OCR A Level Maths mock exam: what is on it and how to revise
The H240 paper format, a free mock paper to sit, a 2-week and a 4-week revision plan, and the OCR mistakes that cost the most marks. Everything here is free.
By Pete Bromfield, former Head of Maths with IB examining experience (independent)
What is on the OCR H240 mock
Your school writes or chooses your mock, so ask your teacher which papers and topics are in it. Most Year 13 mocks copy the real OCR A Level Maths exam, which is:
| Paper | Time | Marks | Calculator | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Pure Mathematics | 2 h | 100 | Allowed | One third |
| Paper 2: Pure Mathematics and Statistics | 2 h | 100 | Allowed | One third |
| Paper 3: Pure Mathematics and Mechanics | 2 h | 100 | Allowed | One third |
- Paper 1: Pure Mathematics only (OCR content 1.01 to 1.10).
- Paper 2: A pure section, then statistics (2.01 to 2.05), including OCR's pre-release large data set.
- Paper 3: A pure section, then mechanics (3.01 to 3.04).
As listed on OCR's website. More on each paper: OCR H240 past papers · OCR A Level Maths course guide · the OCR large data set.
Sit a free OCR A Level Maths mock
Sit one paper under timed conditions before you revise: the marks you lose tell you which topics to fix first.
Start here
A full pure paper, free
Our own Predicted Paper 2027: a 2-hour, 100-mark pure paper in Edexcel 9MA0 Paper 1 style, with a full mark scheme and PDF. OCR Paper 1 is also 2 hours of pure maths for 100 marks, so it works as a Paper 1 mock for you too. Give your email and we send you the link.
Written by us, not by OCR. Nobody outside the exam boards knows what will come up.
Marked as you go
Timed mini-mocks
Short papers at the real exam's pace (marks per minute), answered on screen.
Free sample: the first 3 questions open with their answers and mark scheme, no sign-up; a free account (no card) opens the whole mark scheme. The others are free to read, and a free account marks your answers.
The real thing
OCR's own past papers
OCR publishes H240 papers, mark schemes and examiners' reports from June 2018 to June 2025 on its assessment page. Our page links to each paper and has an exam timer.
Want one topic at a time? Printable practice exams with separate mark schemes.
2-week OCR H240 mock revision plan
Ten days on the ten topics where OCR students lose the most marks, in the order our Examiner Insights rank them, then four days on papers. Each topic links to its revision page and a Skill Builder.
- Day 1
Algebra and functions
- Day 2
Trigonometry
- Day 3
Differentiation
- Day 4
Binomial and normal distributions
- Day 5
Hypothesis testing
- Day 6
Coordinate geometry
- Day 7
Kinematics and projectiles
- Day 8
Numerical methods
- Day 9
Proof
- Day 10
Sequences, series and binomial
- Day 11
Paper 1, timed
Sit the free Predicted Paper 2027 or a recent Paper 1 from the OCR H240 past papers in one go: 2 hours, with the formulae booklet.
- Day 12
Mark it and fix the gaps
Mark it with the mark scheme, put every lost mark in My mistakes, then do the Skill Builders for your two weakest topics.
- Day 13
Paper 2 or Paper 3, timed
Sit a recent Paper 2 or Paper 3 from the OCR H240 past papers, timed. Read the large data set guide first: some statistics questions use it.
- Day 14
Formulas and calculator
Learn the formulas you are not given (A Level formula sheet: what OCR prints in the paper), then run the calculator exam-day checklist. Rest the evening before.
4-week OCR H240 mock revision plan
Four weeks lets you cover all 17 topics and sit all three papers. Topics where students lose the most marks come first.
Show the 4 weeks, topic by topic
- Week 1
Algebra and functions · Trigonometry · Differentiation · Binomial and normal distributions · Hypothesis testing · Coordinate geometry
Start with a diagnostic: the free Y1 Paper 1 mini-mock A (16 minutes), timed. Then:
- Week 2
Kinematics and projectiles · Numerical methods · Proof · Sequences, series and binomial · Exponentials and logarithms · Integration and differential equations
- Kinematics and projectiles
- Numerical methods
- Proof
- Sequences, series and binomial
- Exponentials and logarithms
- Integration and differential equations
End the week by redoing everything in My mistakes.
- Week 3
Vectors · Sampling and data · Probability · Forces and Newton's laws · Moments, then a full paper
At the weekend, sit the free Predicted Paper 2027 or a recent Paper 1 from the OCR H240 past papers, timed, and mark it.
- Week 4
Papers and the last gaps
Sit Paper 2 and Paper 3 from the OCR H240 past papers, each timed. Spend the days between on the Skill Builders for your weakest topics, the large data set, a Level formula sheet: what OCR prints in the paper and the calculator checklist.
Want the four weeks ticked off and a reminder each Monday? Mock Season Plan counts back from your mock date. Only 12 days? Use the 12-day A Level Maths mock plan.
The OCR H240 mistakes that cost the most marks
From our summary of OCR’s published examiner reports for H240. Check your mock against each one.
"Detailed reasoning": answers from the calculator
Fix: Show every algebraic step; use the calculator only to check. Factorise rather than divide by a variable expression.
Rejecting a solution without a reason
Fix: Say why: "eʸ > 0 for all y", "a length cannot be negative", "|r| < 1 for a sum to infinity".
"Explain" and "interpret" answers without context
Fix: Answer in the context's words and units, give exactly what is asked (one reason means one), and link it to the numbers.
Trig equations in context: not finding every solution in the interval
Fix: Rewrite the interval for the angle before solving, list every solution, then answer the question asked (a duration, a time, a count).
Trapezium rule: wrong strip width and missing brackets
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 examples of each, and the rest of the list: where OCR H240 students lose marks.
Make your mock revision count: free account
- The whole mark scheme of a free mini-mockOpen the full mark scheme of the Y1 Paper 1 mini-mock A (our free sample), not just its first 3 questions.
- Build your own mockPick your weak topics and take a test made from the free questions, then mark it.
- My mistakesEvery question you get wrong goes into one list, ready to retry before the mock.
Make a free account: no card needed5 more practice questions on every topic with instant feedback, answers and mark schemes on free questions, and your streak and progress on any device.
Join freeAlready have an account? Sign in
Common questions
What is on the OCR A Level Maths mock exam?
Your school sets it, so check with your teacher. Most Year 13 mocks follow the real H240 exam: Paper 1, Pure Mathematics (2 hours, 100 marks); Paper 2, Pure Mathematics and Statistics (2 hours, 100 marks); Paper 3, Pure Mathematics and Mechanics (2 hours, 100 marks). A calculator is allowed in all three.
Is there a free OCR A Level Maths mock paper?
Yes. Our Predicted Paper 2027 is a free full 2-hour, 100-mark pure paper with a mark scheme: give your email and we send the link. Our mini-mocks are free to sit, and OCR publishes its own past papers on its website; our OCR H240 past papers page links to each one.
Can I use a calculator in OCR A Level Maths?
Yes. A calculator is allowed in all three H240 papers. Check the board's rules on which models are allowed, and practise with the one you will use.
How long should I revise for my OCR A Level Maths mock?
Two weeks is enough for a focused plan on the ten topics where students lose the most marks, then papers. Four weeks covers every topic and all three papers. Both plans are on this page.
Are these real OCR papers?
No. Our Predicted Paper 2027 and mini-mocks are written by us. For OCR's own past papers, use our past papers page, which links to the official copies.
Other boards
Edexcel A Level Maths mock exam · AQA A Level Maths mock exam · Edexcel IAL mock exams · all A Level Maths mock exams
Also for OCR: course guide · A Level topics · Examiner Insights · Skill Builders · exam season plans
Independent revision resource, not produced or endorsed by Pearson Edexcel, AQA or OCR. Every mock paper and question on this page is our own; the boards' papers are linked on their own websites.
A Level Math Revision is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the International Baccalaureate Organization. This work/product/service has been developed independently from and is not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization. International Baccalaureate, Baccalauréat International, Bachillerato Internacional and IB are registered trademarks owned by the International Baccalaureate Organization.