What the examiners said about OCR A Level Maths — and exactly what to do about it
We read every OCR examiner report for H240 from June 2024 to June 2024, mapped each question to a topic, and turned the comments into a checklist of the mistakes that cost the most marks.
Summaries are in our own words with links to the originals. Predictions are informed guesses, not a guarantee.
Ranked for June 2027
What to focus on for June 2027
June 2026 papers have been sat, but their examiner reports were not publicly readable when we compiled this page. We will add them when they are. Ranked by how often each area appeared, how many marks it carried and how weakly it was answered.
Informed prediction, not a guarantee: any topic on the specification can be examined.
1
Algebra, modulus and proportionality with full reasoning
Seven questions across the three 2024 papers; modulus equations and "justify the only solution" answers were weak.
Medium confidenceH240/01 2024 Q2, Q7, Q8H240/03 2024 Q1, Q2
The 10 mistakes that cost the most marks (and 3 more)
Ordered by how often and how widely they were reported. The first 5 are free in full; Pro unlocks the fix and a worked example for every other one.
#1"Detailed reasoning": answers from the calculator
What examiners saw: On OCR's detailed-reasoning questions, candidates jump to solutions (or quote a calculator result) without the intermediate steps, or divide through and lose solutions.
Fix: Show every algebraic step; use the calculator only to check. Factorise rather than divide by a variable expression.
Worked example (our own): (Detailed reasoning) Solve 2cos²θ = cos θ for 0 ≤ θ < 360°.
Loses marks
θ = 60°, 90°, 270°, 300° (from the calculator)
Earns the marks
2cos²θ − cos θ = 0 ⇒ cos θ(2cos θ − 1) = 0
cos θ = 0 ⇒ θ = 90°, 270°
cos θ = ½ ⇒ θ = 60°, 300°
θ = 60°, 90°, 270°, 300°
Why: In a "detailed reasoning" question every step must be written: factorise, solve each factor, list all solutions in the interval. Never divide by cos θ (you lose solutions).
What examiners saw: When one root must be discarded (a negative exponential, a negative length, r outside −1 < r < 1), candidates write "not possible" or give no reason at all.
Fix: Say why: "eʸ > 0 for all y", "a length cannot be negative", "|r| < 1 for a sum to infinity".
Worked example (our own): Solve e²ʸ − eʸ − 2 = 0.
Loses marks
(eʸ − 2)(eʸ + 1) = 0 ⇒ eʸ = 2 or eʸ = −1
y = ln 2 ("−1 is not possible")
Earns the marks
(eʸ − 2)(eʸ + 1) = 0
eʸ = 2 ⇒ y = ln 2
eʸ = −1 has no solution, because eʸ > 0 for all real y
So y = ln 2 only
Why: When you discard a solution, give the mathematical reason. "Not possible" or "maths error" earns nothing.
#3"Explain" and "interpret" answers without context
What examiners saw: Explanation marks are lost more than any other type: answers restate a number ("negative correlation"), give generic facts, or give several reasons where one is asked for and one is wrong.
Fix: Answer in the context's words and units, give exactly what is asked (one reason means one), and link it to the numbers.
Worked example (our own): A student says "the sample of 5 runners shows coach B is better because the sd is larger". Comment.
Loses marks
"Coach B has a bigger standard deviation."
Earns the marks
Coach B's times are more spread out (larger sd), so coach B is more likely to produce an extreme time, including the fastest one.
With only 5 runners, the evidence is weak: a larger sample would be needed.
Why: "Explain" and "interpret" marks need a statement about the context (runners, times), not a restatement of the number.
#4Trig equations in context: not finding every solution in the interval
What examiners saw: Only the first solution (or first cycle) is found, answers are given as single times rather than periods of time, and units are left off.
Fix: Rewrite the interval for the angle before solving, list every solution, then answer the question asked (a duration, a time, a count).
Worked example (our own): Water depth is d = 3 + 2cos(30t)° m, 0 ≤ t < 24 hours. For how many hours in the day is d < 2?
Loses marks
cos(30t) < −½ ⇒ 30t between 120° and 240° ⇒ 4 < t < 8, so 4 hours
#5Trapezium rule: wrong strip width and missing brackets
What examiners saw: h is found using the number of ordinates, the outer bracket is missing, and "over or underestimate" answers talk about the curve increasing instead of its shape (concave/convex).
Fix: h = (b − a)/n with n strips. Write ½h[y₀ + yₙ + 2(y₁ + … + yₙ₋₁)] with all brackets. Justify over/under with concavity.
Worked example (our own): Use the trapezium rule with 4 strips to estimate ∫₀² √(1 + x²) dx.
Loses marks
h = 2/5
½ × h × y₀ + y₄ + 2(y₁ + y₂ + y₃)
Earns the marks
4 strips ⇒ h = (2 − 0)/4 = 0.5, x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2
What examiners saw: Values are usually correct, but the conclusion misses continuity, misstates it ("x is continuous"), or never says a root lies in the interval. Some forget to rearrange to the form = 0 first.
Pro: the fix and a worked example (wrong vs right method) for this mistake are in Pro. See plans
#7Logarithms: different logs on each side and too many steps at once
What examiners saw: Taking logs of each term (not each side), using two different bases in one equation, or jumping several log laws in one line, so a single slip loses every mark.
Pro: the fix and a worked example (wrong vs right method) for this mistake are in Pro. See plans
#8Binomial expansion (rational n): factor not raised to the power, validity not stated
What examiners saw: Taking out a factor is common, but the factor is not raised to the power n, and the range of validity is left out or not compared with the value asked about.
Pro: the fix and a worked example (wrong vs right method) for this mistake are in Pro. See plans
What examiners saw: Setting the second derivative equal to zero is common; checking that it changes sign (or classifying properly) is not, so the conclusion mark is lost.
Pro: the fix and a worked example (wrong vs right method) for this mistake are in Pro. See plans
What examiners saw: The method is well known, but minus signs are dropped when integrating e⁻ˣ, sin x or cos x, and double negatives are not simplified. Some choose u the wrong way round and end up with a harder integral.
Pro: the fix and a worked example (wrong vs right method) for this mistake are in Pro. See plans
#12Moments: wrong distances and forces missing from the diagram
What examiners saw: Force diagrams with a reaction drawn vertically instead of perpendicular to the rod, extra or missing forces (including the rod's own weight), and distances measured from the wrong point.
Pro: the fix and a worked example (wrong vs right method) for this mistake are in Pro. See plans
#13Variable acceleration: suvat used when acceleration is not constant
What examiners saw: When acceleration or velocity is a function of t, some still use suvat, forget the constant of integration or the initial condition.
Pro: the fix and a worked example (wrong vs right method) for this mistake are in Pro. See plans
How often each topic appeared, and for how many marks
Every question in the papers we read, matched to a topic. Columns marked * count questions (q) because the marks could not be verified from the mark scheme. Hover or tap a cell to see the questions.
Confidence: medium — one series read in full. "Series" = how many of the 1 series examined the topic.
Paper by paper
Every paper we analysed, question by question
Topics are ours (matched from each report's question-by-question comments). We don't reproduce the questions: open the official paper from our past-paper page.
Top 10 mistakes examiners see in OCR A Level Maths
A one-page PDF of the ten most common mark-losing mistakes and how to avoid them. Print it and stick it inside your revision folder.
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Sources
Where this comes from
We read OCR's three H240 examiners' reports for Summer 2024 in full. Summer 2022 and 2023 points come from the report text shown in public search results (lower confidence). The trend table counts questions; marks were not available.
OCR H240 examiners' reports, Summer 2023 (01, 02, 03) — public summary only. Not opened in full (network block). Points used here come from the report text shown in public search results; treat as lower confidence.
What do examiners say students get wrong in OCR A Level Maths?
The most repeated points are: "Detailed reasoning"; Rejecting a solution without a reason; "Explain" and "interpret" answers without context. Each one on this page has the fix and, where free, a worked example showing the wrong and right method.
Which OCR A Level Maths topics come up most?
In the material we analysed, the biggest areas were Algebra and functions, Differentiation, Trigonometry.
Is this a prediction of the June 2027 paper?
No one outside the exam board knows what will be on the next paper. The "focus" list is an informed prediction from how often topics appeared and how weakly they were answered; it is not a guarantee, so revise the whole specification.
Where does this information come from?
We read 3 OCR examiner reports (June 2024) in full, summarised them in our own words and linked each point to the original.
A Level Math Revision