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Guidance

Core maths qualifications: technical guidance

The purpose and characteristics of core maths qualifications for 16- to 19-year-olds who do not progress to AS/A level maths.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
7 July 2014
Last updated:
5 April 2022
Show all updates

  1. Removed 'NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics for Everyday Life' from the list of approved qualifications.

  2. Updated to remove City and Guilds Level 3 Certificates in Using and Applying Mathematics from the list of approved qualifications.

  3. Paragraph amended on page 4 of 'Core maths qualifications: technical guidance' to clarify the distinction between core maths and AS and A levels.

  4. Updated core maths qualifications and added Ofqual numbers for each.

  5. List of approved core maths qualifications added.

  6. Updated document to use the new GCSE grading system, and to remove Ofqual's main involvement in the assessment of new core maths qualifications.

  7. Updated the document's sections on scope, background and process, as well as adding revised deadlines for the 2018 performance tables.

  8. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Core maths qualifications: technical guidance

Ref: DFE-00240-2018

PDF, 212 KB, 15 pages

Details

This technical guidance is for awarding organisations. It sets out the requirements that core maths qualifications must meet to be included in the 2020 performance tables.

Approved core maths qualifications

There are 4 approved qualifications, details of each can be found on the awarding organisations’ webpage for the qualification:

The following qualifications have been discontinued:

  • City and Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Using and Applying Mathematics (601/4708/8)
  • NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics for Everyday Life (603/3437/X)

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