AQA GCSE Mathematics: specification & assessment
AQA GCSE Mathematics (8300) is assessed by 3 tiered exam papers (Foundation and Higher tier). Here's the exam structure, the assessment objectives and what you study — straight from AQA's specification.
Reform watch:England's 2025 Curriculum & Assessment Review doesn't change GCSE or A-level content until reformed specs are first taught (national curriculum September 2028; updated GCSEs from 2029). Your 2026–2028 exams use the current specification. What's changing →
Exam papers
| Paper | Length | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: non-calculatorContent from any part of the specification may be assessed | 1 hour 30 minutes | 80 | 33.3% |
| Paper 2: calculatorContent from any part of the specification may be assessed | 1 hour 30 minutes | 80 | 33.3% |
| Paper 3: calculatorContent from any part of the specification may be assessed | 1 hour 30 minutes | 80 | 33.3% |
Assessment objectives
Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual for Mathematics and describe the skills the exams reward. The weightings are for the whole GCSE.
| AO | What it assesses | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 | Use and apply standard techniques. Students should be able to: accurately recall facts, terminology and definitions; use and interpret notation correctly; accurately carry out routine procedures or set tasks requiring multi-step solutions. | Foundation: 50% overall (per-paper range 40–60%). Higher: 40% overall (per-paper range 30–50%). |
| AO2 | Reason, interpret and communicate mathematically. Students should be able to: make deductions, inferences and draw conclusions from mathematical information; construct chains of reasoning to achieve a given result; interpret and communicate information accurately; present arguments and proofs; assess the validity of an argument and critically evaluate a given way of presenting information. | Foundation: 25% overall (per-paper range 15–35%). Higher: 30% overall (per-paper range 20–40%). |
| AO3 | Solve problems within mathematics and in other contexts. Students should be able to: translate problems in mathematical or non-mathematical contexts into a process or a series of mathematical processes; make and use connections between different parts of mathematics; interpret results in the context of the given problem; evaluate methods used and results obtained; evaluate solutions to identify how they may have been affected by assumptions made. | Foundation: 25% overall (per-paper range 15–35%). Higher: 30% overall (per-paper range 20–40%). |
Practical work
What you study
The main topics in the 8300 specification:
- Number
- Algebra
- Ratio, proportion and rates of change
- Geometry and measures
- Probability
- Statistics
Your grades in Mathematics
See the real AQA Mathematics grade boundaries (2024 & 2025, with a "what grade is my mark" tool), and how GCSE grades work.
Where this comes from
- www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/gcse/mathematics-8300/specification/specification-at-a-glance
- www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/gcse/mathematics-8300/specification/scheme-of-assessment
- filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/mathematics/specifications/AQA-8300-SP-2015.PDF
Frequently asked questions
See all AQA GCSE subjects.