What Grade do you want?

Everyone should be able to improve their grades but you will only manage this with a lot of hard work and determination. The details given below describe a level of performance typical of candidates achieving grades A, C or E.

You should find it useful to read and compare the expectations for the different levels and to give some thought to the areas where you need to improve most.

Grade A candidates

• Recall or recognise almost all the mathematical facts, concepts and techniques that are needed, and select appropriate ones to use in a variety on contexts.
• Manipulate mathematical expressions and use graphs, sketches and diagrams, all with high accuracy and skill.
• Use mathematical language correctly and proceed logically and rigorously through extended arguments or proofs.
• When confronted with unstructured problems they can often devise and implement an effective solution strategy.
• If errors are made in their calculations or logic, these are sometimes noticed and corrected.
• Recall or recognise almost all the standard models that are needed, and select appropriate ones to represent a wide variety of situations in the real world.
• Correctly refer results from calculations using the model to the original situation; they give sensible interpretations of their results in the context of the original realistic situation.
• Make intelligent comments on the modelling assumptions and possible refinements to the model.
• Comprehend or understand the meaning of almost all translations into mathematics of common realistic contexts.
• Correctly refer the results of calculations back to given context and usually make sensible comments or predictions.
• Can distil the essential mathematical information from extended pieces of prose having mathematical content.
• Comment meaningfully on the mathematical information.
• Make appropriate and efficient use of contemporary calculator technology and other permitted resources, and are aware of any limitations to their use.
• Present results to an appropriate degree of accuracy.

Grade C candidates

• Recall or recognise most of the mathematical facts, concepts and techniques that are needed, and usually select appropriate ones to use in a variety of contexts.
• Manipulate mathematical expressions and use graphs, sketches and diagrams, all with a reasonable level of accuracy and skill.
• Use mathematical language with some skill and sometimes proceed logically through extended arguments or proofs.
• When confronted with unstructured problems they sometimes devise and implement an effective and efficient solution strategy. Occasionally notice and correct errors in their calculations.
• Recall or recognise most of the standard models that are needed and usually select appropriate ones to represent a variety of situations in the real world.
• Often correctly refer results from calculations using the model to the original situation, they sometimes give sensible interpretations of their results in context of the original realistic situation.
• Sometimes make intelligent comments on the modelling assumptions and possible refinements to the model.
• Comprehend or understand the meaning of most translations into mathematics of common realistic contexts.
• Often correctly refer the results of calculations back to the given context and sometimes make sensible comments or predictions.
• Distil much of the essential mathematical information from extended pieces of prose having mathematical content.
• Give some useful comments on this mathematical information.
• Usually make appropriate and effective use of contemporary calculator technology and other permitted resources, and are sometimes aware of any limitations to their use.
• Usually present results to an appropriate degree of accuracy.

Grade E candidates

• Recall or recognise some of the mathematical facts, concepts and techniques that are needed, and sometimes select appropriate ones to represent to use in some contexts.
• Manipulate mathematical expressions and use graphs, sketches and diagrams, all with some accuracy and skill.
• Sometimes use mathematical language correctly and occasionally proceed logically through extended arguments or proofs.
• Recall or recognise some of the standard models that are needed and sometimes select appropriate ones to represent a variety of situations in the real world.
• Sometimes correctly refer results from calculations using the model to the original situation; they try to interpret their results in the context of the original realistic situation.
• Sometimes comprehend or understand the meaning of translations in mathematics of common realistic contexts.
• Sometimes correctly refer the results of calculations back to the given context and attempt to give comments or predictions.
• Distil some of the essential mathematical information from extended pieces of prose having mathematical content; they attempt to comment on this mathematical information.
• Candidates often make appropriate and efficient use of contemporary calculator technology and other permitted resources.
• Often present results to an appropriate degree of accuracy.

The table below shows how your uniform standardised mark is translated.

average % - 

80 - A

70 - B

60 - C

50 - D

40 - E