FSMQ - OCR (Additional Maths)

[piawill]

My daughter has started studying for this course, which is a stand-alone qualification after taking IGCSE (Edexcel) Maths in Year 10. She is finding it incredibly hard. She is in the midst of choosing AS/A Level subjects shortly and she is reconsidering taking Maths A level as she is finding FSMQ so hard. She feels if she isn't coping with the FSMQ, how ever will she manage A Level Maths. Would you advise her not to choose Maths at A Level? She did get an A star at IGCSE.

Thank you!

I believe (I've not taught it) that the FSMQ bridges the gap to A-level so she then should find A-level easier than those who haven't done it. With IGCSE A* even without the FSMQ (but moreso with it) she should absolutely consider maths A-level as it is within her ability to do well.

Did she find the IGCSE easy? Perhaps she is just not used to having to work at maths. Many experience this when they start A-level and just need to readjust their approach to succeed.

I suggest she has a chat with her maths teacher about A-level - hopefully she will come away reassured that it's a good choice!

I think (happy to be corrected!) the fsmq is 1st year a level standard so if she manages to get through this year she may well be at an advantage when she starts the a level.

I did additional maths. I then changed to a school where ther top set had done (old) A/S maths in the 5th year (year 11). I found that I had done far, far more of the syllabus, plus what they had done I'd done at a harder level.

If my memory is right, I found the step from GCSE to Additional maths much more than Additional maths to A-level (which I didn't notice being any harder) or from A-level to further maths.

Additional maths was the only one I felt I had to put some work in to get an A grade.

My dd also found The FSMQ incredibly hard this year - she did get an A but it took great dedication to get to that standard. She had to work very very hard but I know from my older DCs that it really sets them up well for AS Maths, which she is now doing.

In our day, (back when God was a boy) this is the exam we did in the lower sixth, in the days before AS levels so it is equivalent to that first year of the Maths A level ( althought the syllabus may be different, the level isthe same)

DD did it last year in Y11, having just like your daughter taken IGCSE in Y10. She did have to work very hard and she didn't find it easy. However, she persevered and did get an A. She is now taking maths and further maths, so it's still tricky, but if she were doing just maths, she says it would be much easier because she would have covered certainly the first part of the course before.

My DD has also just started year 11 and is doing this too - they started the course at the end of June after GCSEs. She is also finding is had. School have said that they will follow the course so that they can see whther they want to do A level. They will then make a decision later in the year based on tests and personal preferance over who actually sits the exam. This sounds a good idea to me as I am sure my DD won't want to take the exam officially if she is going to get a low mark! But at least she will have covered the work and assessed whether she wants to do it at 'A' level.

sorry 'is' should be 'it'!!!