Our Further Maths A and B (MEI) are Accredited

Following the accreditation of our AS/A Level Further Mathematics A and A Level Further Mathematics B (MEI) qualifications, it seems like a good opportunity to update you on their current status and what has changed from the first drafts.

For our Accredited Further Maths A, some key points to note are that we have moved some of the AS Level content into A Level, reducing the amount of content that learners need to study for AS Level, or in the first two terms of the five term A Level course. We have removed from AS and A Level, a few bits from the Additional Pure option, for example eigenvectors and eigenvalues, in order to reduce the overall content. This ensures that there is plenty of time for you and your students to study the AS content fully in those first two terms.

You can download our AS and A Level Further Maths A specifications today. Printed copies of the A Level Further Mathematics A and B (MEI) specifications with Sample Assessment Materials are being despatched to every centre so look out for your copy in the post.

For our accredited A Level Further Mathematics B (MEI), we have removed a little of the statistics content and the Extra Pure paper is now fixed content rather than a choice of topics. You can read the specification on the OCR website.

In both cases we now favour the word “paper” instead of “unit”. This is to make clear that the new qualifications are linear, that all assessment must be taken in a single session and that some of the things that one can currently do with the unitised qualifications are no longer possible. However, we have retained, in all four qualifications, the allowance for learners to broaden and/or deepen their study of further mathematics beyond the minimum requirements by taking more than the required number of optional papers. Where learners do this, the combination of papers that result in the best grade will be used.

The Sample Assessment Material for all four qualifications has been reviewed in line with Ofqual’s feedback. There were some initial concerns about level of demand in AS Further Maths, which has resulted in us easing those papers. Otherwise, the discussion has all been about the fine detail of the allocation of assessment objectives and other “backroom” details. The general approach, structures and style of assessment remains unchanged since the first drafts.

For further information, and to see the resubmitted Further Maths qualifications and the accredited Maths qualifications, visit ocr.org.uk/alevelmaths.

Submit your comments below and if you have any questions then you can get in touch with us via email on maths@ocr.org.uk or on Twitter @OCR_Maths.

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