Best GCSE Maths Resources for Each Exam Board: Edexcel, AQA, and OCR
Here's something most families don't realise until halfway through Year 11: all three main exam boards lead to the same GCSE qualification, but the way they test students can feel quite different.
I've tutored students across all three major boards at SHLC (Edexcel, AQA, and OCR), and whilst the mathematical content is identical, the question styles, paper presentation, and available resources vary enough that it matters. A student who's only practised with AQA papers might find an Edexcel exam slightly jarring, not because it's harder, but because it's presented differently.
This guide breaks down the key differences between exam boards, explains what makes each one distinctive, and shows you exactly which resources work best for your specific board.
The Three Main Exam Boards: Quick Overview
Before diving into resources, here's what you need to know about each board.
Edexcel (Pearson Edexcel)
Edexcel is known for its clear, logical, and often traditional question style. The papers are structured rigorously, which suits students who prefer step-by-step problem solving without excessive context.
Edexcel has excellent reputation for Maths and is one of the most popular boards in the UK. The consistency and predictability of their papers make them a safe, reliable choice for schools.
Question style: Direct, mathematically focused, less reliance on wordy real-world scenarios compared to AQA or OCR.
Best for: Students who prefer abstract mathematical thinking and don't need extensive context to understand what's being asked.
AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance)
AQA is the largest exam board and is often praised for its accessible language and clear progression of questions within a paper. Questions ramp up from easier to harder, which helps students build confidence as they work through.
AQA combines traditional questions with real-world scenarios, striking a balance between pure maths and applied contexts. The questions often use data, diagrams, or graphs in ways that require interpretation before solving.
Question style: Accessible wording, scenario-based problems, gradual difficulty increase throughout papers.
Best for: Students who respond well to context and enjoy linking maths to practical situations. Also good for students who need clear language to understand questions.
OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA)
OCR is known for its focus on real-world application and problem-solving. Their questions tend to be wordier and require more interpretation than the other boards.
OCR often asks students to explain their reasoning or show understanding of concepts rather than just producing answers. This can suit students who enjoy thinking deeply about problems, but can feel challenging for those who prefer straightforward calculation questions.
Question style: More interpretive, wordier, strong emphasis on showing mathematical reasoning.
Best for: Students who like exploring ideas in depth and don't mind reading longer questions.
Key Structural Similarities Across All Boards
Despite the differences in style, all three boards share the same basic structure:
Three papers: For Edexcel and AQA, Paper 1 is non-calculator whilst Papers 2 and 3 allow calculators. OCR differs: Paper 1 allows calculators, Paper 2 is non-calculator, and Paper 3 allows calculators
90 minutes each: Every paper is the same length
Two tiers: Foundation (targeting grades 1-5) and Higher (targeting grades 4-9)
Same curriculum: All boards test the same mathematical content as defined by the national curriculum
Formula sheets: Students taking exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 will not need to memorise the usual formulae for GCSE Maths. All boards provide formula sheets in exams during these years.
What Actually Differs Between Boards
The differences aren't in what gets tested, but in how it's tested.
Question Presentation
Edexcel tends to present content clearly and directly. Questions get straight to the mathematical point.
AQA wraps questions in context and uses accessible language. You might get a question about mobile phone tariffs or gym memberships rather than abstract algebra.
OCR uses the wordiest questions and expects students to extract mathematical meaning from longer scenarios.
Specification Layout
OCR and AQA use content headings like 'Initial'/'Basic foundation', 'Foundation'/'Additional foundation', and 'Higher'. Edexcel differentiates content by identifying topics assessed at higher tier only in bold font.
This doesn't change what needs to be learned, but it affects how teachers and students navigate the specification documents.
Past Paper Availability
Edexcel has been running GCSE maths exams longer than the others (under various names), so there's a massive archive of past papers available. This makes it excellent for intensive exam practice.
AQA and OCR also have substantial past paper libraries, but slightly fewer historical papers under the current 9-1 system.
Question Difficulty and Grade Boundaries
Here's something interesting from 2025: Edexcel Higher grade boundaries showed a major shift, with boundaries for grades 7-9 being 16-17 marks higher than the average since 2017. This suggests the 2025 papers were easier than usual, particularly for stronger students.
Grade boundaries fluctuate year to year based on paper difficulty, so no board is consistently "easier" or "harder." All boards are regulated to the same standard, meaning a grade 7 on AQA is equivalent to a grade 7 on Edexcel or OCR.
Best Resources for Edexcel GCSE Maths
Official Edexcel Resources
Past Papers: Available directly from Pearson Edexcel. You'll find specimen papers, past papers from every series since the 9-1 reform in 2017, and mark schemes.
Specification Document: The official spec tells you exactly what can be tested and at which tier. Essential reading for teachers and useful for students who want to understand the scope of content.
Examiner Reports: These explain what went well and what went poorly in each exam series. Reading these helps you understand common mistakes and what examiners want to see.
Our Edexcel Resources
At SHLC, we provide free Edexcel past papers covering multiple years. These are organised by year and tier, making it easy to find relevant practice material.
We also offer a Mock Exam Marking Service where we mark your Edexcel papers exactly as examiners would, showing where marks are gained and lost.
Third-Party Edexcel Resources
Maths Genie: Particularly strong for Edexcel. They have extensive topic-based questions, past papers, predicted papers, and video solutions. The predicted papers are highly rated by teachers.
Corbett Maths: Excellent video explanations and topic worksheets. Whilst not board-specific, the 5-a-day questions work perfectly for Edexcel students.
Dr Frost Maths: Advanced question bank ideal for students targeting grades 7-9. The questions are challenging and great for building problem-solving skills.
1st Class Maths: Produces predicted papers specifically for Edexcel with accompanying video solutions.
Best Resources for AQA GCSE Maths
Official AQA Resources
Past Papers: Available from AQA's website. AQA provides past papers, mark schemes, and examiner reports for every series since 2017.
Question Bank: AQA offers a searchable question bank called Exampro, though it requires a school login. If your school has access, it's brilliant for targeted topic practice.
Accessibility Principles: AQA highlights that question papers are clearly written and laid out to students, written to a published set of GCSE Maths Accessibility Principles. Understanding these principles helps you see what AQA prioritises in question design.
Our AQA Resources
We provide free AQA past papers spanning multiple exam series, organised by tier and year for easy access.
Our Mock Exam Marking Service works for AQA papers as well, providing detailed feedback on where marks are earned and lost.
Third-Party AQA Resources
Corbett Maths: Produces both Set A and Set B predicted papers specifically for AQA. These are free and widely used by schools.
1st Class Maths: Creates AQA-specific predicted papers with video solutions.
Maths Genie: Whilst stronger for Edexcel, Maths Genie also covers AQA with past paper resources and some topic questions.
PMT (Physics & Maths Tutor): Provides free past papers, mark schemes, and some predicted papers for AQA.
Best Resources for OCR GCSE Maths
Official OCR Resources
Past Papers: Download from OCR's website. OCR provides past papers, mark schemes, and examiner reports dating back to 2017.
Specification: Like the other boards, OCR publishes a detailed specification showing all assessable content by tier.
Teaching Resources: OCR offers some teaching resources and guidance for schools, though these are less extensive than Edexcel's materials.
Third-Party OCR Resources
Corbett Maths: Produces Set A and Set B predicted papers for OCR. These are reliable and free.
Maths Genie: Has some OCR resources, though the selection is smaller than for Edexcel or AQA.
PMT: Provides OCR past papers and mark schemes, all freely downloadable.
Dr Frost Maths: Not board-specific, but the challenging questions work well for OCR students who need to practise interpreting complex problems.
Cross-Board Practice: Why You Should Use Multiple Boards
Here's a strategy that works brilliantly: regardless of which board you're sitting, practise with papers from all three.
Why? Because all exam boards follow the same national curriculum guidelines, ensuring that all students cover the same topics. The mathematical content is identical. Only the presentation differs.
Using papers from all three boards means:
More practice material: You triple your available past papers instantly.
Broader question exposure: You'll see the same concepts tested in different ways, which deepens understanding.
Better exam resilience: If your actual exam includes an unusually worded question, you'll have seen similar phrasings in other boards' papers.
Reduced surprises: You won't be thrown by slight variations in question style because you've encountered multiple approaches.
Many of my top-performing students at SHLC deliberately practise with Edexcel, AQA, and OCR papers regardless of their actual exam board. It works exceptionally well.
Formula Sheets: What's Provided and What You Still Need to Know
The Department for Education and Ofqual confirmed that students taking exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 will not need to memorise the usual formulae for GCSE Maths.
All three boards now provide formula sheets in exams during these years. These sheets include formulas for:
- Circle area and circumference
- Triangle area
- Trapezium area
- Sphere volume and surface area
- Cone volume and surface area
- Cylinder volume and surface area
- Prism volume
- Pythagoras' theorem
- Trigonometric ratios
- Sine and cosine rules
- Quadratic formula
However, students still benefit from memorising these formulas because:
Time: Looking up formulas during an exam wastes precious seconds.
Confidence: Knowing formulas off by heart reduces stress and cognitive load.
Application: Understanding why formulas work matters more than just reading them off a sheet.
The formula sheets are safety nets, not crutches. Aim to know the formulas well enough that you rarely need to check the sheet.
Predicted Papers: Are They Worth Using?
Predicted papers are mock exams created by teachers and tutors to replicate the style and difficulty of upcoming real exams. They're based on topic coverage analysis, recent exam trends, and educated guesses about what might appear.
Quality predicted papers should include a suitable mix of AO1, AO2 and AO3 style questions (recall, reasoning, and problem-solving).
Worth using: Yes, but with caveats.
Predicted papers provide valuable exam practice and help students experience time pressure under realistic conditions. Third Space Learning predicted papers are highly rated, with schools prioritising them over alternatives.
However, predicted papers are still guesses. Use them alongside genuine past papers, not instead of them.
Common Mistakes Students Make With Board-Specific Revision
Mistake 1: Only using resources for their own board
Students limit themselves unnecessarily. All boards test the same content, so papers from other boards are excellent practice.
Mistake 2: Not reading examiner reports
Examiner reports explain what went wrong in each exam series. They're gold mines of information about common mistakes and what examiners want to see.
Mistake 3: Ignoring the specification
The specification document lists everything that can be tested. If it's not in the spec, it won't appear in your exam. Use it to check you've covered everything.
Mistake 4: Assuming one board is easier
All exam boards are regulated to the same standard by Ofqual. A grade 7 is a grade 7 regardless of board. Grade boundaries adjust to maintain this equivalence.
Mistake 5: Not practising non-calculator skills
For Edexcel and AQA students, Paper 1 is always non-calculator. For OCR students, Paper 2 is non-calculator. Students who rely on calculators throughout their revision struggle massively when the non-calculator paper arrives. Dedicate specific time to non-calculator practice regardless of your exam board.
Using Our Resources Across All Boards
At SHLC Tutors, we specialise in GCSE maths across all exam boards. Our resources work regardless of whether you're sitting Edexcel, AQA, or OCR:
Free Past Papers: We provide AQA past papers and Edexcel past papers. Use both regardless of your board.
Mock Marking Service: Our GCSE mock marking service marks papers exactly as examiners would, showing you where marks are earned and lost. This works for any board.
Digital Revision Planner: Our GCSE revision planner helps you track progress across all topics and schedule practice effectively.
Tutoring Support: We provide one-to-one tuition for students on any exam board. Check our main services for details.
For comprehensive resource guidance beyond exam boards, see our guide to the Top 10 GCSE Maths Revision Resources.
Comparison Table: Edexcel vs AQA vs OCR
| Feature | Edexcel | AQA | OCR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question style | Direct, traditional | Contextual, accessible | Wordy, interpretive |
| Question difficulty | Clear, logical | Gradual progression | More complex wording |
| Best for | Step-by-step thinkers | Students needing context | Students who enjoy analysis |
| Past paper availability | Extensive archive | Large selection | Good selection |
| Popularity (GCSE Maths) | Market leader (64%) | Second most popular | Third most popular |
| Real-world context | Moderate | High | Highest |
| Resource ecosystem | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| Specification clarity | Bold for higher tier | Table format | Table format |
Final Recommendations
If you're sitting Edexcel: Use official Edexcel papers as your primary resource, supplement with Maths Genie for topic practice, and add AQA papers for variety.
If you're sitting AQA: Focus on AQA past papers, use Corbett Maths predicted papers, and practise with Edexcel papers to increase question exposure.
If you're sitting OCR: Prioritise official OCR papers, use Dr Frost Maths for challenging problems, and supplement with Edexcel and AQA papers for additional practice.
Regardless of your board: Use all three boards' papers for practice. The content is identical; you're just seeing it presented differently. This makes you a more adaptable, confident problem solver.
Focus on understanding mathematical concepts, practise extensively with past papers from all boards, and familiarise yourself with your specific board's mark scheme language. Do that, and the board differences become almost irrelevant.
The best resource is always proper practice combined with thorough review of mistakes. Use our Mock Marking Service to identify exactly where you're losing marks, then target those areas systematically.
Get the fundamentals right, practise consistently, and the board you're sitting becomes just a detail rather than a defining factor.
— Aadam, SHLC Tutors