FULL MARKS at maths gcse ?
I am in year 10 and am doing my maths gcse -amongst others - a year early . I have gotten a 9 in the mocks with a raw percentage of 90% . I really want full marks and I know I have the potential but I am kind of going through a maths recession -dropping to an 8 with 70ish %- and keep making really dumb mistakes . I don’t know how to check my answers properly and I’m losing ‘the touch’ which made the last questions on the paper easy . I now have a lot of pressure and have been signed up for the GCSEs , I don’t want to resit it and need the 9 in future but most of all I really want the full marks but I am finding it very difficult to manage my time and focus on other subjects as well .
Any tips on how to ace maths with as little time as possible whilst also having time for my other subjects ???
Bonus question : Any tips for time management procrastination and most effective memorisation techniques for : Biology and Geography -specifically case studies (Aiming for 9s ) ????
Any tips on how to ace maths with as little time as possible whilst also having time for my other subjects ???
Bonus question : Any tips for time management procrastination and most effective memorisation techniques for : Biology and Geography -specifically case studies (Aiming for 9s ) ????
Full marks? Or a grade 9?
These are not the same things.
You don't need full marks to achieve a grade 9.
These are not the same things.
You don't need full marks to achieve a grade 9.
Reply 2
Original post by PinkMobilePhone
Full marks? Or a grade 9?
These are not the same things.
You don't need full marks to achieve a grade 9.
These are not the same things.
You don't need full marks to achieve a grade 9.
I understand, I was not clear in my post . I really want full marks , but need the 9 for my sixth form .
Original post by Habibabobs
I undersand , but would really like the full marks (need the 9) . Any tips ??
Reply 4
Original post by PinkMobilePhone
So just to clarify, you're asking how you can get every single question right without any errors whatsoever?
Well yes , I know a friend who has achieved that and friends that have gotten close . It is a personal goal for me and my parents have a reward for me if I do . If you have any tips on perfecting my techniques and spotting dumb mistakes I’d really appreciate it .
(edited 1 month ago)
Reply 5
Original post by Habibabobs
Well yes , I know a friend who has achieved that and friends that have gotten close . It is a personal goal for me and my parents have a reward for me if I do . If you have any tips on perfecting my techniques and spotting dumb mistakes I’d really appreciate it .
How do you usually revise, if you don't mind me asking?
Reply 6
Original post by shonow033m
How do you usually revise, if you don't mind me asking?
Initially I went through the textbook (twice) then did a few papers but then I did all the topics on maths genie from grade 5 to 9 (all in preparation for my mock ) . Now I’ve been doing papers with any questions I get wrong I first try and find the mistake myself (if I find it repeat it and if I get it right move on) if I can’t find the error I use the mark scheme and try to understand then repeat the question .
Thanks for responding any tips/advice would be great 😅😅😅
Original post by Habibabobs
Initially I went through the textbook (twice) then did a few papers but then I did all the topics on maths genie from grade 5 to 9 (all in preparation for my mock ) . Now I’ve been doing papers with any questions I get wrong I first try and find the mistake myself (if I find it repeat it and if I get it right move on) if I can’t find the error I use the mark scheme and try to understand then repeat the question .
Thanks for responding any tips/advice would be great 😅😅😅
Thanks for responding any tips/advice would be great 😅😅😅
The full marks bit seems unnecessary stress for yourself. Someone I know who was very competent at maths and was capable of getting full marks, forgot to turn over the last page on one of the papers and missed out a question. They still did well and have done well subsequently.
But a few tips for trying to ensure a 9:
•
Make sure you do all the questions (cross off the questions on your question paper and make sure you do them all)
•
Verify your solutions, either a quick guestimate for simple ones or subbing ans back in or ...
•
Go through the hard questions for your exam board as well as the other exam boards as the syllabuses are very similar and a bit of exposure to slightly different question style is beneficial
•
Go through some of the "hard grade 9" question banks.
•
Read questions carefully, sketch the info, underline important parts to make sure you dont miss them out.
•
Go through the actual syllabus / the full gcse helpbook at https://m4ths.com/gcse.html (bottom of page) / mathsgenie ... and make sure you know all the topics (proof of circle theorems is an example) and when youre doing practice, note the topics you have problems with.
•
Repeat the questions you got wrong in a months time.
(edited 1 month ago)
Reply 8
Original post by mqb2766
The full marks bit seems unnecessary stress for yourself. Someone I know who was very competent at maths and was capable of getting full marks, forgot to turn over the last page on one of the papers and missed out a question. They still did well and have done well subsequently.
But a few tips for trying to ensure a 9:
But a few tips for trying to ensure a 9:
•
Make sure you do all the questions (cross off the questions on your question paper and make sure you do them all)
•
Verify your solutions, either a quick guestimate for simple ones or subbing ans back in or ...
•
Go through the hard questions for your exam board as well as the other exam boards as the syllabuses are very similar and a bit of exposure to slightly different question style is beneficial
•
Go through some of the "hard grade 9" question banks.
•
Read questions carefully, sketch the info, underline important parts to make sure you dont miss them out.
•
Go through the actual syllabus / the full gcse helpbook at https://m4ths.com/gcse.html (bottom of page) / mathsgenie ... and make sure you know all the topics (proof of circle theorems is an example) and when youre doing practice, note the topics you have problems with.
•
Repeat the questions you got wrong in a months time.
Thanks for that response it’s much appreciated .I’ll definitely start trying new exam boards and where can I find grade 9 question banks ??
Also, I’ll obviously still try for the full marks but after re reading the thread I think your right about it causing unnecessary stress for me and I’ll probably start putting less emphasis on it especially about hearing about your friend the ideas of making no mistakes across 300 marks is starting to seem a stretch and like you said not that necessary .
Thanks again 😊😊😊😊
Original post by Habibabobs
Thanks for that response it’s much appreciated .I’ll definitely start trying new exam boards and where can I find grade 9 question banks ??
Also, I’ll obviously still try for the full marks but after re reading the thread I think your right about it causing unnecessary stress for me and I’ll probably start putting less emphasis on it especially about hearing about your friend the ideas of making no mistakes across 300 marks is starting to seem a stretch and like you said not that necessary .
Thanks again 😊😊😊😊
Also, I’ll obviously still try for the full marks but after re reading the thread I think your right about it causing unnecessary stress for me and I’ll probably start putting less emphasis on it especially about hearing about your friend the ideas of making no mistakes across 300 marks is starting to seem a stretch and like you said not that necessary .
Thanks again 😊😊😊😊
Just search for grade 9 maths questions, and there are a few books/papers/youtubes/....
Doing the last few questions from other exam boards its fairly similar as they are meant to discriminate grades 7/8/9.
Reply 10
Original post by mqb2766
Just search for grade 9 maths questions, and there are a few books/papers/youtubes/....
Doing the last few questions from other exam boards its fairly similar as they are meant to discriminate grades 7/8/9.
Doing the last few questions from other exam boards its fairly similar as they are meant to discriminate grades 7/8/9.
Thanks much appreciated 😊😊😊😊
Reply 11
Original post by Habibabobs
Thanks for that response it’s much appreciated .I’ll definitely start trying new exam boards and where can I find grade 9 question banks ??
Also, I’ll obviously still try for the full marks but after re reading the thread I think your right about it causing unnecessary stress for me and I’ll probably start putting less emphasis on it especially about hearing about your friend the ideas of making no mistakes across 300 marks is starting to seem a stretch and like you said not that necessary .
Thanks again 😊😊😊😊
Also, I’ll obviously still try for the full marks but after re reading the thread I think your right about it causing unnecessary stress for me and I’ll probably start putting less emphasis on it especially about hearing about your friend the ideas of making no mistakes across 300 marks is starting to seem a stretch and like you said not that necessary .
Thanks again 😊😊😊😊
I found the CGP target 8-9 book helped me get (close to) full marks. I do AQA, not sure if there's any other for any other exam boards, but they are very challenging and will help you.
Reply 12
Original post by RIPJohnPork
I found the CGP target 8-9 book helped me get (close to) full marks. I do AQA, not sure if there's any other for any other exam boards, but they are very challenging and will help you.
I found one for OCR I will definitely get it especially if it helped you that much .
Thanks for that 😃😃😃
Reply 13
Hey, just wanted to say hats off for aiming that high – going for full marks in maths GCSE is no joke. Honestly just getting a 9 is already tough, but full marks? That’s some next-level dedication. I get what you mean by a “maths recession” too – been there, where things just stop clicking and silly mistakes creep in even though you know the content. From the way you’re revising though (textbook twice, Maths Genie, past papers etc), it’s clear you’re putting in serious work.
Something that helped me when I was messing up silly things was keeping a little “mistake diary” – literally just writing down every dumb mistake I made. Like forgetting a negative, misreading the question, whatever. You start to see patterns, and then you catch yourself before making them again. Also try saying your working out loud, even just in your head – weirdly helps slow your brain down and spot errors. And always box your final answers – it forces a final check before moving on.
You've done loads of topic-based prep already, so now I’d say focus on mixed-topic practice papers under timed conditions. It’s closer to the real thing and helps your brain jump between topics quicker. And don’t just mark your paper – mark it harshly using the official mark scheme. Be brutal, then go back and fix your weak spots.
For the grade 9 stuff, the CGP Target 8-9 book is 🔥. Also check out Dr Frost Maths – loads of good stuff there. And don’t just stick to one exam board. Try Edexcel, AQA, OCR… the last few questions on all of them are similar and will train your brain to tackle anything.
For managing other subjects like bio and geo – honestly, pomodoro method is a game changer. 25 mins work, 5 min break. Rotate subjects. And for the case studies, try blurting – close the book, write down everything you can remember, then check. Way more effective than just reading. Teaching it to someone else helps too (I used to teach my cat lol).
You’re doing amazing already – just don’t stress yourself out too much over full marks. Like you said, it’s not really necessary and you don’t wanna burn out. Even trying for it means you’re putting yourself in the best position possible.
You’ve got this 💪
Something that helped me when I was messing up silly things was keeping a little “mistake diary” – literally just writing down every dumb mistake I made. Like forgetting a negative, misreading the question, whatever. You start to see patterns, and then you catch yourself before making them again. Also try saying your working out loud, even just in your head – weirdly helps slow your brain down and spot errors. And always box your final answers – it forces a final check before moving on.
You've done loads of topic-based prep already, so now I’d say focus on mixed-topic practice papers under timed conditions. It’s closer to the real thing and helps your brain jump between topics quicker. And don’t just mark your paper – mark it harshly using the official mark scheme. Be brutal, then go back and fix your weak spots.
For the grade 9 stuff, the CGP Target 8-9 book is 🔥. Also check out Dr Frost Maths – loads of good stuff there. And don’t just stick to one exam board. Try Edexcel, AQA, OCR… the last few questions on all of them are similar and will train your brain to tackle anything.
For managing other subjects like bio and geo – honestly, pomodoro method is a game changer. 25 mins work, 5 min break. Rotate subjects. And for the case studies, try blurting – close the book, write down everything you can remember, then check. Way more effective than just reading. Teaching it to someone else helps too (I used to teach my cat lol).
You’re doing amazing already – just don’t stress yourself out too much over full marks. Like you said, it’s not really necessary and you don’t wanna burn out. Even trying for it means you’re putting yourself in the best position possible.
You’ve got this 💪
(edited 1 month ago)
Hey there,
I'm also sitting my GCSEs this year however I'm year 11, good on ya for getting 90%! In year 10 I was on like 73% 😂. Recently in my mocks I got 80/80 on Paper 1 Non-Calc and on the others I nearly got full marks, and I also got nearly full marks on a AQA FM L2 paper. I use Corbett Maths 5-a-day, Higher Plus + FM 5 a day daily, this helped drastically as it keeps your brain ready to solve literally any maths question whenever. Also keep doing practice papers as you're doing, but as someone else has said try explore different exam boards. That'll help and if you want full marks (I'm aiming for 240/240 too), GRIND Grade 9 Papers from MME and M4ths.com. Do some OCR Add Maths crossover questions too. Rinse every single paper on your exam board, including foundation ones. This sounds stupid, but honestly plenty of people miss out on full marks because they make a stupid mistake on the Foundation-Higher crossover topics. Also make sure you don' t miss out the stupid topics that barely come up like construction and loci. Not sure about OCR if that's your exam board but make sure you cover the most frequent topics in crazy depth, know them inside out, Edexcel loves histograms and cumulative frequency for example. Other than that, do past papers. Oh and if I haven't said already, rinse past papers
I'm also sitting my GCSEs this year however I'm year 11, good on ya for getting 90%! In year 10 I was on like 73% 😂. Recently in my mocks I got 80/80 on Paper 1 Non-Calc and on the others I nearly got full marks, and I also got nearly full marks on a AQA FM L2 paper. I use Corbett Maths 5-a-day, Higher Plus + FM 5 a day daily, this helped drastically as it keeps your brain ready to solve literally any maths question whenever. Also keep doing practice papers as you're doing, but as someone else has said try explore different exam boards. That'll help and if you want full marks (I'm aiming for 240/240 too), GRIND Grade 9 Papers from MME and M4ths.com. Do some OCR Add Maths crossover questions too. Rinse every single paper on your exam board, including foundation ones. This sounds stupid, but honestly plenty of people miss out on full marks because they make a stupid mistake on the Foundation-Higher crossover topics. Also make sure you don' t miss out the stupid topics that barely come up like construction and loci. Not sure about OCR if that's your exam board but make sure you cover the most frequent topics in crazy depth, know them inside out, Edexcel loves histograms and cumulative frequency for example. Other than that, do past papers. Oh and if I haven't said already, rinse past papers
Reply 15
Original post by ga9020
Hey there,
I'm also sitting my GCSEs this year however I'm year 11, good on ya for getting 90%! In year 10 I was on like 73% 😂. Recently in my mocks I got 80/80 on Paper 1 Non-Calc and on the others I nearly got full marks, and I also got nearly full marks on a AQA FM L2 paper. I use Corbett Maths 5-a-day, Higher Plus + FM 5 a day daily, this helped drastically as it keeps your brain ready to solve literally any maths question whenever. Also keep doing practice papers as you're doing, but as someone else has said try explore different exam boards. That'll help and if you want full marks (I'm aiming for 240/240 too), GRIND Grade 9 Papers from MME and M4ths.com. Do some OCR Add Maths crossover questions too. Rinse every single paper on your exam board, including foundation ones. This sounds stupid, but honestly plenty of people miss out on full marks because they make a stupid mistake on the Foundation-Higher crossover topics. Also make sure you don' t miss out the stupid topics that barely come up like construction and loci. Not sure about OCR if that's your exam board but make sure you cover the most frequent topics in crazy depth, know them inside out, Edexcel loves histograms and cumulative frequency for example. Other than that, do past papers. Oh and if I haven't said already, rinse past papers
I'm also sitting my GCSEs this year however I'm year 11, good on ya for getting 90%! In year 10 I was on like 73% 😂. Recently in my mocks I got 80/80 on Paper 1 Non-Calc and on the others I nearly got full marks, and I also got nearly full marks on a AQA FM L2 paper. I use Corbett Maths 5-a-day, Higher Plus + FM 5 a day daily, this helped drastically as it keeps your brain ready to solve literally any maths question whenever. Also keep doing practice papers as you're doing, but as someone else has said try explore different exam boards. That'll help and if you want full marks (I'm aiming for 240/240 too), GRIND Grade 9 Papers from MME and M4ths.com. Do some OCR Add Maths crossover questions too. Rinse every single paper on your exam board, including foundation ones. This sounds stupid, but honestly plenty of people miss out on full marks because they make a stupid mistake on the Foundation-Higher crossover topics. Also make sure you don' t miss out the stupid topics that barely come up like construction and loci. Not sure about OCR if that's your exam board but make sure you cover the most frequent topics in crazy depth, know them inside out, Edexcel loves histograms and cumulative frequency for example. Other than that, do past papers. Oh and if I haven't said already, rinse past papers
Thanks so much for that . It was ultra helpful especially the foundation papers thing because I lose an absurd amount of marks on the easy topics (for like 7 papers straight I got the first question wrong for no reason I can fathom tbh) and thanks again for the advice .
I will definitely be rinsing those papers and trying the grade 9 ones .GOOD LUCK TO YOU 222.
Reply 17
Original post by ga9020
No problem! Fingers crossed we both get full marks 💯
I reassure you THEY ARE CROSSED and good luck to us .
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