One of our most enthusiastic members, S Hussain, caught up with us to discuss his experience of taking Maths and Further Maths GCSEs.
Preparation for the GCSEs begins all the way back in Year 7, but Mr Hussain says that the pressure ramped up around March.
He said that the actual exams went by ‘very quickly,’ and that unlike classroom tests you only focus on yourself and the exam.
According to Mr Hussain, the maths exams were ‘relatively alright’ but as always there were ‘some questions that stumped me.’ Apparently, the hardest question was a ratio and scale factor question that took a ‘big chunk of time’ to figure out. Well, if you have just done your Edexcel Maths GCSEs, we’d like to hear your thoughts on that question!
“I would say that I am very satisfied with my result as all my exams went very well, I hope!”
“One of the best ways to revise maths is by doing past papers and specific questions to what you feel you are lacking in. If you are feeling adventurous then I would suggest that you look for the hardest GCSE questions on Google and spend some time working on these.”
He also recommends that people study Further Maths for GCSE, saying it will ‘further your mathematical knowledge,’ and even if you don’t want to take the exam it ‘can help you’ with the regular exam. He also said that if you get taught the content, it isn’t much more difficult, but if that isn’t the case teachers should hopefully always happy to help.
“The exam hall can be eerily quiet at times however you only fully realise how quiet it is when you focus on it. However most of the time I was focusing on the test and trying to drown out the noise of the invigilator’s footsteps”
According to him the teachers made Maths a ‘very fun’ and ‘relaxed’ environment, and that study leave makes the exam experience surprisingly ‘pleasant.’ Mr Hussain also stated that he was not stressed about his exam as he was confident in his abilities, and he felt the entire Maths Society behind him as he proudly wore his badge in the hall!
And his parting advice — don’t worry to much, and be confident. Thanks so much S Hussain for participating in this feature, and since we are interested about hearing the stories of A-level maths students, if you know want to share your story, please get in touch.