A2 Maths

A2 Maths is the name we give to the second year of A-Level Mathematics. For the full A-Level in Maths, students must study for two full years and take exams in the summer at the end of Year 2. Students also have the option to get a qualification in AS Maths for which they will only study for one year (see more on AS Maths). However, there are more exams and they are more advanced in content and difficulty when studying both the AS and A2 Maths years. See below for more exam information or click here to see the Edexcel website information for A-Level Mathematics.

Topics covered in A2 Maths

A2 Maths Proof

A2 Maths Algebra & Functions

A2 Maths Coordinate Geometry

A2 Maths Sequence & Series

A2 Maths Trigonometry

A2 Maths Exponentials & Logarithms

A2 Maths Differentiation

A2 Maths Integration

A2 Maths Numerical Methods

A2 Maths Vectors

A2 Statistics Probability

A2 Statistics Distributions

A2 Statistics Hypothesis Testing

AS Mechanics Kinematics

AS Mechanics Forces & Newton’s Laws

AS Mechanics Moments

A-Level Maths Exam Information


From September 2017, the Edexcel Maths A-Level will be taught from a new linear syllabus. Students will start learning the material in September and will take two exams in May/June two years later. The examinations are made up of 3 papers: 2 papers on Pure Mathematics and 1 paper on Statistics and Mechanics. Students are expected to be familiar with the Large Dataset. 

‘Big data’ is no longer a thing of the future and is creeping into A-Level Maths specifications across the board. You may be expected to answer questions based on a dataset that you are already familiar with. The more you are familiar with it, the more of an advantage you will have when answering questions. You may also be expected to recall trends in the data without being given the data.

The following links are provided by CrashMaths and provide guidance on the A-Level Maths Edexcel large dataset. This dataset contains weather statistics provided by the MET Office:

The Large Dataset (external links)

paper 1

A2 Maths

Paper 1 is the first paper that covers the pure (or core) aspects of the course. The paper is out of 100 marks and is worth 33.33% of the qualification. The duration is 2 hours and the exam paper code is 9MA0/01.

  • Paper examines Pure Maths components
  • Out of a possible 100 marks
  • Worth 33.33% of the A-Level Maths qualification
  • Duration – 2 hours
  • Paper code – 9MA0/01

Paper 2

A2 Maths

Paper 2 is the second paper that covers the pure (or core) aspects of the course. The paper is out of 100 marks and is worth 33.33% of the qualification. The duration is 2 hours and the exam paper code is 9MA0/02.

  • Paper examines Pure Maths components
  • Out of a possible 100 marks
  • Worth 33.33% of the A-Level Maths qualification
  • Duration – 2 hours
  • Paper code – 9MA0/02

Applied Maths: Papers 3+4

A2 Maths.

Papers 3 and 4 cover the applied (statistics and mechanics) aspects of the course. Each paper is worth 50 marks in total and combined are worth 33.33% of the qualification. The duration is 2 hours and the exam paper codes are  9MA0/31 and 9MA0/32.

  • Papers 3 and 4 examine Statistics and Mechanics components
  • You are given both papers and given 2 hours to complete them both. They are out of a possible 100 marks.
  • Worth 33.33% of the A-Level Maths qualification
  • Duration – 2 hours
  • Paper codes – 9MA0/31 (Stats) and 9MA0/32 (Mech.)

(Updated July 2024)