--- title: "Is A Level Further Maths Worth It? What It Adds and Costs" description: "Is A level Further Maths worth taking? What the course adds beyond A level Maths, the core topics, the AS option, the extra workload and the students it suits." canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/is-a-level-further-maths-worth-it source: src/pages/is-a-level-further-maths-worth-it.html --- > Is A level Further Maths worth taking? What the course adds beyond A level Maths, the core topics, the AS option, the extra workload and the students it suits. Courses for sixth form maths ## Further Maths taught live, alongside A level Maths. Our Further Maths course follows the core pure content and your board's options, and runs alongside A level Maths so the two support each other rather than compete for time. [![A Level Further Maths: Core Pure and Applied Options course thumbnail](/images/a-level-further-maths.webp)Start here A Level Further Maths: Core Pure and Applied Options Core Pure plus applied options for AQA, Edexcel and OCR, taught live with week-by-week topics, practice and monthly tests. Years 12 and 13Live online **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/a-level-further-maths-course)[![A Level Maths: Pure, Mechanics, Statistics course thumbnail](/images/a-level-maths.webp) A Level Maths: Pure, Mechanics, Statistics Pure, mechanics and statistics. Secure A level Maths first; Further Maths builds on it. Years 12 and 138 live classes a month **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/a-level-maths-course-pure-mechanics-statistics)[![College Maths: Calculus to Analysis course thumbnail](/images/college-level-maths.webp) College Maths: Calculus to Analysis For a student who wants to look ahead to university-style maths: calculus, linear algebra and analysis. Post-18 and keen sixth formersLive online **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/college-mathematics-complete-masterclass)Which course fits ## Where is the student now? Follow that row. | The student | What we would suggest | Start with | | --- | --- | --- | | Strong at GCSE, loves maths, eyeing maths, physics, engineering, computing or economics | A level Further Maths, started early alongside A level Maths | [A Level Further Maths](/courses/a-level-further-maths-course) | | Keen but short of time with three other A levels | AS Further Maths, which the subject content calls "a very useful qualification in its own right" | [A Level Further Maths](/courses/a-level-further-maths-course), AS route | | Finding A level Maths hard already | Secure A level Maths first; Further Maths depends on it | [A Level Maths](/courses/a-level-maths-course-pure-mechanics-statistics) | | School does not run Further Maths | Live online lessons with a tutor, timed to your board's papers | [A Level Further Maths](/courses/a-level-further-maths-course) | [Book a Priority Demo](/priority-demo)[Or join the free demo list](/book-demo?subject=maths)What it adds ## Deeper and broader, in the government's own words. The Department for Education's subject content says Further Maths "is designed for students with an enthusiasm for mathematics, many of whom will go on to degrees in mathematics, engineering, the sciences and economics." It calls the qualification "both deeper and broader than A level mathematics". In practice that means two things. The algebra and calculus of A level Maths are taken further, and new ideas arrive that A level Maths never touches, chiefly complex numbers and matrices, which the content describes as having "wide applications in mathematics, engineering, physical sciences and computing". About half of the A level is a prescribed core that every board must teach. The other half is options set by each board, which can build on the applied content of A level Maths, introduce new applications or extend the pure core. ### The core every board teaches - Proof, including proof by induction - Complex numbers - Matrices - Further algebra and functions, including Maclaurin series - Further calculus - Further vectors - Polar coordinates - Hyperbolic functions - Differential equations Sections A to I of the DfE subject content for A level further mathematics. What it asks of you ## A whole extra A level, and a demanding one. ### Time Further Maths is a separate A level, so it takes a full share of the timetable and of homework. It may be a fourth A level alongside three others, or one of three when Maths and Further Maths are both taken. ### Pace It builds on A level Maths as it goes. A student who falls behind in A level Maths will feel it twice, because Further Maths topics assume the A level ideas underneath them. ### Abstraction Complex numbers, matrices and proof by induction ask for a more abstract way of thinking than most A level Maths. Students who enjoy that tend to enjoy the whole course. ### What students usually gain A second, deeper look at A level Maths topics, which the AS content says "broadens and reinforces" them; first contact with ideas used throughout mathematical degrees; and practice at sustained problem solving. ### The AS route AS Further Maths is a separate, smaller qualification. Every board must offer at least one AS route that can be taught alongside AS Maths, so a student can taste the subject without committing to the full A level. How to decide ## Four honest questions. ### Do you enjoy maths for its own sake? Further Maths is long and abstract. Enjoyment is what carries students through the hard weeks. ### Is A level Maths going comfortably? If A level Maths is already a struggle, Further Maths usually makes both harder. Secure one first. ### Where are you heading? The subject content links Further Maths to degrees in mathematics, engineering, the sciences and economics. If a particular course matters to you, read its published entry requirements yourself. ### Full A level or AS? If time is tight, the AS gives real Further Maths content in a smaller package. We do not give university admissions advice. We teach the maths, and we tell you honestly how the work is going. A taste of the core ## Three short examples we wrote. Complex numbers **(2 + 3i)(1 − i)** = 2 − 2i + 3i − 3i²= 2 + i + 3**= 5 + i** Multiply out as usual, then use i² = −1. Matrices **What does the matrix with rows (3, 1) and (2, 4) do to area?** det = 3 × 4 − 1 × 2= 12 − 2 = **10** Any shape it transforms has its area multiplied by 10. Proof by induction **Show 1 + 2 + ... + n = n(n + 1)/2** n = 1: 1 = 1 × 2/2 ✓assume true for k, add k + 1:k(k + 1)/2 + (k + 1) = (k + 1)(k + 2)/2 ✓ True for 1, and each case gives the next, so it is true for all n. [Try a Further Maths lesson in a Priority Demo](/priority-demo)How we help ## Further Maths taught live, with an honest view of how it is going. In the first lesson the tutor works through A level Maths and early Further Maths questions with the student and tells you plainly whether the full A level, the AS or A level Maths alone looks right for now. If Further Maths goes ahead, lessons follow the core and your board's options, alongside A level Maths so the two reinforce each other. Every lesson is 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. "Modern Age Coder have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence, keeps them updated with technology, and inspires them to learn without hesitation." Sonu Goyal, parent · verified Google review Common questions ## Further Maths: what students and parents ask. What is A level Further Maths? A separate A level that goes deeper and broader than A level Maths. It adds topics such as complex numbers, matrices, polar coordinates, hyperbolic functions and differential equations. Is Further Maths harder than A level Maths? It is generally more demanding. The Department for Education describes it as deeper and broader than A level Maths, it is more abstract, and it builds on the A level Maths content as it goes. Do you need A level Maths to take Further Maths? Further Maths builds on AS and A level Maths, so students take it alongside A level Maths or after it. What is the difference between AS and A level Further Maths? AS Further Maths is a separate, smaller qualification. Every board must offer an AS route that can be taught alongside AS Maths. How much of Further Maths is the same on every board? About half. The core is prescribed by the Department for Education; the other half is options chosen by each board. Is Further Maths worth it if I am not doing a maths degree? It can be, for anyone who enjoys maths and wants a deeper grounding. The subject content links it to engineering, the sciences and economics as well as mathematics. Can I take Further Maths if my school does not offer it? You can study it with a tutor, but the exams must be sat at an exam centre, so ask your school or local centres whether they accept external candidates. How many hours a week does Further Maths need? As a full A level it needs the same time as any other A level, plus independent practice. We plan lessons around the student's other subjects. Will Further Maths help with A level Maths? Often, because it revisits A level ideas in more depth. It only helps when A level Maths is already secure. Can you help me decide? Yes. [Book a Priority Demo](/priority-demo): a full live class of about 45 to 60 minutes with a mentor reserved for the student. Afterwards the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. ## Unsure about Further Maths? Try a real lesson. In one live class a tutor works through A level and Further Maths questions with the student and gives an honest view of which route fits. 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. - Department for Education, GCE AS and A level subject content for further mathematics (paragraphs 2 to 8 and sections A to I). - Department for Education, GCE AS and A level subject content for mathematics. Keep exploring ## More sixth form maths help. 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