A level Maths past papers
Every A level Maths exam board publishes its past papers free, with mark schemes and examiner reports. All three boards set three 2-hour papers worth 100 marks each, with pure maths in every paper and statistics and mechanics in the applied papers. Pick your board below to preview, open or download its papers, then use the plan on this page to get the most from them.
Choose your exam board
- AQA A level Maths past papersA level Maths (7357): every public paper to preview or download
- Edexcel A level Maths past papersA level Maths (9MA0): where to find every paper, and how they work
- OCR A level Maths past papersA level Maths A (H240): every public paper to preview or download
How the boards compare
| Board | Papers | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA (7357) | Paper 1 pure; Paper 2 pure and mechanics; Paper 3 pure and statistics | 100 marks each | 2 hours each |
| Edexcel (9MA0) | Papers 1 and 2 pure; Paper 3 statistics and mechanics | 100 marks each | 2 hours each |
| OCR (H240) | Paper 1 pure; Paper 2 pure and statistics; Paper 3 pure and mechanics | 100 marks each | 2 hours each |
How to use past papers
- Learn the content first. Use topic questions while you are still learning; save full papers for when you have covered most of the course.
- Do full papers under exam conditions: timed, no notes, with the formula sheet or booklet you will have on the day.
- Mark strictly with the mark scheme, including method marks, and add up your score.
- Read the examiner report for the questions you lost marks on: it explains the common mistakes and what full marks looked like.
- Keep an error log of every lost mark and its topic, then revise those topics before your next paper.
- Save the newest papers for your final mocks in the last few weeks.
Free A level Maths practice questions
Ten original questions written by our tutors in the style of the exam. Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.
Answered 0 of 10 · 0 correct
1. Differentiate y = 3x⁴ − 2x.
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A. Bring down each power and reduce it by one: 12x³ − 2.
2. Evaluate ∫01 (6x² + 1) dx.
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B. The antiderivative is 2x³ + x, which is 3 at x = 1 and 0 at x = 0.
3. Solve 2x = 16.
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B. 16 = 2⁴, so x = 4.
4. An arithmetic series has first term 3 and common difference 4. What is the sum of the first 10 terms?
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C. S = (n/2)(2a + (n − 1)d) = 5 × (6 + 36) = 210.
5. What is the coefficient of x² in the expansion of (1 + x)⁵?
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B. It is the binomial coefficient 5C2 = 10.
6. What is the exact value of sin 30° + cos 60°?
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B. Both are ½, so the sum is 1.
7. Where is the stationary point of y = x² − 6x + 5?
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A. dy/dx = 2x − 6 = 0 at x = 3, and y = 9 − 18 + 5 = −4.
8. A particle starts at 2 m/s and accelerates at 3 m/s² for 4 s. What is its final speed?
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C. v = u + at = 2 + 3 × 4 = 14 m/s.
9. X ~ B(20, 0.5). What is the mean of X?
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C. The mean of a binomial distribution is np = 20 × 0.5 = 10.
10. What is log₂ 8 + log₂ 4?
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B. log₂ 8 = 3 and log₂ 4 = 2, so the sum is 5. (Equivalently log₂ 32.)
Frequently asked questions
Which A level Maths board am I doing?
Check with your teacher or an old mock: the code on the cover is 7357 (AQA), 9MA0 (Edexcel) or H240 (OCR). The pure content is almost identical, so other boards' pure questions are good extra practice.
Is a formula booklet provided in A level Maths?
Yes. Each board provides its own formula booklet in the exam. Learn which formulas are in it and which are not, because some you must still remember.
When should I start A level past papers?
Start topic questions as soon as you finish a topic, and full papers once you have covered most of the course, usually in the spring of Year 13. Do the most recent papers last, as a final mock.
Are older A level Maths papers still useful?
Papers from 2018 onwards match the current specifications. Older papers from the previous specification still help for pure maths, but their structure is different.