Jargon Buster
Maths and Exam Jargon, Explained
School reports, exam letters and revision guides are full of words most parents never needed to know. Here they are in plain English, from A to Z.
A
- Access arrangements
- Extra support in exams, such as extra time, a reader or rest breaks, for students who need it. The school or exam centre applies for these in advance.
- A Level
- The main qualification taken in Years 12 and 13, usually in three subjects. Graded A* (highest) to E. All the exams are at the end of Year 13.
- AS Level
- A smaller, one-year qualification, sat at the end of Year 12. It is worth less than a full A Level.
C
- Calculator and non-calculator papers
- Some exam papers allow a calculator and some do not. Most GCSE Maths courses have one non-calculator paper.
- Contingency day
- A spare exam day kept free in June, used only if exams are disrupted nationally.
- Core and Extended
- Cambridge IGCSE's names for its two levels of paper. Core is the easier level (top grade C); Extended is the harder level (grades A* to E).
- Core Maths
- A practical maths course for 16 to 18-year-olds who are not taking A Level Maths. It is about half the size of an A Level.
E
- Entry deadline
- The last day for schools to register students for the exams, including the tier. For summer 2027 it is 21 February 2027.
- Exam board
- The organisation that writes and marks the exams, such as AQA, Edexcel (Pearson), OCR, WJEC Eduqas or Cambridge. Your child's school chooses the board.
F
- Formula sheet (or formula booklet)
- The list of formulas printed in the exam. Any formula that is not on it must be learnt by heart.
- Foundation and Higher
- The two tiers of GCSE Maths. Foundation papers are easier and go up to grade 5. Higher papers are harder and cover grades 4 to 9.
- Functional Skills
- A practical maths qualification, often taken at college or by adults. Level 2 is accepted by many employers in place of a GCSE grade 4.
- Further Maths
- A second, harder maths A Level taken alongside A Level Maths by strong students. There is also a smaller GCSE-level version called Level 2 Further Maths.
G
- GCSE
- The main qualification taken at the end of Year 11. Graded 9 (highest) to 1. A grade 4 is a "standard pass" and a grade 5 is a "strong pass".
- Grade boundaries
- The number of marks needed for each grade. They are set after the exams have been marked and change a little every year.
I
- IGCSE (International GCSE)
- An alternative to GCSE used by many independent and international schools and home-educated students. Cambridge and Edexcel are the main boards.
K
- KS3 (Key Stage 3)
- Years 7, 8 and 9 at secondary school, before GCSE courses begin.
L
- Large data set
- Real data that the exam board publishes in advance for A Level Maths. Exam questions expect students to know it.
M
- Mark scheme
- The exam board's official answers, showing where each mark is given. Free on the exam board's website, alongside past papers.
- Mock exam
- A practice exam set by the school, usually in Year 11, under exam conditions. It helps show progress and decide the tier.
P
- Past paper
- A real exam paper from an earlier year, used for practice. Free on the exam board's website.
- Predicted grade
- The grade the teacher expects your child to get in the real exam.
- Private candidate
- A student who sits exams at a centre where they were not taught, such as a home-educated child.
- Pure, statistics and mechanics
- The three parts of A Level Maths. Pure is algebra, graphs, trigonometry and calculus. Statistics is data and probability. Mechanics is the maths of forces and motion.
R
- Red, amber and green
- A simple way to rate each topic: red means "I can't do this yet", amber means "nearly" and green means "I can do this in an exam". On my online checklists these are the Not Yet, Nearly and Confident buttons.
- Resit
- Taking an exam again to improve the grade. GCSE Maths can be resat in November (for students aged 16 or over) or in the summer.
S
- Specification (or "spec")
- The exam board's official list of everything that can come up in the exam. Each one has a course code, such as AQA 8300.
- Statement of entry
- The list from the school or exam centre showing your child's exams, dates and candidate number. Check it carefully.
T
- Target grade
- An ambitious grade set for your child, often worked out by a computer from earlier test results. It is a goal, not a promise.
- Tier
- The level of exam paper your child sits. For GCSE Maths this is Foundation or Higher. The school decides which.
U
- U (ungraded)
- The result when a student does not get enough marks for the lowest grade.
W
- Working-at grade
- The grade your child would most likely get if they sat the exam today.
Can't find a word? Send me a message and I'll explain it, and add it to this page for other parents.
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