The Advanced GCE course in Mathematics aims to build on students’ knowledge from GCSE Mathematics. The course further develops a student’s understanding of mathematics and
mathematical processes, helping them to form logical arguments and construct mathematical proofs. The course will enable students to extend their range of mathematical skills and use them in more difficult, unstructured problems. They will also begin to recognise how a real-world problem can be represented mathematically and how models can be applied and refined. Students will develop an awareness of the relevance of mathematics to other fields of study, to the world of work and to society in general.

Why is it a useful qualification?

Apart from leading to Mathematics as a subject in its own right at degree level, which is much in demand by employers, Advanced GCE Mathematics is required by degree subjects as diverse as architecture and medicine. By including the applications units of Mechanics, Decision and Statistics the course is able to provide a knowledge base of mathematical concepts and techniques for pupils wishing to read an engineering discipline, or those going on to some form of business, management or research based course respectively. Even if it is not used formally at higher education, the analytical and logical thinking processes and independent learning skills that will have been developed will be of great benefit in this informational and technologically fast paced world. 

Many of the leading universities also specify that students should have studied Further Mathematics to at least some degree, in order to study a mathematics related course. Therefore, students should research the requirements for their preferred universities early to ensure entry requirements are met.