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Lucy Turns Pages: Helping Your Child Prepare For Their Math GCSE

Helping Your Child Prepare For Their Math GCSE

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Maths past papers are widely available on the Internet today to help students prepare for their upcoming examinations. But, what is Edexcel? And, why are their GCSE papers so prominent in the UK? How can you help your child study for them? Let’s take a look in further detail… Edexcel is the brand name for general and academic qualifications that are delivered by Pearson; this includes both A levels and GCSEs, as well as some other vocational qualifications too, including Functional Skills and NVQs. It is one of only three major exam boards in England that are UK Govt. (Ofqual) regulated. Until 1996, Edexcel was referred to as the University of London Examinations and Assessment Council.

Edexcel’s qualifications are grounded in the traditions and quality of the British education system, which is why you will see so many maths GCSE Edexcel past papers online today. They are the preferred examination choice or public schools, as well as many private schools and children that are homeschooled.

Qualifications from Edexcel are highly respected and known are the world. They offer an international version of the GCSE, known as iGCSE, which is taken worldwide. Their qualifications are viewed as the perfect pathway to the top universities around the globe today; ensuring learners have access to tomorrow’s opportunities.

Thousands of people have progressed in their lives as a consequence of taking one of the Edexcel qualifications. And, there is no better way to prepare yourself than by practising with past papers to ensure you are familiar with the type of questions that are asked.

Are Older Past Papers Still Relevant Under The New Grading System?

From 2017, the grading of Maths GCSE changed to markings from 9 to 1. Is there still mileage in students practising what has previously been classed as ‘higher’ level questions? With only a few years of recent past papers, you may want to delve deeper into the archives to practice, and there is nothing wrong with doing so.

Your child’s school maths teachers would usually advise on whether this higher-level paper was suitable for your child to take. The old papers still boast a lot of similarities when compared with the new ones. It is, therefore, still important that students of all levels of ability continue to use practice maths past papers as an invaluable tool in their preparation and revision.

Working through as many GCSE maths exam questions as possible from previous years enhances the students’ knowledge and experience at dealing with the range of problems they are expected to tackle in the final exams. Ensuring their solutions and working is correct by closely comparing it to sample answers given reinforces learning and builds confidence at what is otherwise likely to be a worrying time for pupils sitting this new, still untested, examination framework.

How Can Parents Make A Difference?

Challenging maths questions can make parents feel like they are of no use to their children during the revision period. A lot of parents feel at a loss, confused by subjects they never covered when they were at school, and the fact that the exam system is constantly changing.

However, your involvement during these vital years is so important and can make a huge difference. It could be the difference between a pass and a failure, or an A and a B. According to research, parental support is eight times more important than social class when it comes to determining the academic success of a child.

We know what you are probably thinking – well, how can I help if I don’t understand the questions myself? You don’t need to be a maths genius to provide your child with the support they need. You can help them through maths questions by finding resources online, such as videos and animated walkthroughs that explain how to work out the question. There are great tools like Memory that can give your child unique learning approaches that can help them to memorize the important information for their exams.

You can also help in other ways, for example, you can make sure that your child is getting enough sleep and that they are eating right. It is also a good idea to head to the examination board’s website. Here, you will be able to read about the exam structure and the weighting of each subject area. This will help you to provide more support to your child and ensure that they are focusing their revision on the right areas.

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