On 5 May 2026 Ofqual published its decision to continue providing formula and equation sheets in GCSE Mathematics, GCSE Physics, and GCSE Combined Science across the lifetime of the current specifications. That decision covers exam series from 2028 onwards, following a strong consultation response earlier in the year. Sheets for the 2026 and 2027 series were already confirmed under the previous decision cycle, so if you are sitting an exam in either year, the answer is straightforward: yes, you get a sheet.
This guide covers which subjects have a sheet, what is on it, what you still need to memorise, and when each exam board publishes the sheet for a given series. If you want the actual formulae broken down subject by subject, our AQA GCSE Physics equation sheet guide and GCSE Maths formulae sheet guide go through them one by one.
Quick answer: GCSE Maths (Foundation and Higher), GCSE Physics, and GCSE Combined Science (Trilogy and Synergy) all include a formula or equation sheet in the exam, in 2026, 2027, and every series for the lifetime of the current specs. GCSE Chemistry and GCSE Biology do not.
Which subjects have a formula sheet
| Subject | Sheet provided? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE Maths (Foundation) | Yes | Given in every paper |
| GCSE Maths (Higher) | Yes | Given in every paper |
| GCSE Physics (separate science) | Yes | Equation sheet inserted with the paper |
| GCSE Combined Science (Trilogy) | Yes | Physics equations only |
| GCSE Combined Science (Synergy) | Yes | Physics equations only |
| GCSE Chemistry (separate science) | No formula sheet | Periodic table is a separate insert |
| GCSE Biology (separate science) | No | No formulae given |
What the Ofqual May 2026 decision says
The formal decision, published on 5 May 2026 on gov.uk, was the outcome of a public consultation earlier in 2026 that received 2,182 responses. Consultation support was strong: 91.7% of respondents supported continuing the maths sheet, and 93% supported continuing the physics and combined science sheets.
The decision has three parts worth knowing. First, the sheets continue for the lifetime of the current specifications, including resit series, so students do not need to worry about the arrangement changing mid-course. Second, exam boards must publish the sheets by 1 September of the calendar year before each exam series (so by 1 September 2027 for summer 2028 exams), so schools have the version students will sit well before the exam (Ofqual May 2026 decision). Third, the sheets stay content-consistent year to year, with only presentational changes possible. That means what is on the AQA GCSE Physics equation sheet in 2027 should match what was on it in 2026, layout tweaks aside.
Ofqual also confirmed one condition that has always been in place: exam questions cannot be answerable solely by copying from the sheet. The sheet is a memory aid, not a shortcut.
How the sheet works in the exam
In every session, the sheet is inserted with the question paper as a separate booklet, and a clean copy is provided to every candidate. You do not carry the sheet in yourself, and you do not need to memorise which formulae are on it (though it helps to know so you are not wasting time in the exam recalling something you were about to be handed).
The arrangement started as an exam recovery adaptation for the 2022 series, following the disruption to teaching in 2020 and 2021. It was then extended for 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027, and the May 2026 decision cements it for 2028 onwards across the lifetime of the current specifications.
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What you still need to memorise
The sheet does not cover everything. This is where the "you don't need to memorise anything" reading of the policy goes wrong. Two examples that catch students out most often:
In GCSE Physics with AQA, a set of core equations are still expected to be memorised. These are the ones students use most frequently in paper questions, and they are not printed on the equation sheet. The AQA specification lists which equations are given and which are not, and it is worth knowing the split before your first mock. Our AQA GCSE Physics equation sheet guide breaks down both lists.
In GCSE Maths, the Higher tier sheet includes formulae like the quadratic formula, sine rule, cosine rule, and area of a triangle in trig form. But it does not include the area of a rectangle, the volume of a cube or cuboid, or the area of a triangle (½ × base × height), which are expected knowledge. It does, however, include the compound interest formula and two probability formulae, so check your board's sheet carefully (Pearson Edexcel GCSE Maths exam aid). The GCSE Maths formulae sheet guide covers Higher tier in detail.
A reliable rule of thumb: if a formula is on the sheet, learn it well enough that you do not need to look up the sheet mid-question (looking it up mid-question costs valuable time). If it is not on the sheet, memorise it properly, because there will be no fallback in the exam room.
Practice with the sheet, not without it. Downloading your board's actual formula sheet and using it during past-paper practice trains you to look up equations quickly and know exactly which ones are given.
When each board publishes the sheet
Sheets for summer 2027 have already been published by the boards under the earlier decision; from the 2028 series, boards must publish them by 1 September of the previous year (for example, 1 September 2027 for summer 2028) (Ofqual May 2026 decision; AQA equation sheets update).
Each board (AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC Eduqas) publishes its own version. The content is largely the same because the specifications set the required knowledge, but presentation varies slightly (fonts, layout, ordering). Always download the sheet for your board, not a generic version. AQA confirmed its own sheets for the 2027 and 2028 series in its exam updates published in 2026.
How to use the sheet well in revision
- Print the sheet for your board and keep it next to you during past-paper practice
- Highlight the formulae you use most so you can find them quickly in the exam
- Learn which formulae are NOT on the sheet and drill those separately
- Practise rearranging equations from the sheet, because questions often ask for a subject-of-formula switch
- For GCSE Physics, know the SI units for every quantity on the sheet
- Use the sheet during timed practice, not just open-book revision, so you get used to the layout under exam conditions
If your revision leans on structured video lessons, our AQA GCSE Combined Science course walks through every equation, both the ones on the sheet and the ones that need memorising, with worked examples. It also covers the specific paper-technique questions where students most often lose marks even with the sheet in front of them. Our how to revise effectively guide covers the broader revision approach.
