--- title: "AQA vs Edexcel vs OCR GCSE Maths: How the Boards Differ" description: "AQA 8300, Edexcel 1MA1 and OCR J560 GCSE maths compared: papers, marks, which paper is non-calculator, grade boundaries, November resits and who picks the board." canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/aqa-vs-edexcel-vs-ocr-gcse-maths source: src/pages/aqa-vs-edexcel-vs-ocr-gcse-maths.html --- > AQA 8300, Edexcel 1MA1 and OCR J560 GCSE maths compared: papers, marks, which paper is non-calculator, grade boundaries, November resits and who picks the board. Courses for every board ## One GCSE course, taught to the board your school uses. Tell us the board and the tier in the first lesson. The tutor then practises with that board's paper format, mark schemes and command words, so nothing on exam day looks unfamiliar. [![GCSE Maths: Foundation and Higher (9-1) course thumbnail](/images/gcse-maths.webp)Start here GCSE Maths: Foundation and Higher (9-1) The full GCSE for AQA, Edexcel and OCR on either tier, with each board's past papers, mark schemes and method marks. Years 9 to 11 and resits8 live classes a month **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/gcse-mathematics-mastery)[![Algebra Foundations course thumbnail](/images/algebra-foundations.webp) Algebra Foundations For a student whose algebra slips cost marks on every board's papers: equations, expressions and graphs rebuilt from the base. Gap repairLive, small group or one-to-one **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/algebra-foundations-masterclass)[![IGCSE Maths: Core and Extended course thumbnail](/images/igcse-maths.webp) IGCSE Maths: Core and Extended For learners on an international route: Cambridge and Edexcel International GCSE maths, Core and Extended. International schoolsLive online **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/igcse-mathematics-mastery)Which course fits ## Board known, tier known: here is where to start. | Where the learner is now | What we would suggest | Start with | | --- | --- | --- | | Year 10 or 11, board and tier confirmed by school | Full papers in that board's format from early on, then topic repair driven by the marks lost | [GCSE Maths](/courses/gcse-mathematics-mastery) | | Changing school and the board changes too | A gap check against the new board's paper order and mark scheme style; the content itself barely moves | [GCSE Maths](/courses/gcse-mathematics-mastery) | | Algebra loses marks whatever the board | Algebra rebuilt first, because it carries 20% of Foundation marks and 30% of Higher marks on every board | [Algebra Foundations](/courses/algebra-foundations-masterclass), then [GCSE Maths](/courses/gcse-mathematics-mastery) | | Studying abroad for a UK-style qualification | International GCSE rather than the England GCSE | [IGCSE Maths](/courses/igcse-mathematics-mastery) | [Book a Priority Demo](/priority-demo)[Or join the free demo list](/book-demo?subject=maths)Side by side ## The three GCSE maths boards, line by line. Every row comes from the boards' own specifications: AQA GCSE Mathematics (8300), Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (1MA1) and OCR GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (J560). | What | AQA 8300 | Edexcel 1MA1 | OCR J560 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Tiers and grades | Foundation 1 to 5, Higher 4 to 9 | Foundation 1 to 5, Higher 4 to 9 | Foundation 1 to 5, Higher 4 to 9 | | Papers per tier | 3 | 3 | 3 | | Paper names | Papers 1, 2 and 3 on both tiers | Papers 1, 2 and 3 on both tiers | Papers 1, 2, 3 (Foundation); Papers 4, 5, 6 (Higher) | | Length of each paper | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes | | Marks per paper | 80 | 80 | 100 | | Non-calculator paper | Paper 1 | Paper 1 | Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 5 (Higher) | | Share of the GCSE per paper | 33⅓% | 33.33% | 33⅓% | | Exam series | May/June and November | May/June and November | May/June and November | | November entry | Only students at least 16 on the previous 31 August | Only students at least 16 on the preceding 31 August | Only learners at least 16 on or before 31 August of that year | On every board, all three papers must be sat at the same tier and in the same exam series. A formulae sheet is provided in GCSE maths exams on all three boards; Ofqual decided in 2026 that this continues for the remaining lifetime of the current specifications. What is the same everywhere ## The content, the topic balance and the skills are fixed nationally. The Department for Education publishes one list of GCSE maths content, and every board in England must teach and assess all of it. A student who moves from an AQA school to an OCR school is not learning a different subject. They are meeting the same topics in a different paper layout. The balance of topics is fixed too. AQA's specification states that the weighting of topic areas "has been prescribed by Ofqual and is common to all exam boards". So the share of marks for number, algebra or geometry is the same whichever board sets the paper. The assessment objectives match as well: on Foundation, about 50% of marks test standard techniques and 25% each test reasoning and problem solving; on Higher the split is about 40%, 30% and 30%. ### Topic weightings on every board | Topic area | Foundation | Higher | | --- | --- | --- | | Number | 25% | 15% | | Algebra | 20% | 30% | | Ratio, proportion and rates of change | 25% | 20% | | Geometry and measures | 15% | 20% | | Probability and statistics | 15% | 15% | Approximate weightings for the whole tier, as printed in the AQA 8300 specification. What really differs ## Paper format, numbering and grade boundaries. ### Marks per paper OCR papers are out of 100 marks; AQA and Edexcel papers are out of 80. The time is the same, so an OCR paper usually holds more questions or more parts. Practise with the right paper length so pacing feels normal. ### Which paper has no calculator On AQA and Edexcel the first paper is the non-calculator one. OCR numbers its Higher papers 4 to 6, and its non-calculator papers are Paper 2 on Foundation and Paper 5 on Higher. Students who move board sometimes walk in expecting the wrong one. ### Grade boundaries Ofqual says grade boundaries "typically differ between exam boards, because grading reflects the level of difficulty of each particular paper". A higher boundary means that paper was easier, not that the grade was harder to reach. Question styles also vary between boards in small ways, which Ofqual describes as "small differences between the type of questions they ask or the balance of different types of questions". The honest way to see them is to sit a past paper from each, which our tutors do with students who change schools. Read your marks properly ## Why a percentage on one board does not tell you the grade on another. Two students, two boards **Asha scores 54 on an AQA paper. Ben scores 67 on an OCR paper. Who did better?** Asha: 54 ÷ 80 = 0.675 = 67.5%Ben: 67 ÷ 100 = 0.67 = 67%The percentages are almost equal. Raw marks mislead because the papers have different totals. Even the percentages only compare fairly when the papers were equally hard, which is exactly what boundaries adjust for. The whole qualification **What total is the grade based on?** AQA or Edexcel: 3 × 80 = 240 marksOCR: 3 × 100 = 300 marksThe grade comes from the total across all three papers. That is why one weak paper is not the end: a strong calculator paper can carry a shaky non-calculator one. We track all three when we plan revision. [Bring a past paper to a Priority Demo](/priority-demo)How we help ## Board-matched practice, then the topics that cost marks. In the first lesson the tutor asks for the board and tier, then works through questions in that board's format. Every lost mark is sorted into a gap in knowledge, a method slip or a timing problem. From there the plan follows the board: full papers of the right length, the right paper without a calculator, and mark schemes read together so method marks are not thrown away. Lessons are live with the same tutor, after school or at weekends in UK time. We never promise a grade or a score. Results depend on the starting point, the time available and the practice done between lessons, and we say so at the start. "My son struggled with math for years. Integrating it into coding projects has transformed his understanding and confidence. Highly recommended!" Shewta Singh, mother of Ishan · verified Google review Common questions ## AQA, Edexcel and OCR: what students and parents ask. Which GCSE maths exam board is easiest? None, by design. All three boards assess the same Department for Education content with the same topic weightings, and grade boundaries are set so that a grade reflects the same standard of work. Ofqual says a higher boundary on one board means that paper was easier, not that the grade was harder to get. Can I choose my GCSE maths exam board? In school, the maths department chooses the board for the whole year group. What you can choose is how you prepare: practise with the papers and mark schemes of the board you will sit. How many papers are there in GCSE maths? Three on every board, each 1 hour 30 minutes, all at the same tier and in the same exam series. How many marks is each GCSE maths paper? AQA and Edexcel papers are out of 80 marks each. OCR papers are out of 100 marks each. Which GCSE maths paper is non-calculator? Paper 1 for AQA and Edexcel. For OCR, Paper 2 on Foundation tier and Paper 5 on Higher tier. Are the grade boundaries the same for every board? No. Boundaries are set separately for each paper after marking, and they usually differ between boards and between years because they reflect how hard each paper turned out to be. Is the content different between AQA, Edexcel and OCR? No. Every board covers the same national subject content. The differences are in paper layout, numbering, marks per paper and question style. Can I resit GCSE maths in November with any board? All three boards run a November series for GCSE maths, but only for students who were at least 16 on the relevant 31 August. See our [GCSE maths resit guide](/gcse-maths-resit-explained). Do all boards give a formulae sheet? Yes. Ofqual requires a formulae sheet in GCSE maths exams on every board, and decided in 2026 that this continues for the remaining lifetime of the current specifications. Can you teach my child for our board? Yes. [Book a Priority Demo](/priority-demo): a full live class of about 45 to 60 minutes with a mentor reserved for your child. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp, built around your board and tier. ## Know the board? Let a tutor see the work. Bring a recent paper from your board. In one live class we show where the marks go, which topics to fix first and how the next term should run. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. [Book a Priority Demo](/priority-demo)Where the facts come from ## Sources, read in October 2026. - AQA, GCSE Mathematics (8300) specification and specification at a glance. - Pearson Edexcel, GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (1MA1) specification, Issue 2. - OCR, GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (J560) specification, version 2.1. - Ofqual, GCSE and A level grading: what you need to know (April 2025). - Ofqual, Decisions: proposed changes to the assessment of mathematics, physics and combined science GCSEs (May 2026). Keep exploring ## More GCSE maths help. [UK · GCSEGCSE Maths Tuition Online](/gcse-maths-tuition-online)[UK · GCSE tiersFoundation vs Higher Tier](/gcse-maths-foundation-vs-higher)[UK · GCSE papersCalculator vs Non-Calculator Papers](/gcse-maths-calculator-vs-non-calculator-papers)[UK · GCSE gradesGCSE Maths Grades 1 to 9 Explained](/gcse-maths-grades-explained)[UK · costsGCSE Maths Tutor Cost](/gcse-maths-tutor-cost-uk)[InternationalIGCSE Maths Tuition](/igcse-maths-tuition-online) --- *Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/aqa-vs-edexcel-vs-ocr-gcse-maths*