MST124 or MST125? Or both?

Hello, I am thinking of enrolling on one/both of the maths modules at open university essential maths 1 and 2 MST124 and MST125. I’m trying to decide which one would be best for me, I got an A* at A level maths 6 years ago and the main reason for me doing it would be to recap on everything and learn some new things. I’m thinking of applying to an online conversion MSc in computer science or AI and I will need to be confident in maths for this and will need to be able to prove my maths skills which is why I’m thinking of a module rather than just self learning. It would be good to have some structure and who knows maybe I can build up modules into another degree. I’m also interested in learning more maths since I really liked it at A level. It looks like MST124 starts at kind of AS level and progresses to further maths, and MST125 takes it further. I’ve heard of most of the things on the MST124 specification and got most of the questions right in the readiness quiz (with some researching!). The MST125 quiz I recognise stuff and can do some of the questions but I can’t do all of it without researching. Lots of stuff on the specification is new to me too. If anyone’s done either of these modules it would be great to get some advice about what sort of level they are. I don’t want it to be too ‘easy’ but also the point of doing it is to recap and practice. Similarly I don’t want to be completely lost. Also if anyone knows about the level of maths needed for conversion MSc in CS or AI. Thanks 😬

If you did well in A-level Maths or equivalent relatively recently then you'll find MST124 quite straightforward, although some of the material will be new. I'd probably suggest you take both simultaneously. There is a specific "route" through the modules if you are taking both at the same time, in terms of the order in which you learn the material, and the deadlines for the assignments are structured in such a way that you can follow the syllabus in a linear fashion (you sort of move back and forth between each module depending on the topic(s) as you progress).

If you are very unsure of your background then you could start with MST124 then start up MST125 in the February session, which would give you longer to consolidate the earlier material in MST124 (and also means the exams would be taken in separate exam periods). If you had an A* in A-level Maths though I'm pretty sure you could easily manage both at the same time. The exams for those modules are a lot easier than the A-level exams generally, as you get to take the handbook in with "special annotations" (basically, you can write any notes you want that will fit on the pages of the handbook), and the exams themselves are multiple choice which makes some questions more straightforward (although it does mean you have to be careful with your algebra while more involved calculations as there are no method marks).

As far as what will be needed for the conversion, I couldn't really say, it would probably vary depending on the course. I'd suggest contacting the course provider and asking about what prior knowledge would be expected and/or useful. To my knowledge AI involves a fair bit of stats, and otherwise is a lot of control theory/systems engineering as I understand, which is elements of calculus and differential equations (how far into it they go can vary a lot though; a fully rigorous mathematical treatment could entail proper analysis, while they could also take a more practical approach which is a bit more handwavy).

Will the M124 course be equivalent to A level Maths for most universities?

I doubt it; you don't go into most topics in the same depth as A-level in MST124 (certainly they're examined at a much easier level than A-level), and some topics occur in the A-level syllabus that aren't covered in MST124 and vice versa. You'd need to contact universities directly to see how it would meet their requirements, but I believe they would probably expect you to take two or more maths modules with the OU to reach that level of equivalence (consider that there is little chance for a single 30 credit module to cover 2 years worth of A-level material!).

Ah, that's unfortunate for me. I wanted to pick M124 after Extended Diploma in Computing to prepare myself for uni content, specifically for maths content. For some reason, I thought it will be accepted by most universities since they have quite a good amount of calculus there and it's definitely much harder than GCSE. I know that Bath university accepts M124 in lieu of A level Maths. I will email Exeter and Glasgow if they accept M124, because they only require B in A level Maths.