Edexcel and AQA GCSE Maths have the same basic exam structure: three 90-minute papers, 80 marks per paper, one non-calculator paper and two calculator papers. Both assess the nationally required GCSE maths content. The differences are in the individual questions, their presentation and the mark schemes used to assess your answers.
The essentials
An AQA student can benefit from an Edexcel algebra lesson, and an Edexcel student can learn from AQA practice questions. However, when you practise a complete exam, you should become familiar with your own board's papers.
If you are preparing for GCSE Maths in 2027, this guide explains what to check, which resources you can share across boards, how to interpret grade boundaries and how to turn practice into better answers.
Edexcel vs AQA GCSE Maths: the key facts
This comparison covers Pearson Edexcel GCSE Mathematics 1MA1 and AQA GCSE Mathematics 8300 in England. It does not cover Edexcel International GCSE Maths, which is a different qualification; see GCSE vs IGCSE Maths if you are not sure which you take.
| Feature | Edexcel GCSE Maths | AQA GCSE Maths |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification code | 1MA1 | 8300 |
| Number of papers | 3 | 3 |
| Time per paper | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Marks per paper | 80 | 80 |
| Total marks | 240 | 240 |
| Paper 1 | Non-calculator | Non-calculator |
| Papers 2 and 3 | Calculator allowed | Calculator allowed |
| Weighting | Each paper contributes one-third | Each paper contributes one-third |
| Foundation grades | 1–5 | 1–5 |
| Higher grades | 4–9, with a limited grade 3 safety net | 4–9, with a limited grade 3 safety net |
| Content areas | Number, algebra, ratio and proportion, geometry and measures, probability, statistics | The same six areas |
You take all three papers at the same tier in the same exam series. You cannot combine Foundation Paper 1 with Higher Papers 2 and 3.
Your first revision task
Find your qualification code and tier. "Edexcel maths" alone is not enough information when choosing a textbook, downloading a paper or buying revision materials.
What do students need to know for 2027?
Formula sheets are confirmed for both boards
Students taking GCSE Maths in 2027 will receive formula sheets. This is confirmed support, rather than a prediction about what might happen. AQA has also confirmed that its 2027 sheets contain the same content as its 2026 versions.
Practise with the official sheet for your board and tier. When revising a formula, check that you can:
- recognise when it applies;
- identify what each letter represents;
- substitute values correctly;
- rearrange it when the unknown is not already the subject;
- use consistent units;
- decide whether the answer is sensible.
For example, being given the area of a trapezium does not automatically tell you which sides are parallel or how to find a missing height. Those decisions still require understanding.
Quick tip
Choose a formula, answer one straightforward substitution question, then answer another question where you must find a different variable.
The 2027 grade boundaries are not known in advance
Grade boundaries are set after exams have been taken and marked. A website can show historical boundaries, but it cannot give you confirmed summer 2027 boundaries before that process happens. Boundaries can change to reflect differences in exam difficulty.
Watch out
Use past boundaries to interpret past-paper performance. Avoid treating last year's minimum mark as a guaranteed target for your exam.
Is Edexcel or AQA GCSE Maths harder?
There is no reliable basis for telling every student that one board is easier. Ofqual's approach is intended to maintain comparable grade standards between boards. Different raw-mark boundaries do not mean that the same grade is worth more or less.
You may personally find one paper more comfortable. That can depend on the topics it includes, the wording you recognise and the methods you have practised.
Be cautious about claims such as:
- "Edexcel always repeats the same question patterns."
- "AQA is mostly long word problems."
- "One board gives method marks more generously."
- "Lower grade boundaries mean an easier qualification."
Neither board can be reduced to one question style. Both require calculation, reasoning and problem solving.
A more useful question is: why did this particular question feel difficult?
| What happened? | What to practise next |
|---|---|
| You did not know the method | A worked explanation followed by short topic questions |
| You knew the method but did not recognise it | Mixed questions without topic labels |
| You understood the question but made calculation errors | Short accuracy practice and checking routines |
| You reached an answer but could not explain it | Reasoning questions and written mathematical justifications |
| You could solve it without a timer but ran out of time | Timed sections followed by a review of where time went |
This tells you far more than a general argument about which exam board is harder.
What actually changes between the boards?
1. The questions and the route through each paper
The boards set different questions. They can choose different contexts, diagrams, numbers, combinations of skills and levels of support within a problem.
For example, a percentage question might directly ask for an original price. Another might require you to calculate a discounted price before comparing it with a competing offer.
Both questions involve percentages, but recognising the sequence of steps is a separate skill from performing the calculation.
Quick tip
Once you can answer a topic confidently, practise it in a mixed set where nobody tells you which method to use.
2. The paper layout and instructions
Familiarity with your own papers helps you navigate the exam. Notice how questions are numbered, where answers go and how instructions such as "show that", "estimate" or "give a reason" are used.
You do not need to memorise a board's wording. You need to read the exact instruction in front of you.
Watch out
A correct decimal calculation, for instance, may not satisfy a question asking for an exact answer.
3. The question-specific mark schemes
Use the mark scheme that belongs to the exact paper you attempted.
Both boards award credit according to the mathematical evidence required by each question. There is no universal rule that every line of working earns a mark, or that adding a phrase such as "use elimination" automatically earns credit.
Your working should make the method visible:
- Show the equation or calculation you are using.
- Keep intermediate steps readable.
- Include relevant units.
- Give reasons when requested.
- Make your final answer easy to identify.
If your valid method differs from the published example and you cannot interpret the marking guidance, ask your teacher to check it.
Can you use Edexcel resources for AQA Maths?
Yes, for shared mathematical skills. Expanding brackets, calculating probabilities and using Pythagoras' theorem do not require different methods because the exam-board logo changes.
The important distinction is between learning a skill and rehearsing your assessment.
| Resource | Can you use another board's version? | Best approach |
|---|---|---|
| Topic explanation or video | Usually | Check that the content is relevant to your tier |
| Topic practice questions | Usually | Include different wording and contexts |
| Mixed revision questions | Yes | Use them to practise recognising methods |
| Full timed papers | Yes, as additional practice | Prioritise your own board for exam rehearsal |
| Mark scheme | Only for its matching paper | Never mark one paper using another paper's scheme |
| Grade boundaries | Only for the matching qualification, tier and series | Do not transfer thresholds between boards |
| Formula sheet | Use your own board's official version | Practise with the sheet relevant to your exam |
Starley has full past papers with mark schemes for both boards: Edexcel GCSE Maths and AQA GCSE Maths.
Remember
If you have already spent several weeks using resources from the other board, that work has not been wasted. Check your topic coverage, then add regular practice with your own papers.
Foundation or Higher: a more important revision distinction
Your tier changes the range of content and the demand of the questions. Make sure a revision resource matches your tier before worrying about whether its examples look more "AQA" or "Edexcel".
If you are aiming for a grade 4 or 5
Build reliability across the content you have been taught. Useful starting points include:
- fractions, decimals and percentages;
- ratio, proportion and unit conversions;
- equations, substitution and sequences;
- angles, area, volume and Pythagoras;
- graphs, averages and probability.
This is a starting list, not a complete specification; for a fuller one, see GCSE Maths topics that come up every year.
Key point
Do not dismiss a question as "too easy to revise" if you still lose marks on it. Correctly converting 2 hours 24 minutes into 2.4 hours can matter just as much as remembering a more advanced method.
If you are aiming for grades 7–9
Check that your practice includes unfamiliar problems and connections between topics, alongside Higher content. For example:
- Can you form an equation from a geometric diagram?
- Can you connect a graph's intersections to simultaneous equations?
- Can you explain why a result is always true?
- Can you use an exact value throughout a multi-step calculation?
Higher-tier revision should still include straightforward questions. Difficult final questions are much less useful if earlier mistakes keep costing you marks.
If your tier is undecided, discuss it with your teacher using several assessed papers. A single good or bad result is a weak basis for that decision.
Four worked examples that prepare you for either board
These are original practice examples, not official Edexcel or AQA questions. They show how to recognise the mathematics, write a clear solution and avoid a common mistake.
Example 1: Reverse percentages
Worked example
A pair of headphones costs £68 after a 15% discount. Find the original price.
The first decision is identifying what percentage £68 represents. After a 15% discount, the customer pays 100% − 15% = 85%.
Let the original price be p:
0.85p = 68
p = 68 ÷ 0.85 = 80
Original price: £80.
Check: 15% of 80 is 12, and 80 − 12 = 68.
Common mistake: adding 15% of £68. The discount was calculated from the original price, so using the discounted price as the starting amount gives the wrong result.
Try it
A bag costs £63 after a 30% discount. Find the original price.
AnswerShow answerHide answer
63 ÷ 0.70 = £90
Example 2: Ratio when the difference is given
Worked example
Red and blue counters are in the ratio 7 : 4. There are 18 more red counters than blue counters. How many counters are there altogether?
The 18 counters represent the difference between the two quantities. The difference in ratio parts is 7 − 4 = 3, so:
3 parts = 18
1 part = 6
There are 7 + 4 = 11 parts altogether:
11 × 6 = 66
Total: 66 counters.
Check: there are 42 red counters and 24 blue counters. Their difference is 18.
Common mistake: dividing 18 by 11. You would divide by 11 if 18 were the total, but here it is the difference.
Try it
Two lengths are in the ratio 9 : 5. The longer is 28 cm greater than the shorter. Find the shorter length.
AnswerShow answerHide answer
28 ÷ 4 = 7 cm per part, so 5 × 7 = 35 cm
Example 3: Using a formula to find a missing height
Worked example
A trapezium has parallel sides of 8 cm and 14 cm. Its area is 99 cm². Find its perpendicular height.
Use A = ½(a + b)h and substitute the known values:
99 = ½(8 + 14)h
99 = 11h
h = 9
Height: 9 cm.
Check: ½ × 22 × 9 = 99 cm².
Common mistake: treating the sloping side as the perpendicular height. In a diagram, look for the distance measured at right angles between the parallel sides.
Try it
A trapezium has parallel sides of 6 cm and 10 cm and an area of 56 cm². Find its height.
AnswerShow answerHide answer
56 ÷ 8 = 7 cm
Example 4: Forming a quadratic from a rectangle (Higher practice)
Worked example
A rectangle has width x cm and length (x + 3) cm. Its area is 70 cm². Find its dimensions.
Start with width × length = area, so:
x(x + 3) = 70
Expand and rearrange:
x² + 3x − 70 = 0
Factorise:
(x + 10)(x − 7) = 0
x = −10 or x = 7
A length cannot be negative, so x = 7. The rectangle is 7 cm by 10 cm.
Common mistake: stopping after finding the two algebraic solutions. The question asks for physical dimensions, so you must reject the negative value and calculate the other side.
Try it
A rectangle has width x cm, length (x + 2) cm and area 48 cm². Find its dimensions.
AnswerShow answerHide answer
(x + 8)(x − 6) = 0, so the dimensions are 6 cm by 8 cm
For more question types in the same style, see 15 common GCSE Maths questions.
How to revise for Edexcel or AQA GCSE Maths
A useful revision session should leave you with evidence of what you can do independently.
Step 1: Diagnose a specific weakness
Use a recent marked paper or attempt a mixed set without notes.
Avoid writing only "bad at algebra". Identify the actual problem:
- expanding a bracket with a negative multiplier;
- forming an equation from a word problem;
- factorising a quadratic;
- rearranging a formula containing the unknown twice.
These require different practice.
Step 2: Repair the method
Study one worked explanation, then cover it and attempt a similar question.
If you need to look back, identify the exact step you forgot. Repeat with a fresh question until you can complete the method independently.
Copying a solution neatly is useful for making notes, but it does not show that you can reproduce the reasoning.
Step 3: Remove the topic label
After practising reverse percentages, put one reverse-percentage question into a set containing ratios, equations and geometry.
This checks whether you can choose the method without being told what the question tests.
Step 4: Practise under realistic conditions
Use your board and tier, the appropriate calculator rules and the relevant formula sheet.
If you split a paper over several sessions, record that it was untimed or split practice. It is still useful, but it does not measure the same thing as a complete timed attempt. For a full marking routine, see how to use Edexcel GCSE Maths past papers; the same method works for AQA.
Step 5: Revisit the mistake
A practical routine is to retry the question a few days later, then attempt a fresh version the following week.
The goal is to solve it without remembering the answer from the mark scheme.
Make an error log you will actually use
Keep it short enough to update after each session.
| Question | What went wrong? | What will I do differently? |
|---|---|---|
| Discount problem | Treated the sale price as 100% | Write the percentage remaining before calculating |
| Ratio problem | Used the total number of parts for a difference | Label the given amount "total", "difference" or "one share" |
| Trapezium problem | Used the sloping side as the height | Identify the perpendicular height on the diagram |
| Rectangle problem | Found x but did not give both dimensions | Read the final sentence again before finishing |
Watch out
"Be more careful" is difficult to act on. "Check whether the question gives the total or the difference" gives you something specific to do.
A realistic weekly revision routine
You do not need to complete a full paper every evening. You do need time to understand what your answers reveal.
| Session | Task | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Diagnose weaknesses using a mixed set | 30 minutes |
| Session 2 | Repair one weak skill and answer fresh questions | 35 minutes |
| Session 3 | Repair a second skill, then mix both topics | 35 minutes |
| Session 4 | Complete a timed section from your own board | 30 minutes |
| Session 5 | Mark, correct and retry selected questions | 30–40 minutes |
Periodically replace the timed section with a full 90-minute paper, and allow a separate session to review it.
For a busy week, shorten the sessions while keeping the correction stage. Finishing fewer questions and understanding the errors is more useful than accumulating unreviewed papers. If your exam is close, see our 7-day plan for your final week.
How to manage the 90-minute exam
With 80 marks available, a rough starting point is about one minute per mark, leaving some time for checking. Treat this as a pacing guide rather than a rule for every question. Some one-mark questions will take seconds. A demanding problem may need longer.
During the paper:
- Answer the questions you can make progress on. Do not let one difficult question prevent you from reaching later marks.
- Show useful working. Write the relevant calculation, equation or relationship.
- Move on when you are no longer progressing. Mark the question so you can return.
- Check the requested form. Fraction, exact value, significant figures and units matter.
- Use remaining time deliberately. Revisit unfinished questions and check answers that look unreasonable.
Check your calculator
For calculator papers, practise entering fractions, powers, roots and negative numbers before exam day. Check that you are using degree mode for trigonometry questions involving degrees.
Keep full calculator accuracy during intermediate steps unless the question instructs otherwise. Round your final answer to the requested accuracy.
What should you revise between Papers 1, 2 and 3?
Neither board divides the course into a simple "algebra paper", "geometry paper" and "statistics paper". Topics can appear across the assessment, subject to the calculator requirements.
After Paper 1:
- review skills that caused difficulty;
- practise using your calculator efficiently;
- revisit weak areas across the specification;
- keep practising topics that have already appeared.
Important
A topic appearing on Paper 1 does not rule it out of Paper 2 or Paper 3. It might return in a different context or as one part of a larger problem.
Predicted papers and "unseen topic" lists can provide additional practice. They should not become a reason to stop revising the rest of the course.
How to use grade boundaries without misleading yourself
Your final GCSE Maths grade is based on your combined marks across the three papers. You do not receive three separate GCSE grades that are then averaged.
Worked example
Adding a full set. 46 + 51 + 49 = 146 marks out of 240
You would compare 146 with the official qualification boundaries for the matching board, tier and exam series. That total alone does not establish a universal grade.
For a meaningful practice comparison:
- Complete all three papers from the same series.
- Use consistent exam conditions.
- Mark with the matching schemes.
- Add the marks.
- Check the relevant qualification boundary: Starley lists them by series for Edexcel 1MA1 and AQA 8300.
Watch out
If you combine papers from different years, track the total as a revision score. Do not assume that one year's grade boundaries apply exactly to your mixed set.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AQA GCSE Maths syllabus the same as Edexcel?
Both assess the nationally required GCSE Maths content. Their specifications organise and explain that content, while their actual exam questions differ. Use your own board's specification as your final checklist and check your tier.
Can I revise with a friend who takes the other board?
Yes. You can practise shared topics, explain solutions and compare different methods. For full exam rehearsal, each of you should also complete papers from your own board.
Do AQA and Edexcel give formula sheets in 2027?
Yes. Formula sheets are confirmed for GCSE Maths in 2027. Practise applying the formulas rather than assuming the sheet will explain how to solve the question.
Are the grade boundaries the same?
No. Boundaries can differ between boards, tiers and exam series. The purpose of awarding is to maintain comparable standards, not identical raw-mark thresholds.
Can I get a grade 6 on Foundation?
No. Foundation is capped at grade 5. Discuss Higher entry with your teacher if your intended next course requires a grade above 5.
Does one bad paper mean I have failed?
No. All three papers contribute to your total. After a disappointing paper, focus on preparing for the remaining exams rather than trying to calculate a final grade from an incomplete result.
Should I change exam boards to get a better grade?
Do not make that decision based on online claims about an "easy board". If a change is possible through your school or exam centre, discuss teaching support, available resources and your performance across several papers. Switching boards does not remove gaps in mathematical understanding.
What to do in your next revision session
Confirm your board and tier, choose a mixed set of questions and attempt it without notes. Mark it, then select one mistake you can describe precisely.
Learn that method, answer a fresh question and schedule a retry.
Whether your exam says AQA or Edexcel, being able to solve a question independently—and explain why your method works—is the progress that matters.