A Level Further Maths

What does this qualification cover?

Further Mathematics is studied alongside A Level Mathematics and is an exciting way to stretch and challenge those with a love of the subject. Students will develop advanced mathematical skills and concepts, including many key topics for careers in science, engineering and computing. It is a highly respected course that is desirable for a range of highly skilled careers and further education courses.

The course consists of four papers, the first two covering the compulsory Core Pure topics with the final two papers allowing students to focus their studies on a combination of Decision Mathematics, Further Statistics, Further Mechanics or Further Pure Mathematics.

What’s included?

Core Pure Mathematics

Proof
Complex numbers
Matrices
Further algebra and functions
Further calculus
Further vectors
Polar coordinates
Hyperbolic functions
Differential equations

Further Mechanics

Momentum and Impulse
Work, Energy and Power
Elastic Strings and Springs
Elastic Collisions in One Dimension
Elastic Collisions in Two Dimensions
Circular motion
Centres of mass of plane figures
Further Centres of mass
Kinematics
Dynamics

Decision Mathematics

Algorithms
Graphs and Networks
Algorithms on Graphs
Route Inspection
The Travelling Salesman Problem
Linear Programming
The Simplex Algorithm
Critical Path Analysis

Further Pure Mathematics

Vectors
Conic sections
Inequalities
The t-formulae
Taylor series
Methods in calculus
Numerical methods
Reducible differential equations

Further Statistics

Discrete Random Variables
Poisson Distributions
Geometric and Negative Binomial Distributions
Hypothesis Testing
Central Limit Theorem
Chi-Squared Tests
Probability Generating Functions
Quality Tests

Key Features

Studying A Level further mathematics students will develop a range of skills such as:

Fluency in the key mathematical topics for science and engineering
Organising and presenting a structured and logical argument
Confidence in mastering challenging ideas and overcoming difficulties
Thinking in an abstract and symbolic way.

Links to workplace

A Level further mathematics is essential to a variety of routes of study post-16, with many top university courses having it as a requirement, these include, but are not limited to: