Level 3 FSMQ: Additional Mathematics – formulae sheets and support for the summer exam
18 September 2023
Steven Walker, Maths Subject Advisor
Unlike the Levels 1/2 GCSE (9–1) maths qualification, the Level 3 FSMQ: Additional Mathematics – 6993 does not incorporate formulae into relevant questions, but provides this information as a single formulae sheet at the beginning of the exam paper. Candidates need to remember that this is a resource that they should be referring to during the exam. They also need to know what types of questions this formulae sheet will support and they need to know what formulae will not be given and is assumed knowledge for the exam.
The standard formulae sheet
The FSMQ’s standard formulae sheet is given to students on the inside front cover of the exam paper.
It includes the binomial series expansion, to support students with questions focused on the expansion of polynomials in the form (a + b)n , where n is a positive integer. This also links to the binomial distribution for using this relationship in probability questions.
The trapezium rule is given for questions investigating the area under a curve, where students might not know an appropriate integration technique to reach a solution.
Also included are the kinematics formulae for both variable and constant acceleration situations (these were added to the standard formulae sheet for exams after 2019).
To see the standard formulae sheet, look at page 2 of the sample paper.
Assumed knowledge
There are also some specific formulae introduced in the FSMQ specification that students are expected to know:
- how to find the distance between two points on a line,
- how to find the mid-point of a line segment, and
- how to find the general equation of a circle centred around any point on a cartesian grid.
The FSMQ also extends GCSE knowledge of the laws of indices to introduce the laws of logarithms and their use in modelling contexts.
The list of assumed knowledge formulae for Higher Tier GCSE (9–1) Mathematics is also assumed for the FSMQ. This was provided in the 2022 and 2023 exam series as part of the Covid mitigation support, but there are currently no plans to provide this as standard from 2024 onwards. This extra formulae sheet is still available to download from the 2022 or 2023 Question paper section on Teach Cambridge, and students may find the sheet useful whilst studying the course.
It includes:
- several perimeter, area and volume formulae
- the quadratic formula
- Pythagoras’ Theorem and trigonometry formulae
- the compound interest formula
- probability formulae.
Students are also expected to be confident with the perimeter, area and volume formulae that are introduced in key stage 2 (e.g. for rectangles, triangles, cuboids).
How to make the most of the formulae sheets
It is important for students to know which formulae are given and how to use them. In addition to the Check In tests focused on each of the seven sections of the specification, you will also find another two which focus on using formulae from both the formulae sheet and those that must be memorised.
When answering questions in the exam, it is good practice to write the formula to be used first, before substituting in values. This helps to ensure the formula is copied from the formulae sheet correctly without errors, before proceeding.
Finally, remind students that even if they can recall a specific formula from memory, the formulae sheet is there to help them; it is always worth quickly checking a formula against the sheet, just to ensure they haven’t introduced an error.
For more ideas, please see our FSMQ Formulae sheet top tips resource!
Stay connected
Share your thoughts in the comments box below. If you have any questions, you can email us at maths@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_Maths.
If you are teaching (or are considering teaching) the FSMQ then look out for confirmation of date and time of the FSMQ Autumn Teachers Network webinar.
You can also sign up to subject updates to receive the latest maths news, updates and resources.
About the author
Steven originally studied Engineering, but took an extended period to work and travel overseas before training to be a teacher. He taught secondary maths in England and overseas before joining OCR in July 2014 during the period of major qualification reform. Steven has worked on the full OCR maths suite, but now mainly focuses on the Level 3 qualifications.
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