the Further Mathematics network

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Student Area- Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Is it possible to complete an AS-level in Further Mathematics in year 12?

Answer: YES! The awarding bodies have revised their AS-level Further Mathematics specifications to remove dependencies on the A2 aspects of the standard A-level Mathematics. Students can study and complete three modules and be awarded AS-level Further Mathematics in year 12, along side their standard AS-level Mathematics.

Note: It is possible for students to take an AS/A-level Further Mathematics award with one awarding body whilst taking their standard A-level Mathematics with another awarding body. Please contact us for specific details.

Question: Can students take their standard A-level Mathematics with one awarding body and their AS/A-level Further Mathematics with a different awarding body?

Answer: YES. It is possible for students to take an AS/A-level Further Mathematics award with one awarding body whilst taking their standard A-level Mathematics with another awarding body. Please contact Charlie Stripp (charlie.stripp@fmnetwork.org.uk) if you need any more details.

Question: Is it true that Further Mathematics is only for “most able” students?

Answer: NO! Further Mathematics is of enormous benefit to all students who intend to pursue a degree course with mathematical content. Following the recent changes to the structure of AS-level Further Mathematics it is now much more accessible. We believe that at least 25% of A-Level Mathematics students should also take a Further Mathematics qualification. Any student going on to study a mathematics-related degree would be much better prepared having studied Further Mathematics (at least to AS-level). In particular, any student who has not studied Further Mathematics in year 12 and is applying for a mathematics-related degree (Engineering, Sciences, Economics, etc. as well as Mathematics) should seriously consider studying for an AS-level Further Mathematics in year 13. Studying Further Mathematics also generally improves students’ performance in their standard A-level Mathematics.

Question: How did students perfom in the pilot?

Answer: The results from 2004 and 2005 are available:
2004 results from the pilot
2005 results from the pilot

Question: What is the Further Maths Network policy on independent schools?

Answer: All schools and colleges, state or independent, are treated in exactly the same way by the FM network for registration and tuition purposes. Registration with the local Centre is free for all schools, regardless of their status. If an independent school needs tuition they will be charged as for any other schools.

Question: How can students not registered with a school or college find an exam centre to sit their Mathematics exams?

Answer: Try your nearest Maths and Computing Specialist School or Academy. See http://www.ssatrust.org.uk/schools/search/default.aspa. If they are not willing to help, please contact Charlie Stripp (charliestripp@fmnetwork.org.uk) with details of your situation.

Question: Does the Further Mathematics Network provide any assistance to students preparing for Mathematics AEA and Step Papers?

Answer: Several Further Mathematics Centres have provided informal support sessions for Mathematics STEP and AEA. This is something that the Further Mathematics Network is seeking to expand. If you would like help with STEP or AEA preparation please contact your local Further Mathematics Centre Manager. If they are unable to provide direct help, they may well be able to put you in touch with someone within the Further Mathematics Network who is able to provide support.

Question: How will the new A* in A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics operate?

Answer: These are the key points:

1) A* will be introduced for awards in 2010 (i.e. in most cases for those students starting their AS studies in September 2008).

2) In A level Mathematics, students will need to have grade A overall and an average of 90 or more uniform marks across C3 and C4 to get A* (i.e. a total of 180 marks or more for C3 and C4 combined - the uniform mark score (ums) is the score that appears on their module certificates).

3) A* in A level Further Mathematics requires an A overall and an average of 90 or more uniform marks across three A2 units (i.e. a total of 270 ums or more for three A2 units - this is like all other A level subjects; the A* for A level Mathematics is different because it only requires two A2 units, C3 and C4).

Question: I am no longer at school/college but would like to study Further Maths. What options are available to me?

Answer:
What is Further Maths
Further Mathematics is an AS/A Level award with content which is both broader and deeper than the standard Maths A level. Further Mathematics awards carry UCAS points in exactly the same way as other AS/A levels.

Do I need A Level Maths?
You need to be taking, or have taken, AS Level Maths in order to take AS Level Further Maths; and you need to be taking, or have taken, A Level Maths in order to take A Level Further Maths.

Which specification can I follow?
You can study AS or A Level Further Maths through any specification, regardless of which specification you studied for A Level Maths. There are small differences in the content covered between specifications, and the notation is different in some cases, but they all carry the same UCAS points. The 4 English specifications are:

AQA http://www.aqa.org.uk
Edexcel http://www.edexcel.org.uk/home/
OCR http://www.ocr.org.uk/index.html
OCR(MEI) http://www.ocr.org.uk/index.html and http://www.mei.org.uk/

The last of these is also known as OCR(B). It is a specification which has been developed by Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI), but is administrated by OCR.

Which units will I need to study?
For Further Maths awards you will need to take:

- 3 units for an AS Level, one of which must be Further Pure Maths 1
- 3 units to convert an AS Level to A Level, one of which must be another Further Pure Maths unit

The other units are either higher level pure maths (e.g. Further Pure 3), or are selected from the same application areas that are options for AS/A Level Maths (Statistics, Mechanics and Decision Mathematics).

There are detailed rules about which combinations of units you can take (e.g. you can’t take the same unit, say Statistics 1, towards both AS Maths and A Level Further Maths). These rules are covered in the specification document for the award. The awarding bodies publish their specifications on their websites. The FMN is happy to advise you on unit selection, but we also recommend that you check the rules of combination for your specification before deciding which units to study.

Receiving tuition
If you would like tuition in Further Mathematics, the FMN recommends that you contact Further Education colleges in your area. If an FE college doesn’t offer Further Maths courses, then your local Further Maths Network Centre may be able to help them to provide it - ask the FE college to contact the Further Mathematics Network to arrange this.

A major advantage of studying through an FE college is that they are likely to receive funding towards the cost of your tuition. If you are a mature student (i.e. over 19 years old) a college will probably be entitled to around 60% funding, and if your 18th birthday is during the year of study then they will probably be entitled to full funding. Thus you are likely to only have to pay the college for around 40% of their full fee or none at all if your 18th birthday is during the year of study.

Alternatively, the Further Mathematics Network can arrange to tutor you directly, but in this case you will need to pay for the tuition yourself. Full tuition, in 2008/9 would cost around £750 for AS level FM, and around £1500 for full A Level. If you are interested in this option, contact the manager of your local FMN Centre; just click on the map at www.fmnetwork.org.uk to get to the webpage for your closest centre, which will provide contact details for the centre’s manager.

The FMN Centre Manager will first see if it is possible for you to join in with a group of other students for face-to-face lessons; lessons are either held during the day (often on Wednesday afternoons) or late in the afternoon, after schools have finished for the day. If you are working, or unable to travel to lessons, this option may not be very convenient for you, and you might want to consider being tutored over the internet instead. The FMN uses a facility called Elluminate to deliver lessons in this way. It is a well established web-based package which is easy to use and has features that make it ideal for live mathematics tutoring. It allows a tutor and students to communicate live online using audio, handwriting on a shared virtual whiteboard and instant messaging via the internet.

To take part in Elluminate sessions, you need a graphics tablet and a headset, as well as access to the internet. At a pre-arranged time, you follow a link to a web page and join the session. If your local centre manager does not provide Elluminate tuition, they can refer you to the FMN national centre, which will be able to arrange it for you.

In addition to tuition sessions, all students taught through the FM Network receive access to extensive online resources which help you to study independently. These include study plans, notes, exercises, worked solutions and interactive animations (see http://www.resources.mei.org.uk/ for more details). You will also have the opportunity to attend revision days, where large numbers of students attend a lecture style revision session, or online Elluminate revision sessions.

Support for self-study
If you decide to teach yourself, we recommend that you purchase the recommended textbook for the specification you decide to follow. You may also find it helpful to subscribe to the online resources that the FMN network uses to help deliver FM tuition. You can subscribe as an individual and the resources cover the key units for all of the English specs (i.e. AQA, Edexcel, OCR or OCR(MEI)). For further details see http://www.resources.mei.org.uk/ . The AskNrich forum is helpful for any occasions when you are stuck: http://nrich.maths.org/discus/messages/board-topics.html. Many awarding bodies now publish past papers on their websites.

You may also like to contact the manager of your local FMN Centre to see if they would provide you with a reduced level of support for a reduced fee (i.e. access to resources, e-mail support and attendance at revision days).

Exam centres for private candidates
If you are not enrolled with a school/college, it can be difficult to find an exam centre at which to sit your exams. Your last school/college might be willing to help, or you could try other schools and colleges in your area. AQA and Edexcel provide lists of exam centres that are willing to take private candidates on their websites. If all else fails, there are commercial centres that offer this service, but they may charge a premium.

Further help
If you would like any further information about studying Further Maths, please don’t hesitate to contact the Further Mathematics Network, by e-mailing Janice Richards at janicerichards@fmnetwork.org.uk or calling on 01225 774777.