exams without a problem...but to be honest they are complete maths enthusiasts! :smile:

Reply 10

gwright

Here's how it works here:

AS Maths:
C1, C2, S1

A2 Maths:
C3, C4, S2

AS Further Maths (*):
FP1, M1, M2

A2 Futher Maths (*):
FP2, FP3, M3

AS Stats:
SS01, SS02, SS03

A2 Stats:
SS04, SS05, SS06

* - Not sure about those module arrangements as I haven't started the Further Maths stuff yet (just finished doing AS Stats, AS+A2 Maths)...

Reply 11

Elondra

Laker_Fan

Is further maths more difficult in terms of the actual work or is it the same difficulty but there is more of it to do? I do Edexcel for GCSE so I assume it will be the same for A-Level.

There are only 3 people out of 2 classes who do Further Maths in my year. It's probably more complicated and harder.

Reply 12

shyopstv

My college (AQA):

Normal Maths: C1, C2, C3, C4, D1/M1, D2/M2/S1
Further Maths: C1, C2, C3, C4, FP1, FP2, FP3, D1, D2, M1, M2, S1 (I think)

We can also take AS Further Maths in the Upper Sixth is we get at least a B in AS Maths but we take slightly strange modules:
FP1, FP4, S1

We have to do more advanced stuff than people who do the whole A Level without doing FP2, FP3 and only just finishing C4 lol I really hope no unis give me offers involving AS FM. If you like Maths and are good at it then you should take Further Maths as it seems much more interesting

Reply 13

Laker_Fan

At the end of the day, as we all know, its about the grade. I was wondering if it was worth me doing further maths and risk a chance of getting a worse grade to have a tougher subject for my A-Levels. Would universitys care if I done Maths or Further Maths if I want to do Economics?

Reply 14

RayOfHope

Laker_Fan

I think you should only risk doing further maths if you are really confident at maths and enjoy it. Universities in general don't care much about the Further maths, at any rate it will not decraese your chances of getting a place somewhere good. I didn't do AS level maths (took it in one year) and applied for Economics, and did not really do bad in terms of offers.

Reply 15

Cirsium

Doing Further Maths without doing Maths is like taking the A2 without having covered the AS - unless you're a genius it's pretty much impossible

One of my best mates did the two simultaneously and kept having to pause in the A2 course to cover things we hadn't done in regular maths yet because it wasn't possible to understand FM without the grounding in Maths

It's virtually impossible to do and i would seriously doubt that your school would allow you to take FM without taking regular maths as well

Reply 16

Piggy

At my school, it's Year 12 - all the A Level Maths modules (C1, C2, C3, C4, S1, M1) and in Year 13 - all the A Level Further Maths modules (D1, S2, FP1, FP2, FP3, M2). It going to be very tough, I imagine although my maths teacher seems to think we're going to cope. It's quite a big group this year - 8 people!

Reply 17

bobbob

At my school:

AS:
Maths - Core 1, Core 2, Statistics 1
Further Maths - Discrete 1, Further Pure 1, Statistics 2,

A2:
Maths: Core 3, Core 4, Mechanics 1
FM: Further Pure 3, Further Pure 4, Mechanics 2

I would seriously suggest that you don't try and do FM without doing normal Maths. It's all but impossible, frankly. That is half-a-dozen people in my FM class (the best maths people) and nobody has dropped it (compared with Chem which went from 20 to about 3 people).

Reply 18

Laker_Fan

You misunderstood me, I meant that if I do FM and Maths instead of just Maths, will the universities not accept me if I don't do FM along with Maths. So basically, does FM along with Maths increase my chances of getting accepted into a good university for Economics?

Reply 19

RayOfHope

Laker_Fan

Only if you are really good at maths and think that your grade will be good, otherwise it would be pointless. Some unis don't care very much as they like to see a well rounded person doing other subjects including social sciences.