Top Mistakes A Level Maths Students Make (and How to Fix Them)

After marking thousands of 9709 scripts, I see the same avoidable mistakes cost students the same marks every year. Fix these and your grade rises without learning a single new topic.

1. Skipping Working to "Save Time"

Method marks are free marks. Students who write only the final answer earn nothing when it is wrong. Always show the formula, the substitution, and each step — even when it feels obvious.

2. Dropping Solutions in Trig and Quadratics

When an equation has more than one solution in the required range, examiners expect all of them. Losing the second solution is one of the most common ways to drop marks in Pure Mathematics.

3. Calculator Mode and Rounding Errors

Working in degrees when the question is in radians (or vice versa) invalidates an entire answer. Rounding too early compounds small errors into a wrong final figure. Keep full accuracy until the last line, then round as instructed.

4. Misreading the Command Word

"Hence" means you must use the previous result; "show that" means the answer is given and your working must justify it fully. Ignoring these words loses marks even when the maths is correct.

5. Never Reviewing Mistakes

The biggest error of all is doing question after question without ever analysing what went wrong. An honest error log — reviewed weekly — is the fastest route to a higher grade.

You do not rise to the level of your knowledge; you fall to the level of your habits. Build good exam habits early.