A Level Maths: a parents' guide
The exams, the key dates, predicted grades and how to help at home, in plain English, then what this site gives your teenager and what it costs. Exam facts last checked against the boards' own documents on 5 October 2026.
What they've practised, which topics are secure, and any homework due, with an optional weekly summary email. Free, read-only, and your child approves first.
- The exams
- Key dates
- Helping at home
- Good revision
- Reports and predicted grades
- Tutor or online?
- How this site helps
- FAQ
The exams in plain English
"A Level Maths" can mean two different qualifications. Ask the school which one your teenager is taking.
UK A Level Maths (AQA, Edexcel or OCR)
Taught over Year 12 and Year 13 and examined at the end. There are three written papers, each 2 hours and 100 marks, so each is one third of the grade. The content is the same for every board (pure maths, statistics and mechanics); the boards differ in how they split it across the papers. A calculator is allowed in every paper. Grades run from A* to E. Board pages: AQA 7357, Edexcel 9MA0, OCR H240.
Edexcel International A Level Maths
Common in international schools. It is built from six unit exams: four Pure units plus two applied units (for example Statistics 1 and Mechanics 1). Each unit is 1 hour 30 minutes and 75 marks, and units can be sat in different exam series, so a student may take some in Year 12 and the rest in Year 13. A calculator is allowed in every unit. Grades run from A* to E. More on the International A Level units.
Key dates
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Year 12 | Half the course. Internal tests and end-of-year exams. International A Level students may sit their first units in January or June. |
| Year 13, autumn | Predicted grades and UCAS applications. The UCAS early deadline (Oxford, Cambridge, most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses) is 15 October, at 18:00 UK time (15 October 2026 for 2027 entry). |
| Year 13, January | The UCAS deadline for most other courses falls in January: for 2027 entry it is Wednesday 13 January 2027 at 18:00 UK time (UCAS dates and deadlines). Many schools hold mocks around now. |
| May to June | UK A Level exams, and the main International A Level series. International A Level units also run in January and October. |
| August | Results. For June 2026, Pearson released A level and International A Level results on 13 August 2026. |
Our A Level Maths exam dates page lists each board's maths papers as they are confirmed. Exact 2027 exam and results dates come from the school and the boards when published; schools also set earlier internal deadlines for UCAS. Source for the 2026 dates: Pearson key dates 2025/26.
Applying for maths or a maths-heavy degree? Our university maths applications guide covers the personal statement, interviews and wider reading. Some courses also ask for an admissions test: from 2026 Oxford uses the TMUA, and Cambridge colleges usually ask for STEP. If your teenager is thinking about an Extended Project, see the EPQ guide.
How to help at home
- Ask them which topic came up in this week's starter task. They'll be surprised you know what a "starter task" is.
- Print their weekly formula sheet and stick it on the fridge. Passive exposure works.
- Watch the streak counter — if it drops to zero, that's usually a wobble, not a crisis.
- Protect a routine: a short session of questions on most days beats a weekend cram, and it keeps Year 12 work from piling up.
- Ask "which questions lost marks, and why?" rather than "what did you get?". It points at the next thing to fix.
- Keep an eye on sleep and the phone at night. Tired students forget methods they knew last week.
What good revision looks like
A Level maths is learned by doing questions, not by rereading notes. A good week looks like this: questions on one topic without the answers open, honest marking against a mark scheme (including method marks), every mistake written down and redone a few days later. From the spring of Year 13, full timed papers, then the same loop on the marks lost. Here that means Path to A* for the order of topics, past papers (links to the boards' own copies) and the grade predictor to see where the marks are.
How to read reports and predicted grades
- Working-at grade: what the teacher thinks your teenager would get if they sat the exam now. It often starts low in Year 12, because the hardest content has not been taught yet.
- Predicted grade: the school's judgement of the final grade, sent to universities on the UCAS application. Teachers base it on evidence: mocks, tests and classwork.
- Mocks: a rehearsal, not the result. What matters is what your teenager does with the marks they lost.
If a predicted grade is below what a university course asks for, ask the teacher what evidence would change it, and by when. Check each course's own entry requirements on the university website: some ask for a particular grade in maths, or for Further Maths.
A tutor or online practice?
Work out what is missing first. A gap in understanding (a topic never clicked, or teaching was missed) is where a good tutor earns their fee. Practice (understood in class but not alone) and exam technique (running out of time, losing method marks) usually respond to regular questions with marked answers and timed papers. If you do hire a tutor, ask about their experience with your teenager's board, agree the topics, and review after a few weeks.
How this site helps
What they actually get
- Weekly starter tasks, matched to their exam board (Edexcel International A Level or Edexcel A Level).
- Daily 5-question practice with M/A mark scheme walk-throughs.
- Printable one-page formula sheet mirroring the real exam booklet.
- A path-to-A* dashboard showing which topics they're weakest on.
- Live class games (they can host or join) — great for revision groups.
What we don't do
- Sell your child's data. Ever. See our privacy policy.
- Run ads or track them across the web.
- Ask for their date of birth or address. Just an email is enough.
- Hide the price: plans and the refund policy are on one page, and you can cancel any time from the account page.
How much time will it actually take?
The site is designed around 15-minute sessions. One daily practice + one starter task takes about 15-20 minutes. The timed mini-mock papers take 15-50 minutes each; a full real paper is 90 minutes (IAL) or 2 hours (UK). If your teenager is on it for more than an hour a day, gently remind them that sleep beats revision.
Is it aligned with the exam?
Yes — questions cover the UK A Level Maths content (the same for AQA, Edexcel and OCR, written in Edexcel style) and the Edexcel International A Level units. We don't publish real past-paper questions (that's a copyright minefield); instead every question is original, with its own step-by-step mark scheme, overseen by Pete Bromfield, a former Head of Maths with examining experience.
Ready to give them a try?
Your child can start with a free week: 7 days of full access, no card, nothing to cancel. Pro is then £7 a month or £59 a year, and paid plans have a full refund within 14 days if you're not satisfied.
Start their subscription →Is a class test or mock coming up on a specific set of topics? Tick the topics and get a set of questions built for that test straight away, with a full worked mark scheme. And if their teacher uses the mastery grid, here is how mastery tracking works.
Questions parents ask
Is my child doing UK A Level or International A Level Maths?
Ask the school or check the exam entry. UK A Level Maths is offered by AQA (7357), Pearson Edexcel (9MA0) and OCR (H240) and is three 2-hour papers taken at the end of the course. Pearson Edexcel International A Level Maths is made of six unit exams, each 1 hour 30 minutes, that can be taken across several exam series.
When is A Level results day?
For the June 2026 series, Pearson released A level and International A Level results to students on 13 August 2026. For 2027, A Level results day is Thursday 12 August 2027 (JCQ key dates). For International A Level results, check with the school.
Can my child use a calculator?
Yes, in all three UK A Level Maths papers. In International A Level, a calculator is allowed in every unit, including Pure 1. Students should practise with the calculator they will take into the exam.
How are predicted grades decided?
The school sets them, usually from mocks, classwork and the teacher's judgement. Universities see them in the UCAS application. Steady work through Year 12 and a strong set of Year 13 mocks give teachers the evidence they need.
When are the UCAS deadlines?
For 2027 entry, UCAS's early deadline, for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses, is 15 October 2026 at 18:00 UK time. Most other courses close on Wednesday 13 January 2027 at 18:00 UK time. The school usually sets its own earlier internal deadline.
Should my teenager do an EPQ?
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an optional extra qualification: one long project on a topic of the student's choice, usually a written report or an artefact with a log and a presentation. It is graded A* to E and carries UCAS tariff points (28 for an A*). Some universities mention it in their offers, so check each course's entry requirements. It takes real time in Year 12 and 13, so it suits students who are keen on a topic and on top of their other subjects. More in is the EPQ worth it?
Do we need a tutor?
Not always. A tutor helps most when a topic was never understood or teaching was missed. If the issue is regular practice or exam technique, daily practice with marked answers and timed papers often does as much. If you hire a tutor, agree the topics and review after a few weeks.
Can I see what my child is practising on this site?
Yes. The parent dashboard is free and read-only: what they have practised, which topics are secure and any homework due, with an optional weekly email. Your child approves the link first.