Mathematics at AS and Advanced GCE is a course worth studying not only as a supporting subject for the physical and social sciences, but in its own right. It is challenging but interesting. It builds on work you will have met at GCSE, but also involves new ideas produced by some of the greatest minds of the last millennium.

While studying mathematics you will be expected to:
use mathematical skills and knowledge to solve problems

solve problems by using mathematical arguments and logic. You will also have to understand and demonstrate what is meant by proof in mathematics

simplify real-life situations so that you can use mathematics to show what is happening and what might happen in different circumstances

use the mathematics that you learn to solve problems that are given to you in a real-life context

use calculator technology and other resources (such as formulae booklets or statistical tables) effectively and appropriately; understand calculator limitations and when it is inappropriate to use such technology.

Content:
AS level mathematics consists of three modules. Two of these are Core modules and the third is in Statistics.

In module Core 1 we revisit many ideas already met at GCSE but they are extended further. For instance quadratic equations, simultaneous equations and inequalities are all covered again but in greater depth. The geometry of straight lines is taken further and a new approach to mathematical sequences is given. An important branch of mathematics called Calculus in introduced for the first time.

Module Core 2 is an extension of Core 1. GCSE trigonometry is reviewed and then extended further to include solving easy trigonometric equations. Radian measure is introduced. Geometry is now extended to circles. Exponential and logarithmic functions are introduced.

Statistics 1 is an applied mathematics module and some of it will be familiar from the work covered in GCSE mathematics. When you study statistics you will learn how to analyse and summarise numerical data in order to arrive at conclusions about it. You will extend the range of probability problems that you looked at in GCSE using the new mathematical techniques learnt in the pure mathematics units. Many of the ideas in this part of the course have applications in a wide range of other fields, from assessing what your car insurance is going to cost to how likely it is that the Earth will be hit by a comet in the next few years. Many of the techniques are used in sciences and social sciences. Even if you are not going on to study or work in these fields, in today’s society we are bombarded with information (or data) and the statistics units will give you useful tools for looking at this information critically and efficiently.

Students should have achieved at least grade ‘C’ at GCSE mathematics. It is preferable to have followed the higher tier course as AS level Mathematics requires a sure grasp of algebra, but students who have achieved a grade B at Intermediate level in Year 10 would also be eligible for this course. Candidates that have studied Intermediate level will be given the opportunity to improve upon their algebra skills in the first term but will inevitably find that initially they need to work harder than those pupils who studied higher level GCSE mathematics.

Each module is assessed by a written paper one and a half hours long. Students may re-sit an examination to try to improve their mark. There is no coursework in either AS or A level mathematics.

In following this course you will study in depth and take further topics covered at GCSE. You will also cover new mathematical content and concepts.

Studying Mathematics reveals hidden patterns that help us understand the world around us. Pupils who study mathematics develop imagination, clear and logical thinking.

An AS in mathematics is very valuable as a supporting subject to many courses at Advanced GCE and degree level, especially in the sciences and geography, psychology, sociology and medical courses.

Even in areas where pure mathematics isn’t required, other mathematics skills learned at AS and A level, such as logical thinking, problem solving and statistical analysis, are often very desirable in the workplace. Mathematics is the new lingua franca of commerce, business and even journalism.

Qualifications in Mathematics will increase career opportunities in most areas! People entering today’s most lucrative industries such as IT, banking and the stock market need to be confident using mathematics on a daily basis. To be sure of this, many employers still look for a traditional mathematics A-level qualification. Researchers at the London School of Economics have recently found that people who have studied mathematics can expect to earn up to 11% more than their colleagues, even in the same job!