This update provides an overview of the level 3 qualifications in maths for university admissions and academic staff.
The current specifications for AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics were introduced for first teaching in 2017. The first entries for the level 3 Core Maths qualifications, with equivalent UCAS points to an AS level, were in 2016.
The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) was launched in April 2018. It is a government-funded initiative, led and delivered by MEI. It aims to increase participation in Core Maths, AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics, and support improvement in the teaching of these level 3 maths qualifications.
The programme provides national support for teachers and students in state-funded schools and colleges in England. Additional, targeted support is offered in areas of low social mobility and low participation in Level 3 maths.
The AMSP provides information, advice and guidance about developments in level 3 maths to Higher Education Institutions, learned societies and subject organisations.
The Smith Review of post-16 mathematics called upon the Department for Education to “…work with UK learned societies to encourage universities to better signal and recognise the value of level 3 mathematics qualifications for entry to undergraduate courses with a significant quantitative element”. The message was echoed in a joint report by the British Academy and Royal Society on uptake of core maths whose recommendations include “universities should do more to signal to students the value of mathematics qualifications post-16”.
In recent years a number of funding incentives to support and increase participation in level 3 maths qualifications have been introduced. These include the Large Programme Uplift, the Advanced Maths Premium and the High Value Courses Premium. In February 2024, the Core Maths Premium was introduced to encourage the provision of Core Maths and expand maths education for students up to the age of 18.
Core Maths Core Maths is an umbrella term for the following four level 3 maths qualifications, which are defined by the government’s technical guidance.
- AQA Level 3 Certificate Mathematical Studies
- OCR Level 3 Certificate in Core Maths A (MEI)
- OCR Level 3 Certificate in Core Maths B (MEI)
- Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics in Context
These qualifications are equivalent in size to an AS level qualification and have the same number of UCAS tariff points. All Core Maths qualifications focus on using and applying maths and include ideas and skills that support maths in other courses including A levels and vocational qualifications.
Entries for Core Maths have grown significantly since 2016. In 2025, 15,316 students entered Core Maths, a 20% increase compared to 2024. The proportion of students taking Core Maths who were female was 51%.
In 2025, 15,316 students entered Core Maths, a 20% increase compared to 2024.
Why should students study Core Maths?
Core Maths is intended for students who have passed GCSE Mathematics at grade 4 or better, but who have not chosen to study AS or A level Mathematics. Studied in a single year or over a two-year period, it can be taken alongside A levels or other qualifications, including vocational courses.
Studying Core Maths helps students develop their quantitative and problem-solving skills. This is valuable preparation for many degree courses, particularly in subjects such as geography, psychology, business-related courses, sports and social sciences, and natural science courses that do not require AS/A level Mathematics.
A number of universities have shown their support for Core Maths and some mention it in their admissions requirements which is where it has the biggest impact on uptake. The universities of Aston, Bath, Essex, Exeter, Huddersfield, Keele, Lancaster, Leeds, Sheffield and York have alternative offers for a range of degree courses for students with Core Maths qualifications. If Core Maths would be useful preparation for a degree course, please consider including it in your published admissions criteria, perhaps in a similar way in which a reduced offer is often made if the EPQ is included in a programme of study.
All Core Maths qualifications include:
- interpreting solutions in the context of the problem
- understanding sources of error and bias when problem-solving
- working with data
- understanding risk and probability
- understanding variation in statistics
- using exponential functions to model growth and decay
Most Core Maths qualifications also include:
- percentage change
- interpretation of graphs
- financial maths
- using standard units
- Fermi estimation
- the Normal distribution
- correlation, knowing it does not imply causation
AS/A level Mathematics
There are 4 specifications for AS/A level Mathematics: AQA, Edexcel, OCR A and OCR B (MEI).
The content of AS/A level Mathematics is 100% prescribed and common to all specifications. So, regardless of which specification students have followed, they will have covered the same topics:
- pure maths (about two thirds of the content)
- statistics (about one sixth of the content)
- mechanics (about one sixth of the content)
Over the last decade the number of students taking A level Mathematics in the UK has steadily increased. In 2025, A level Mathematics entries increased by 4% compared to 2024 (against a total decrease in A level entries of 0.5%). 2024 had seen a rise of 11% compared to 2023. Mathematics is by far the most popular subject at A level with 112,138 entries this year. 37% of the entry were female, similar to the proportion in 2024.
A level Mathematics is the most popular choice for boys and the fourth most popular choice for girls. The decoupling of AS and A levels in 2017 resulted in a dramatic decline in AS entries in all subjects. However entries to AS Mathematics have grown since 2021 and are now reasonably stable. In 2025, they accounted for 12.5% of all AS entries.
The table shows the entries in the UK for AS/A level Mathematics 2025:
| Qualification | Entries in 2025 | Entries in 2021 | Entries in 2019* | % change since 2021 | % change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QualificA Level Mathematicsation | 112,138 | 97,690 | 91,895 | +15% | +22% |
| AS level Mathematics | 16,794 | 14,466 | 25,923 | +16% | -35% |
AS/A level Further Mathematics
There are 4 specifications for Further Mathematics: AQA, Edexcel, OCR A and OCR B (MEI).
For A level Further Mathematics 50% of the content is prescribed pure maths content and common to all specifications. Students have some choice over additional applied and pure maths content that is studied depending on the school or college’s choice of awarding organisation.
Over the last 10 years the number of students taking A level Further Mathematics in the UK has increased significantly. In 2025 19,390 students entered A level Further Mathematics, which was a 7% increase from 2024, which had shown a staggering 20% increase from 2023. This underlines the increasing popularity of the subject. This was once again the biggest increase in uptake of any A level subject. Of these students, 27% were female. In 2025, 17% of students who took A level Mathematics also took A level Further Mathematics.
The AS qualification covers valuable content that provides good preparation for many STEM degree courses in addition to A level Mathematics. If your course is one of these, please consider including this in your published admissions criteria.
The table shows the entries in the UK for AS/A level Further Mathematics 2025:
| Qualification | Entries in 2025 | Entries in 2021 | Entries in 2019* | % change since 2021 | % change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Level Mathematics | 19,390 | 15,748 | 14,527 | +23% | +33% |
| AS level Mathematics | 6,180 | 4,707 | 5,898 | +31% | +5% |
Factors supporting increases in participation in level 3 maths:
■ More maths teachers, confident and skilled in teaching level 3 maths.
The AMSP provides professional development courses focused on improving subject knowledge and pedagogy to thousands of teachers. These have helped improve the teaching capacity in schools and colleges.
- A level Further Mathematics is more widely available to students in state-funded schools and colleges.
In 2004-05, less than 40% of the state-funded A level Mathematics providers in England had students taking A level Further Mathematics; in 2022-23 this proportion was 73%. - Girls’ Progression to A level Maths
The AMSP is working closely with school leaders and maths teams in 200 schools to develop evidence-informed strategies to increase girls’ participation in A level Maths and beyond into HE. - Increasing information, advice and guidance to STEM, social science, business and economics degree courses.
Information provided on university websites and at HE open days encouraging the study of A level Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Core Maths is crucial in convincing students, teachers and school leaders of its importance.