Is it usual to need a grade A GCSE to do A level maths now?

"I think with all the grade inflation C means you've mastered the basics, B is slightly above average and A/A* is good All the other grades below C, I think you can forget."

But when I did O Levels back in the last century, if you got below a C it meant you had failed. OK the slip said "D Pass" but everyone knew it was a fail - if you needed English and Maths O Levels for a particular profession they had to be above a C. So I don't think things have changed all that much. Except for the A*

Circular, that will work for A level but certainly not enough for a science degree, either physics or maths o engineering.

I think that's probably true about below C. I'm working in what's essentially an 'unskilled' job at the moment. The people I work with who were taken on 10-15 years ago don't have a Maths or English GCSE/O level/CSE between them. These days we won't look at any one who doesn't have C or above in Maths and English. Although that's as much due to the job situation as grade inflation.

I still don't think that 'B' at maths GCSE means you're a bit rubbish at maths or your maths skills are limited though.

Meant to mention it earlier, but in our 6th form rounds, we did not come across any schools that required taking Maths A level to take Physics.
Recommended, but not required.

Varying exam boards for Physics. the most mathematical course we saw (AQA) wanted an A grade maths at GCSE, would prefer student to take at least AS maths, but claimed they would teach any maths needed as part of the physics course.
Least mathematical (OCR) and school were not bothered about GCSE maths grade at all.
The school DD has chosen do EDEXCEL Physics, and want a strong A in maths GCSE to take Physics. By a strong A, they meant from an A prediction, rather than a good day for a B predicted student.

I think with all the grade inflation C means you've mastered the basics, B is slightly above average and A/A* is good All the other grades below C, I think you can forget.

Private or state Wulderic? I know a lot of private schools do that. Keeps their A*A and AB pass rate looking good for the league tables, Not to mention the % of their leavers going to Russell Group Unis/Oxbridge.

B is not a great grade nowadays - grade inflation being what it is - I don't think DD's school would allow anyone to do an A level in a subject without an A (and a jolly good reason for not having got an A*). It's not just restricted to maths. We're just starting on A level choices now as DD is going into her final year of GCSEs.

Sorry, this is a bit off topic, but I have to ask.

A long time ago, back in the dark ages, it was OK to go off and do A Level Maths with a C at O Level. You probably wouldn't have got a very good grade but you would have been expected to pass (at a D or E). Have the boundaries really changed so much that getting a B at GSCE means you aren't good enough to pass an A Level? And why, and how? Surely a B should mean you are fairly good at something.

UMS and raw marks are not the same.

Papers 1 and 2 are out of a 120UMS each, by the way, so 92 on paper 2 is actually a higher mark than 113 on paper 3. (Paper 1& 2 UMS boundaries are: 84=B, 96=A, so 92 is a higher B)

"Still wondering how he has 113 marks for paper 3 when the total marks are 80 as stated on the paper."

It sounds as if it's Edexcel modular. Paper 3 is marked out of 80 but then given a UMS score out of 160 with the conversion depending on the difficulty of the paper. This summer you needed 42/80 to get a 'C' (96 UMS). 112 UMS is what is needed for a B, so 113 would be a low B.

Presume by Edexcel Paper 3, you mean the Geometry 2 paper, as that seems to be the only one out of 80 marks. But the UMS is out of 160.
The boundary for b grade in that paper is 112 - so its a very low b.

Can't remember if you said whether it was a high or low B overall? the B boundary would be 280 and A boundary 320 out of the total UMS of 400.
So did he get a low B, or a high B that could have been an A if that paper was better?

Not familiar with the content of that paper, as DD did Edexcel linear.

There seemed to be a lot of parental intervention all through with Maths and OP's DS still only got a B at GCSE. When my DS did his Maths I didn't have a clue what he had been taught and not taught but he was in the top set all through and just got on with it.

When it came to Maths A level it was recognised which pupils would go on and do it and it was the top group of the top set mainly who got A*/A quite easily.

DS said in the Maths A level he had to do much more work by himself, not all tutored and the ones than couldn't do this were soon floundering with it.

I have already posted upthread about the dilemma I had about whether to talk DD out of choosing A Level maths.
Just thought that some of the answers to the thread I started at the time here may be of use.

I'm not sure it's fair to say his mathematical abilities are limited. According to the numbers noblegiraffe provided he's in the top 1/3 of the country. It's just that that's unlikely to get him more than 'unclassified' at A level.

It is possible to pull that result up with a lot of hard work and motivation but that may be at the risk of damaging his grades in other subjects. Which would look a lot worse on UCAS than not having maths at all. It more a fault of the system/school that there is no bridging qualification at post 16 to keep up the maths skill of those who will need some maths sills at university but not necessarily the full A/AS level.

Jella2U Can I suggest you get the CGP 'Headstart to AS Maths' to go through prior to attempting C1. Recommended as holiday work by one of the 6th forms DD had a an offer at.
(Incidentally, school she will be going to have told them to work through the differentiation module from Mymaths as summer work).

CGP also do a similar Physics book that we also bought. Would recommend that too, especially if your DC has done core & additional science only.

DD has not worked through them fully yet, but says they appear to be revision of the A* topics. Told her she should try and complete them though, as good revision, and she is changing exam boards in both subjects.

I'm a bit puzzled by this thread.

We have a child whose mathematical abilities are limited. There is no shame in that. The vast majority of the country (including me) are limited in mathematical skills.

We have an obsessed OP who seems maniacally keen on her DS doing maths. To the extent of going up to the school and complaining etc etc.

The child seems to have no voice here. Does he even want to do maths? Because I bet he doesn't. No-one wants to do subjects they are a bit rubbish at. Me included. Better by far to do subjects you enjoy ...

Are they getting rid of levels in secondary as well as primary,noble?

buss it is really hard to say as GCSEs are facing a major overhaul in the next couple of years and from what I've read, grade C won't exist any more and will be a number, so all bets are off.

But if your school enters for GCSE at the end of Y11, the expectation was a good level 7 in Y9 to track to an A. So a low level 6 by end of year 7 should get this.
However in real life obviously things aren't always so clear. Students can muff up their schooling in a flood of teenage hormones, or be affected by illness or family circumstances. They can also suddenly click with a subject and shoot ahead above expectations. Progress is also rarely linear so they could stall in Y7 and catch up in Y8. Grade predictions are always to be taken with a hefty pinch of salt.

waspie this year 4.6% got an A*, then 9.4% an A, 16.2% a B and 27.1% a C. The grade boundaries being low doesn't mean loads of kids achieve them.

It's all well and good to provide one-to-one home tuition for Maths A level, but once your DS is at University, how will he cope with the Maths taught within his course? I had a high A grade in single maths, but really struggled with the Maths within my degree and this wasn't unusual.

maths teachers - what kind of level would you expect a child to get at the end of Y7 to then go on to get an A at GCSE?