CORE MATHS

LEVEL 3: CERTIFICATE IN QUANTITATIVE REASONING
EXAMINING BOARD: OCR (MEI)

Core Maths is useful if you want to maintain your valuable skills but are not planning on taking A Level Mathematics.

It is a year-long course and can be taken in either your first or second year.

It is designed to develop real-life mathematical skills, the emphasis is on how and when to apply skills to problems that arise in the workplace, in education, in personal finances and everyday life.

This course is complementary to many other subjects and you will find statistics and other skills taught will help hugely with your understanding and application in other areas, in particular with Science, Earth Sciences, Business, Psychology and Economics.

You will study the following topics:

  • Modelling
  • Statistics
  • Finance
  • Working with exponentials
  • Working with graphs and gradients
  • Geometry and measures
  • Risk
  • Estimation
  • Problem-solving
  • Communicating solutions
  • Use of technology.

As a minimum, you will need (or equivalent to);

  • GCSE Mathematics grade 5
  • GCSE English Language grade 4
  • plus three more GCSEs at grade 4.

The qualification is assessed by two exams, each one two hours in duration.

Mathematical skills are highly desirable and can aid a whole range of careers including; 

  • Business
  • Teaching
  • Medicine
  • Accountancy
  • Optometry
  • Forensics
  • Science
  • Marketing
  • Health and Social Care
  • Psychology.

What is the value of this qualification?

This qualification is equivalent to an AS Level and carries the same UCAS tariff points.