OCR MEI A Level Maths B Spec at a glance

The OCR MEI A level further maths specification is very challenging indeed. The MEI A Level further maths course has been renamed and is now known as OCR MEI A Level Further Mathematics B (MEI) Specification.

Pure core (Y420)

• 144 raw marks (180 scaled)
• 2 hour 40 mins
• 50% of the qualification
• Section A consists of shorter questions with little reading and interpretation. Section B has longer, multi-step problem solving questions.

Major options

Mechanics major (Y421)

• 120 raw marks (120 scaled)
• 2 hour 15 mins
• 33⅓% of the mark.
• Split into sections A and B.

Statistics major (Y422)

• 120 raw marks (120 scaled)
• 2 hour 15 mins
• 33⅓%Section
• Split into sections A and B.

Minor options

Mechanics minor (Y431)

• 60 raw marks (60 scaled)
• 1 hour 15 mins
• 16⅔%
• Questions get more difficult as you progress through the exam paper.

Statistics minor (Y432)

• 60 raw marks (60 scaled)
• 1 hour 15 mins
• 16⅔%
• Questions get more difficult as you progress through the exam paper.

Modelling with algorithms (Y433)

• 60 raw marls (60 scaled)
• 1 hour 15 mins
• 16⅔%
• Questions get more difficult as you progress through the exam paper.

Numerical methods (Y434)

• 60 raw marks (60 scaled)
• 1 hour 15 mins
• 16⅔%
• Questions get more difficult as you progress through the exam paper.

Extra pure (Y435)

• 60 raw marks (60 scaled)
• 1 hour 15 mins
• 16⅔%
• Questions get more difficult as you progress through the exam paper.

Further pure with technology (Y436)

• 60 raw marks (60 scaled)
• 1 hour 45 mins
• 16⅔%
• Access required to a calculator or computer with the correct software but your answers are still entered into a printed booklet.

How do you achieve the OCR A level further maths B qualification?

Students must take the mandatory core pure paper and one of three routes through the qualification:

1. Route A (mechanics major + one minor)
2. Route B (statistics major + one minor)
3. Route C (three minors, no major)

Students may take more than two optional papers to increase the breadth of their course. The combination of papers that results in the best grade will be used.

Content Summary:

The exams listed above will contain the following topics areas:

Core pure

• Proof
• Complex numbers
• Matrices and transformations
• Vectors and 3-D space
• Algebra
• Series
• Calculus
• Polar coordinates
• Hyperbolic functions
• Differential equations

Optional papers

Major option: Mechanics

• Dimensional analysis
• Forces
• Work, energy and power
• Momentum and impulse
• Circular motion
• Hooke’s law
• Centre of mass
• Vectors and variable forces

Major option: Statistics

• Sampling
• Discrete random variables
• Bivariate data
• Chi-squared tests
• Continuous random variables
• Inference
• Simulation

Minor option: Mechanics

• Dimensional analysis
• Forces
• Work, energy and power
• Momentum and impulse
• Centre of mass
• Minor option: Statistics
• Sampling
• Discrete random variables
• Bivariate data
• Chi-squared tests

Minor option: Modelling with algorithms

• Algorithms
• Networks
• Linear programming

Minor option: Numerical methods

• Use of technology
• Errors
• Solution of equations
• Numerical differentiation
• Numerical integration
• Approximation to functions

Minor option: Extra pure

• Recurrence relations
• Groups
• Matrices
• Multivariable calculus

Minor option: Further pure with technology

• Investigation of curves
• Exploring differential equations
• Number theory