A complete guide to AQA GCSE Maths

AQA GCSE Maths (specification 8300) is one of the most widely sat qualifications in the country. It is assessed across three written papers at the end of Year 11, with no coursework. Around 700,000 students sit it every summer, and it is the single most important qualification for keeping doors open at sixth form and beyond.

This guide covers how the three papers are structured, the six topic areas and their weightings, the formula sheet introduced from 2025, and the revision techniques that actually move the needle on a maths grade.

AQA GCSE Maths is a linear qualification: Every paper is sat at the end of the course in the same exam series, usually across May and June of Year 11. There is no controlled assessment, no coursework, and no module-based testing. Your final grade comes entirely from the three written papers added together.

All three papers carry the same number of marks and the same weighting. The only differences are whether a calculator is allowed and which specific questions appear. The topic content is drawn from the same six areas across all three papers.

All three papers test the same six topic areas, just with different question types. The weightings shift slightly between tiers: Foundation puts more weight on Number and Ratio, while Higher pushes harder on Algebra and Geometry.

Around 15% of marks at Higher and 25% at Foundation. Covers integers, decimals, fractions, percentages, indices, standard form, surds (Higher only), rounding, and estimation. This is bread-and-butter content that underpins almost every other topic, so weak number skills will hurt you across the whole paper.

Around 30% of marks at Higher and 20% at Foundation. Includes simplifying expressions, expanding and factorising, solving linear and quadratic equations, simultaneous equations, inequalities, sequences, and graphs of functions. Higher tier extends to algebraic fractions, completing the square, and proof. This is the topic where Higher tier students gain the most ground over Foundation.

Around 20% of marks at Higher and 25% at Foundation. Covers sharing in a ratio, scaling, direct and inverse proportion, percentage change, compound measures (speed, density, pressure), and growth and decay. These questions often appear as wordy multi-step problems, so reading carefully is half the battle.

Around 20% of marks at Higher and 15% at Foundation. Includes angles, polygons, area and volume, Pythagoras, trigonometry, transformations, and constructions. Higher tier adds circle theorems, vectors, and trigonometry of non-right-angled triangles (sine and cosine rules). Geometry questions are very visual, so always sketch a diagram if one is not provided.

Around 7.5% of marks at both tiers. Covers basic probability, tree diagrams, Venn diagrams, expected outcomes, and (at Higher) conditional probability. Tree diagrams are almost guaranteed to appear, and they are some of the most predictable mark-grabbers on the paper.

Around 7.5% of marks at both tiers. Includes averages from lists and tables, scatter graphs, frequency tables, pie charts, box plots, and cumulative frequency. Higher tier extends to histograms with unequal class widths. Statistics questions are usually worth 3-5 marks each, and method marks are available if your reasoning is shown clearly.

From summer 2025, every student sitting GCSE Maths is given a formula sheet for all three papers. This was an Ofqual change introduced in response to disruption from the pandemic and has now been confirmed as permanent.

The sheet includes formulae for the area of a trapezium, volume of a prism, the quadratic formula, the sine and cosine rules, and the area of a triangle using sine. What is NOT on the sheet (and you must still memorise) includes the area and circumference of a circle, Pythagoras' theorem, basic trigonometric ratios (SOH CAH TOA), compound interest, and the equation of a straight line. Examiners assume you know these cold.

In terms of equipment, you need a black pen, a pencil, a ruler, a protractor, a pair of compasses, and a scientific calculator for Papers 2 and 3. The Casio fx-83 and fx-85 are the standard choices and accepted in every exam centre.

AQA GCSE Maths is tiered. Higher Tier targets grades 4-9, with a small safety net for students who narrowly miss grade 4 (they can be awarded a grade 3). Foundation Tier targets grades 1-5, capped at grade 5. The two tiers contain different papers, not just different questions.

Your school decides which tier you sit, based on your performance in mocks and class assessments. If you are scoring consistently above 60% on Higher mock papers, you are likely to be entered for Higher. If you are scoring below 30% on Higher mocks, Foundation is usually the safer choice – a grade 5 on Foundation looks identical on your transcript to a grade 5 on Higher.

Grade boundaries shift every year depending on how difficult the papers were. AQA publishes the official boundaries on results day each August.

Maths revision is different from most other subjects. You cannot revise by re-reading notes – you have to do questions. The students who get top grades are the ones who treat maths revision as a daily practice habit rather than a cramming exercise.

Paper 1 is where most students lose marks they did not need to lose. Long multiplication, long division, fraction arithmetic, and percentage calculations without a calculator all need to be automatic. Spend ten minutes a day drilling these and you will see your Paper 1 score jump within a few weeks.

Doing a past paper and putting it back on the shelf is wasted work. Mark it honestly, then make a list of every topic you got wrong. Revise those specific topics before you do another paper. Most students see their biggest score jumps between paper 3 and paper 8 because by then they are revising their weak spots, not just doing more papers.

The formula sheet is genuinely helpful, but it is not exhaustive. Spend an hour with a copy and highlight what is on it. Then make flashcards for every formula NOT on the sheet that you still need to know: Area and circumference of a circle, SOH CAH TOA, the equation of a straight line, and the compound interest formula are the most common omissions.

If you are aiming for a grade 7 or above, Algebra and Geometry will deliver half your marks. If you are stretching for a grade 5 at Foundation, Number and Ratio will deliver half. Match your revision time to where the marks actually live. There is no point spending a fortnight on probability if you cannot solve a linear equation.

Method marks exist for a reason. Even on a non-calculator paper, examiners will award marks for a correct method with a wrong final answer. Write each step on a new line, keep your equals signs aligned, and label your diagrams. Messy working loses marks even when the maths is right.