Math Is Fun Forum

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 261

Edexcel Maths GCSE Higher Tier

Is Paper 1, and the mark scheme, (May 24), available anywhere, now that the exam has taken place?

I've looked online but couldn't find it anywhere.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,524

Re: Edexcel Maths GCSE Higher Tier

Looks like the answer is not yet. On their past papers download page Pearson (EdExcel) say "only teachers can access the most recent papers sat within the past 12 months."

The papers must be in School somewhere so have a friendly chat with your favourite maths teacher.

Bob

ps. Sometimes someone scans the paper and sticks it on-line but I couldn't find it.

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 261

Re: Edexcel Maths GCSE Higher Tier

Thanks, Bob.
Yeah, our teacher said somebody usually puts it online.

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 261

Re: Edexcel Maths GCSE Higher Tier

I'm curious to have another look at the questions, but also;

We've been given a handout of expected topics in the next two papers, given what was in the first paper. It's from 1st Class Maths. But I don't know how reliable it is. And given the huge number of topics they've starred as very likely to unlikely (five stars down to one star) it looks like they're not just going on what topics have already come up. There was only around 20 questions on the first paper so there must be some other criteria for predicting what's likely to come up.
E.g. under 2 stars (pretty unlikely) there are around 40 topics listed.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,524

Re: Edexcel Maths GCSE Higher Tier

The exam board will be trying pretty hard to cover the whole syllabus without giving excessive weight to any one area.  That's most likely to be the top criteria for 1st Class Maths but also using past papers to estimate likely questions.  The reason that's not fully reliable is the examiners will be doing the same thing and, if they spot a topic that's been neglected for a few years, they may give the exam writer a specific instructiion to set a question this time.

When I took my exams I prepared by doing past papers 'under exam conditions'. This helps identify areas that need more practice but also helps with working to time. When I said recently that I wouldn't have been left with just 5 minutes to do the last question I was serious.  I had done so many practice papers that I knew I would have 10 or maybe even 20 minutes at the end to check through everything to make sure I hadn't made any silly mistakes.

Because the exams cover a range of grades, they will start with things that test the lower grades and work up to the tough ones to identify the top grades.  Have a look at the syllabus to work out what these are.  One used to be histograms but maybe students have got better at these now so I'm not saying that will be there at the end.

Good luck with your remaining exams. In August let me know how you got on.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 261

Re: Edexcel Maths GCSE Higher Tier

Thanks, Bob. And will do.