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A-Level guide · checked October 2026

A-Level Maths, explained simply

Three two-hour exams covering pure maths, statistics and mechanics. This page shows exactly how each board sets the papers, the marks your child really needs for an A*, A or B, and how to practise. Pick your exam board and the page changes to match.

  • 3 exams
  • 6 hours in total
  • No coursework
  • Grades A* to E

Exam board

Not sure which board? Ask your child's school, or check the front of a mockA practice exam, usually set by school a few months before the real thing. paper.

The exams at a glance

AQA A-Level Maths (7357). 3 papers, 6 hours of exams and 300 marks in total. Each paper is worth 33% of the grade.

PaperCalculatorTimeMarks
Paper 1Pure maths2 hours100 (33%)
Paper 2Pure maths and mechanics2 hours100 (33%)
Paper 3Pure maths and statistics2 hours100 (33%)

Specification: AQA A-Level Maths (7357)

What's in the exams

About two-thirds of the marks are pure maths (algebra, calculus, trigonometry and proof), with the rest split between statistics and mechanics. Edexcel puts statistics and mechanics together in Paper 3; the others mix them in with pure maths.

  • Pure maths67%
  • Statistics17%
  • Mechanics17%

How the grading works

How the grading works

Everyone sits the same three papers. The marks are added up and the total decides the grade, from A* down to E. Every paper allows a calculator, and a formula booklet is provided. Statistics questions use a large data set that students study in class beforehand.

The marks you really need for each grade

You do not need 90% for a top grade. Grade boundaries are set after the exams are marked, so a grade stays the same standard even when the papers are harder. These are the real AQA boundaries from June 2026:

GradeMarks neededAs a percentageChart
A*260 out of 30086.7%
A219 out of 30073%
B182 out of 30060.7%
C145 out of 30048.3%
D108 out of 30036%
E72 out of 30024%

Source: AQA, A-level grade boundaries June 2026. Boundaries change slightly every year.

Your target score in practice papers

Sit a full set of past papers under timed conditions every few weeks. Work out the percentage for each set, ignore your single worst result (everyone has an off day) and average the rest. Aim for:

92%

to secure a grade A*

78%

to secure a grade A

66%

to secure a grade B

We add 5 percentage points to last year's boundary, because boundaries move a little each year and exam nerves cost marks.

Past paper mock builder

Pick an exam series and we'll set out the full AQA mock: which papers to sit, how long to allow and where to download them. Then type in your marks to see the grade they would have earned.

  1. Paper 1, June 2026 · Pure maths · 2 hours

  2. Paper 2, June 2026 · Pure maths and mechanics · 2 hours

  3. Paper 3, June 2026 · Pure maths and statistics · 2 hours

Download the papers and mark schemes: AQA official past papers or Save My Exams past papers. Exam boards keep the most recent series for schools only for a while, so if the newest one isn't there, take the one before.

Enter your marks for each paper to see the grade they would have earned.

What Maths is really about

Where the word comes from

"Mathematics" comes from the Greek mathēma, meaning "something learned", from manthanein, "to learn". "Statistics" comes from the German Statistik, first meaning facts about a state; "mechanics" from the Greek mēkhanē, a machine.

Where it comes from

Calculus, the heart of A-Level Maths, was developed in the late 1600s by Isaac Newton in Cambridge and Gottfried Leibniz in Germany, who argued for years over who got there first. Newton used it to explain gravity and motion, the basis of the mechanics papers. Modern statistics owes much to Karl Pearson and Ronald Fisher, who built it in London in the early 1900s.

Why it's still taught

A-Level Maths is one of the most useful A-Levels there is. It is required or strongly preferred for degrees in engineering, physics, economics, computer science and many sciences, and it supports careers from finance to data science. It also strengthens other A-Levels, especially physics and chemistry.

How to do well in A-Level Maths

Master the algebra first

Most dropped marks at A-Level are slips in GCSE algebra: expanding, factorising, fractions and indices. Make these automatic.

Know the formula booklet

A formula booklet is given, but students lose time hunting through it. Learn what is in it, and learn by heart the results that are not.

Get to know the large data set early

Statistics questions assume students have worked with their board's large data set in class. Knowing it saves time and earns easy marks.

Draw a diagram for every mechanics question

A clear force diagram with every force labelled turns most mechanics questions into routine algebra.

Use the calculator properly

Learn your calculator's statistics and equation functions. They save minutes and avoid arithmetic mistakes.

Do full papers to time

From the spring of Year 13, sit complete two-hour papers and mark them strictly. Mixed-topic papers are the best rehearsal.

The three best places to revise

Our teachers' picks. We have no connection with these sites.

Physics & Maths Tutor

Free past papers, mark schemes and topic questions for every board.

Dr Frost Maths

Free lessons, worked examples and practice questions written by a London maths teacher.

TLMaths

Free video lessons that walk through every topic of the course, step by step.

Questions parents ask

Not sure where your child stands?

Our free 45-minute assessment often uses a real past paperA real exam from a previous year, used for practice., so you'll know their likely grade and exactly what to work on. Lessons online across the UK, or at our seven London hubs.

Sources