Should I Take Further Maths?

Deciding whether or not to take A-Level Further Maths can feel impossible - as teachers, online tutors, classmates and family can all give conflicting advice.

Ultimately, this process can make you feel like you are making nothing more than a random guess. After all, the jump from GCSE Maths to A-Level Further Maths is bigger than for any other subject in my opinion.

For that reason, I have put together a 15 point system to help you make your decision with a clear criteria with which to pick one way or another.

I believe you should consider 3 different criteria (scoring each one out of 5):

• Your Interest
• Your Ability
• Future Relevance

Once you rate these out of 5, you will get a score from 15. If you score 10 or more (with at least 2 on each category), I believe you should very strongly consider taking A-Level Further Maths.

Now, you may ask, how do I rate these out of 5? It is designed to be as simple as possible.

Read the paragraph corresponding to each score and choose which one that you relate to the most for each of the 3 criteria.

1. Your Interest

This is all about how passionate you are about pushing your boundaries as a mathematician and your curiosity in learning more advanced techniques and using complex problem solving skills. Is this something you look forward to or seek out in another areas in life, even outside of school?

2/5

The thought of doing more Maths on top of A-Level Maths sounds exhausting. I enjoyed some of the parts of GCSE Maths, and I would like to know more about some of the topics, but I am by no means jumping up and down about it. Most of my enjoyment came through being able to get most of it right, not the actual Maths itself. That said, Further Maths is not so undesirable that I want to rule it out based on interest alone.

3/5

Further Maths sounds kind of neutral. I guess I don’t mind doing it, at all, neither am I thrilled. I definitely enjoyed some stuff from GCSE Maths, but it sounds weird to say that I would ever be excited to do Maths. If there’s enough other strong reasons to take it, I will without regret. I do not fear Maths, or love it.

4/5

Further Maths is a very interesting prospect. I like the fact I get to dedicate two A-Levels to one subject, and especially Maths. I’m intrigued and open to knowing more about what Further Maths can do for me, and am sort of looking for any good excuse to take it. I might fear how difficult it is, but I anticipate it will allow me to learn things which I will enjoy, that I would otherwise never get the chance to learn. I hope that whatever I do after A-Levels has Maths in it.

5/5

If I do not get to do Further Maths because there’s no space in the class, or they do not hold it, I will be very upset. Further Maths is something I really want to do, I have loved GCSE Maths and the chance to explore more topics within Maths at A-Level is a no-brainer for me. I will be picking it, unless I am forced not to.

2. Your Ability

This is all about what your Maths skill level is at right now, at the time of making this decision to take (or not to take!) Further Maths. Reflect on your most recent exam results and whether they were perhaps better, worse or on par with what you expected.

2/5

Got a 6 in GCSE Maths.

Definitely could have done better, was not paying enough attention, teaching was poor, or I had something unexpected happen in the exam.

OR

Got a 7 in GCSE Maths.

Did my best, so proud of the result. Not quite sure how I did it to be honest.

3/5

Got a 7 in GCSE Maths.

I feel confident in Maths, but I certainly have some weak topics. Secretly optimistic about how well I can do in Further Maths, because I did not try my absolute best.

OR

Got an 8 in GCSE Maths. 

Did my examiner just add marks or something? I thought I would never get an 8, a 6 at best.

OR

Got a 6 in GCSE Further Maths.

4/5

Got an 8 in GCSE Maths.

Maths is easy, most of the time. I did close to my best and got a justified reward. I guess I could have got a 9, but I really tried and I feel very confident with most things.

OR

7 in GCSE Further Maths. 

5/5

9 in GCSE Maths.

OR

8+ in GCSE Further Maths.

3. Future Relevance 

This is all about how relevant a qualification in Further Maths will be to any higher education courses you may want to take after A-levels. I’ve provided a rough guide of what courses fit where, but you can find out exactly yourself, by going to the course description on the Uni website for your course and fitting it within one of the provided descriptions.

2/5

A-Level Maths, not Further, is preferred but not a requirement for my course.

Courses this usually applies to: 

• Psychology 
• Geography
• Philosophy
• Sociology
• Business

3/5

A-Level Maths is required, but Further Maths is not mentioned as an important criteria - I can only imagine it helps though.

Courses this usually applies to:

• Economics (except LSE, Oxford and Cambridge)
• Computer Science (except Imperial, Oxford and Cambridge)
• Chemistry
• Physics (except Imperial, Oxford and Cambridge)
• Engineering (except Imperial, Oxford and Cambridge)
• Architecture
• Data Science

4/5

A-Level Maths required, Further Maths preferred strongly. I really hamper my chances without it.

Courses this usually applies to:

• Economics (LSE, Oxford and Cambridge)
• Physics (Imperial, Oxford and Cambridge)
• Engineering (Imperial, Oxford and Cambridge)
• Maths (most Russell Group)

5/5

A-Level Maths required, and A-Level Further Maths. I cannot apply without it.

Courses this usually applies to:

• Maths (Imperial, Warwick, Oxford and Cambridge)
• Maths and ___ (Oxford and Cambridge)
• Theoretical Physics (Imperial, Oxford and Cambridge)

Answers to Common Questions

I fear the workload will be too much, what should I do?

It depends on whether Further Maths is your 3rd or 4th A Level. If it is your 4th, most students find it easier than doing another separate subject, and you likely are allowed to drop it to AS if needed. You are not locked in forever, so you will be able to tell if it is for you in the first year. It requires discipline, not genius, remember.

How much does it affect my chances of getting in?

This is a very common question. Especially when the requirements say it is preferred. For this, I highly recommend that you go to whatdotheyknow (search into Google) and find out if for your course there is any data on acceptance rate based on whether students did or did not take Further Maths. This exists for a lot of courses where students are not sure how much Further Maths might help them. If you take Further Maths and it is not required, you generally stand to lose nothing so I would not worry.

Is it just a little more than A-Level Maths?

It is not just a little more, it is a whole A Level on its own, and while A Level Maths knowledge is required for it, you will be exploring completely new topics as well as going into more depth on some from A Level Maths. The novelness of the topics is enough for it to take as much time as 3/4 of an A Level or more.

My school never does well in it, should I not take it for this reason?

This does not matter. Of course, there are likely challenges that have hurt student’s results - anything from a teacher misunderstanding the syllabus to everyone getting a bit unlucky on the day. However, this should play no role in your decision because discipline and preparation will be more than sufficient to secure a top grade.

Should I do it because my friend is and it will be a small class?

No and no, you should base your choices on your interest, ability and the course’s relevance. A small class will make it marginally easier, and studying with your friend will be very beneficial for your success, but alone, this will not make the course relevant or easy. Most students regret taking the subject, if for these reasons alone.

Should I worry about which exam board my school uses in making my decision?

No, while differing boards can have significant differences in content, universities view them all the same, and your ability and interest will largely remain unchanged.

Final Remarks

This advice and scoring system has been designed to give you a clear framework. The jump between GCSE Maths and A-Level Further Maths is significant, but it’s manageable with preparation and the right mindset.

The best way to succeed is to start building confidence and familiarity early. Refreshing key topics or trying out some of the new topics with a A-Level Further Maths tutor can make a big difference and help you in making the right decision. It’s not about being a genius, it’s about discipline, curiosity, and resilience.

Make sure to make the choice that supports your interests, abilities and future plans - not the interests of others - even your close friends and family! If you take Further Maths, you will have access to more analytic, logical, and structured thought processes that can take some time (and a lot of mistakes!) to master. If you do not, you may build other skills that are just as important in other fields. Either way, make an informed choice.

P.S. If you want some taster sessions to decide or just some advice, send me a message via my profile. Any sessions booked in July, August or September will be given £10 off if you quote code FMATHS in your message!