AS qualification aims and objectives

This qualification enables students to:

• Continue to learn mathematics for one year to support and enhance their A level and Further Education choices.
• Remain in touch with skills that allow them to understand statistics used in the news, and make sense of the economy, medicine, law and situations in society in general.
• Understand coherence and progression in mathematics and how different areas of mathematics are connected
• Use their mathematical knowledge to make logical and reasoned decisions in solving problems and communicate these decisions clearly

Career Opportunities:

Mathematics is a versatile qualification, well-respected by employers and it is a facilitating subject for entry to higher education. Through solving problems, students develop resilience and are able to think creatively and strategically. Additionally, students will have excellent numeracy skills and the ability to process and interpret data.

Entry Requirements:

Students will need to achieve a minimum grade 7 at GCSE to gain access to this course.

AS Mathematics

• AS and A Level are separate qualifications. An AS level qualification does not count towards an A level.
• AS Mathematics has 100% prescribed content, containing both pure and applied Mathematics.
• Students will complete all AS assessments within one year at the end of Year 12.
• Grades will be awarded on an A -E scale.
• There will be emphasis on problem solving, reasoning and modelling.
• Students will not be able to transfer between the AS and A level course. It is not possible to study AS mathematics in Year 12 and then switch to A level Mathematics in Year 13.

Assessment:

Paper 1         (66.7%) Pure Mathematics

This paper is out of 100 marks and the exam lasts 2 hours.

Paper 2         (33.3%) Applied Mathematics

This paper is out of 50 marks and the exam lasts 1 hour.

The applied paper consists of two sections, split evenly between Statistics and Mechanics.

Calculator usage is allowed in both papers.