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A Level maths explained
All four boards teach the same nineteen areas of content, set by the Department for Education. What differs is how that content is split across the papers, and there they differ more than most parents expect.
The exam boards compared
There are four A Level maths specifications in England. Your child’s school chooses which one to enter, and it may not be the same board the school uses for other subjects. If you do not know which one, the school office will tell you.
The nineteen areas of content are set by the Department for Education and are identical on every board, so the choice does not make maths easier or harder. What changes is how that content is divided across the papers — and there the four differ more than most parents expect.
At a glance
| AQA | Edexcel (Pearson) | OCR A | OCR B (MEI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papers | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Length of each | 2 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Marks per paper | 100 / 100 / 100 | 100 / 100 / 100 | 100 / 100 / 100 | 100 / 100 / 75 |
| Total marks | 300 | 300 | 300 | 275 |
| Weighting | 33⅓% / 33⅓% / 33⅓% | 33.33% / 33.33% / 33.33% | 33⅓% / 33⅓% / 33⅓% | 36.4% / 36.4% / 27.3% |
| Calculator | Allowed throughout | Allowed throughout | Allowed throughout | Allowed throughout |
Three boards run three equal papers. OCR B (MEI) does not — its third paper is shorter, and its total is 275 marks rather than 300. None of the four sets a non-calculator paper, which is the clearest break from GCSE.
What is on each paper
| AQA | Edexcel (Pearson) | OCR A | OCR B (MEI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Pure | Pure Mathematics 1 | Pure Mathematics | Pure Mathematics and Mechanics |
| Paper 2 | Pure and Mechanics | Pure Mathematics 2 | Pure Mathematics and Statistics | Pure Mathematics and Statistics |
| Paper 3 | Pure and Statistics | Statistics and Mechanics | Pure Mathematics and Mechanics | Pure Mathematics and Comprehension |
This is the real difference. Edexcel front-loads two pure papers and puts all the applied content in the third. OCR A pairs pure with one applied topic on each of papers two and three. AQA keeps statistics and mechanics on separate papers but examines vectors with mechanics. OCR B (MEI) ends with a pure paper that includes a comprehension section.
Vectors lands in a different place on every board
It is the one topic where all four disagree, which is worth knowing if your child moves school or uses revision material bought for the wrong board.
- AQA — Paper 2
- Edexcel (Pearson) — Paper 1 and 2
- OCR A — Paper 1
- OCR B (MEI) — Paper 3
In the exam
| AQA | Edexcel (Pearson) | OCR A | OCR B (MEI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formulae | A formulae booklet is provided in all three papers | The booklet Mathematical Formulae and Statistical Tables is provided in all three papers | Formulae are printed on pages 2 and 3 of each question paper rather than in a separate booklet | Formulae are printed on pages 2 and 3 of each question paper rather than in a separate booklet |
| Large data set | Yes, used in one paper | Yes, used in one paper | Yes, used in one paper | Yes, used in one paper |
| Anything unusual | — | — | — | Component 03 includes a comprehension section: 15 marks of questions on an unseen mathematical article. No other board examines this |
Every board requires students to work with a large data set before the exam — real data explored in class with a spreadsheet, which some questions then assume familiarity with. Students do not take a copy into the exam. The data set itself differs by board and changes from time to time, so this is one to ask the school about rather than to buy a book for.
How the marks are awarded
The assessment objectives are set by Ofqual and are the same on all four boards: 50% for using standard techniques, 25% for reasoning and communicating, and 25% for solving problems in and outside mathematics.
Half the marks are for routine technique, and half are not. That is the single most useful thing to know about A Level maths: fluency alone reliably gets a student to about half marks, and no further. The other half rewards deciding what to do, and explaining it.
Codes, if you need to check with the school
| AQA | Edexcel (Pearson) | OCR A | OCR B (MEI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specification code | 7357 | 9MA0 | H240 | H640 |
| Ofqual number | 603/1164/2 | 603/1333/X | 603/1038/8 | 603/1002/9 |
| Checked against | version 1.3, 31 January 2018 | Issue 4, February 2020 | version 3.1, August 2026 | version 3.1, August 2026 |
Every figure above was read from the board’s own specification on the date shown. Specifications change; if you are making a decision on one of these, confirm it with the school.