📋 Exam Technique
Master the skills that turn knowledge into marks.
Command Words
Understand exactly what the examiner wants
Show That & Prove Questions
What the Examiner Wants "Show that" and "Prove" are among the most misunderstood command words in GCSE Mathematics. Stud...
→Explain & Describe Questions
Getting Full Marks on Written Responses "Explain" and "Describe" questions test whether you truly understand the mathem...
→Calculate, Work Out & Evaluate
The Calculation Commands These three command words all ask you to find a numerical answer, but there are subtle differen...
→Give a Reason & Justify
Justification Questions "Give a reason" and "Justify" questions require you to support your answer with mathematical evi...
→Estimate Questions
Estimation Skills "Estimate" questions test your ability to: Round numbers sensibly Perform calculations without a calc...
→Calculator Hacks
Master your Casio Classwiz
Essential Calculator Skills
Mastering Your Scientific Calculator Your calculator is a powerful tool — but only if you know how to use it properly. H...
→Non-Calculator Paper Strategies
Thriving Without Technology Paper 1 (Non-Calculator) tests your mental arithmetic, number sense, and mathematical reason...
→Exam Strategy
Time management and approach
Time Management in Exams
Making Every Minute Count Time pressure causes more lost marks than lack of knowledge. Learn to manage your time strateg...
→How to Show Your Working
Working = Marks In GCSE Mathematics, your working is often worth more than your answer. Examiners award method marks eve...
→Reading the Question Carefully
The Most Important Skill Every examiner's report says the same thing: students lose marks by not reading questions caref...
→Checking Your Answers
Quality Control Checking isn't about reading through your work hoping it looks right. It's about using mathematical stra...
→What to Do When You're Stuck
Unsticking Yourself Getting stuck in an exam is normal — even the best mathematicians get stuck sometimes. What matters ...
→Board-Specific
Tips for AQA, Edexcel, and OCR
AQA GCSE Mathematics: Exam Overview
Understanding the AQA Exam Structure AQA is one of the UK's largest exam boards for GCSE Mathematics. Here's everything ...
→Edexcel GCSE Mathematics: Exam Overview
Understanding the Edexcel Exam Structure Edexcel (part of Pearson) offers two GCSE Mathematics qualifications. This guid...
→OCR GCSE Mathematics: Exam Overview
Understanding the OCR Exam Structure OCR offers GCSE Mathematics (J560) with a slightly different approach to problem-so...
→General Tips
Universal exam success strategies