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Got my AS results and did terribly in OCR Maths and I don't know what to do now?

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What should I do?

My friend collected my AS results yesterday and I have been studying 5 subjects this past year. I was targeted all B's at the start of the year.
At AS I got an A/Distinction in ICT, A in Financial Studies, A in Business and Economics, D in Psychology ( will retake both exams 3 UMS of an C) and the worst one an U in Maths. C1 I got an D, S1 an E, C2 took it completely down and I got a pathetic UMS which was an U and it took my whole grade down. I was 5 UMS of an E and I don't know whether remarking is worth it

I've always loved maths and it's been one of my favourite subject it was a major suprise that i didn't get an A in GCSE but I didn't work hard enough at all and I didn't focus throughout the whole year. I definitely didn't give my 100% and i should have got a tutor so the fault is completely mine.

I didn't really enjoy the topics that we learnt throughout the year and I found it difficult but C3 looks better and I didn't give my 100% which could have meant a different story.

I can continue with 4 subjects but I knew I did badly in the exams so I wanted to focus on it for the next year and therefore I dropped out of extra curricular stuff I could have done in the next year. My sixth form say you need an D to continue with the subject but i'm going to organise a meeting and see what they say as I really think if I put my mind on it, I could get an A/B like my other friends. I think my biggest problem is that, I haven't yet decided on what courses I want to do

If I get in my predicted grade will be low and the courses I'm looking at in Uni ask for a high Maths grade. Not really sure what to do, any advice. If I do drop maths what courses do I look at? I don't really have a clue as it is different to what I was planning. I will reply
Well, if you can't do the C1 & C2 exams very well, I don't think you will be able to cope with C3 & C4. C3 & C4 are much more difficult.
C3 & C4 heavily rely on many things in C1 & C2.

I remember you made this thread before.

I think you should keep doing Psychology.
I'm not you, so I can't really predict your potential to the best of my ability.
It's the holidays. You can use this time to master the maths modules if you want to take maths instead.

It's your choice.

To be frankly honest, C1 is supposed to be ridiculously easy for a student who is on track on getting an A at maths, they will find C1 a walk in a park and that there would be no difficult question in C1.

Getting an A* in GCSE Maths doesn't necessarily mean one is good enough to get even a B at AS Maths.

C3 does not look better. Have you done integration by two substitutions?
C4 vectors? Check them out.

If you're willing to spend 6 hours every single day revising, then I have faith that you will do good in Maths if you enjoy it and concentrate on revising it properly (and efficiently).
You got As on those two subjects, so maybe take a different AS subject that are of similar style?

I think it's better to ask your teachers and parents than TSR.
Reply 2
Original post by Sayonara
Well, if you can't do the C1 & C2 exams very well, I don't think you will be able to cope with C3 & C4. C3 & C4 are much more difficult.
C3 & C4 heavily rely on many things in C1 & C2.

I remember you made this thread before.

I think you should keep doing Psychology.
I'm not you, so I can't really predict your potential to the best of my ability.
It's the holidays. You can use this time to master the maths modules if you want to take maths instead.

It's your choice.

To be frankly honest, C1 is supposed to be ridiculously easy for a student who is on track on getting an A at maths, they will find C1 a walk in a park and that there would be no difficult question in C1.

Getting an A* in GCSE Maths doesn't necessarily mean one is good enough to get even a B at AS Maths.

C3 does not look better. Have you done integration by two substitutions?
C4 vectors? Check them out.

If you're willing to spend 6 hours every single day revising, then I have faith that you will do good in Maths if you enjoy it and concentrate on revising it properly (and efficiently).
You got As on those two subjects, so maybe take a different AS subject that are of similar style?

I think it's better to ask your teachers and parents than TSR.


I agree but I thought it would help me asking people who are a few years older than me who've done A level maths. The thing is, throughout the whole year I hardly put any effort. Even for the mocks and real exams the same at GCSE where I got an A, I hardly put any real revision where you revise for 6 hours with breaks. I am meant to be naturally good as Maths but obviously you have to work hard too which I didn't do and I am planning to do. I was getting B's in C1 in mocks/tests and then in the real exam I was two UMS of a C which I don't know how that happened. I know that C3/C4 are really challenging but the first few units of C3 are alright and yes i've done integration. It's just that the two courses I am looking at and they are the Uni's I want to go to, the course demands a good maths A level grade even though I'm not directly doing maths.
Original post by krs122
I agree but I thought it would help me asking people who are a few years older than me who've done A level maths. The thing is, throughout the whole year I hardly put any effort. Even for the mocks and real exams the same at GCSE where I got an A, I hardly put any real revision where you revise for 6 hours with breaks. I am meant to be naturally good as Maths but obviously you have to work hard too which I didn't do and I am planning to do. I was getting B's in C1 in mocks/tests and then in the real exam I was two UMS of a C which I don't know how that happened. I know that C3/C4 are really challenging but the first few units of C3 are alright and yes i've done integration. It's just that the two courses I am looking at and they are the Uni's I want to go to, the course demands a good maths A level grade even though I'm not directly doing maths.


I don't revise 6 hours a day but I am suggesting somewhere along those lines if you want to massively improve that grade to an A/A*.
Or maybe it is your revision method.

Some people mark mock papers too generously or say "I would have gotten that right if I was thinking properly and not make that silly mistakes.". There is also often the absense of exam pressure and the mocks may not be done in perfect exam conditions; also some of the questions may have already been attempted by the candidate. Some mocks are easier than others (even if grade boundaries are taken into account). Some people just look at their best scores and not average them (e.g. someone gets an A and a U).

Every year, I hear so many people say "that was the hardest exam ever".

Try and make sure you can complete a C1 paper while getting at least 90% UMS (if you're aiming for an A) in under 70 minutes at most. Do every single C1 paper and you must average at least 90%. If you can't do that by the time you get back to school, I do not advise taking maths. So many questions in C3/C4 require C2 knowledge.
If you're aiming for an A/A*, all the content of C1 and C2 should be second nature as calculating 10 * 10.

The top natural students don't need to revise maths for 6 hours a day. Cramming in 10 to 20 hours of revision per maths module just before the exam is enough for those students in getting 90%+ UMS.

I think that is all the advice I can give you.

I completed last year's C1 paper in 45 minutes, but I couldn't finish the C4 paper in time (leaving out about 8 marks worth of questions). There is a clear difference in difficulty in AS and A2 maths as there is a difference between AS and GCSE maths.

Enjoying mathematics is not the same as being naturally good at it.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by Sayonara
I don't revise 6 hours a day but I am suggesting somewhere along those lines if you want to massively improve that grade to an A/A*.
Or maybe it is your revision method.

Some people mark mock papers too generously or say "I would have gotten that right if I was thinking properly and not make that silly mistakes.". There is also often the absense of exam pressure and the mocks may not be done in perfect exam conditions; also some of the questions may have already been attempted by the candidate. Some mocks are easier than others (even if grade boundaries are taken into account). Some people just look at their best scores and not average them (e.g. someone gets an A and a U).

Every year, I hear so many people say "that was the hardest exam ever".

Try and make sure you can complete a C1 paper while getting at least 90% UMS (if you're aiming for an A) in under 70 minutes at most. Do every single C1 paper and you must average at least 90%. If you can't do that by the time you get back to school, I do not advise taking maths. So many questions in C3/C4 require C2 knowledge.
If you're aiming for an A/A*, all the content of C1 and C2 should be second nature as calculating 10 * 10.

The top natural students don't need to revise maths for 6 hours a day. Cramming in 10 to 20 hours of revision per maths module just before the exam is enough for those students in getting 90%+ UMS.

I think that is all the advice I can give you.

I completed last year's C1 paper in 45 minutes, but I couldn't finish the C4 paper in time (leaving out about 8 marks worth of questions). There is a clear difference in difficulty in AS and A2 maths as there is a difference between AS and GCSE maths.

Enjoying mathematics is not the same as being naturally good at it.


Thank You for the reply, I don't think i'll be able to continue Maths which is a massive disappointment but entirely my fault

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