GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy
This double award is assessed by three written papers, one of them non-calculator, covering number, algebra, geometry and measures, statistics and probability, with Unit 1 given over to financial mathematics in real-world contexts. Literacy matters more than many expect: every paper sets questions in written context and awards two marks for communicating, organising and writing accurately, so learners must read problems closely and explain their working in words. The biggest thing Key Stage 3 should build is solving multi-step worded problems from real contexts, with every step explained and a written conclusion.
- First taught
- September 2025
- Amount of literacy work
- Medium
- Amount of numeracy work
- High
- Specification
- Open the WJEC specification (PDF)
How this GCSE is assessed
- Unit 1: Financial Mathematics and Other Applications of Numeracy: Written examination, Higher Tier 1 hour 45 minutes (80 marks), Foundation Tier 1 hour 30 minutes (65 marks), 30%, calculator allowed
- Unit 2: Non-calculator: Written examination, Higher Tier 1 hour 45 minutes (80 marks), Foundation Tier 1 hour 30 minutes (65 marks), 30%, calculator not allowed
- Unit 3: Calculator-allowed: Written examination, Higher Tier 2 hours (90 marks), Foundation Tier 1 hour 45 minutes (75 marks), 40%, calculator allowed
Skills that use Collecting data
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Planning an enquiry and collecting data
Units 1 and 3 require the statistical problem-solving process: learners specify and test hypotheses, design and criticise questionnaire questions for fairness and bias, choose sampling methods and consider how sample size affects reliability.
Numeracy: Collecting data
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils pose a question about their year group, such as how pupils travel to school, and collect the answers in a tally chart and frequency table.
- Year 8
- Pupils design a short questionnaire on school meals, then critique each other's questions for leading wording, overlapping answer boxes and bias.
- Year 9
- Pupils test a hypothesis such as 'Year 9 pupils sleep less than Year 7 pupils', choosing a random or stratified sample and explaining how sample size affects reliability.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Units 1 and 3, Section 4.1, pages 40 to 41
“design and criticise questions for a questionnaire, including notions of fairness and bias”
Progression step 3
I can collect relevant data to answer posed questions.
Progression step 4
I can collect own data for a survey, e.g. through designing a questionnaire.
I can plan how to collect data to test a simple hypotheses.
I can collect both quantitative and qualitative data.
Progression step 5
I can collect data in a suitable way according to my hypothesis.
Good to know
- Unit 1 allows a calculator: 'A calculator will be allowed in this paper.' (page 5).
- Unit 2 is non-calculator: 'A calculator will not be allowed in this paper.' It holds all probability and much of the geometry (pages 5 and 10).
- Unit 3 allows a calculator and holds most of the data handling and measures content (pages 5 and 10).
- Two marks on each paper, at each tier, are for 'communicating, organising and writing accurately', six marks across the qualification, 'in addition to the marks allocated to the mathematics'. One mark is for communicating and organising, one for writing accurately, and the questions are clearly indicated on the paper (page 51).
- Writing accurately means learners 'show all their working', 'use correct mathematical form in their working' and 'use appropriate terminology, units, etc.' (page 51).
- Calculators must not offer language translators or hold stored dictionaries, formulas or text, and must not be borrowed from another candidate during the examination (page 52).
- Units 1 and 3 have a formula list at the start of the paper; Unit 2 has none. The Foundation Tier lists give only the area of a trapezium and the volume of a prism, so all other formulae must be recalled (pages 52 to 55).
- Metric to imperial equivalences 'will be given to learners' (Section 3.5.7, page 35), and compasses 'will be required' for some constructions and loci in Unit 3 (Section 3.2.2, page 30).
- There is no NEA. All assessment is by written examination, tiered Higher (grades A* to D) and Foundation (grades C to G), and learners may be entered at different tiers across units (pages 6 and 59).
Links with other GCSEs
The finance, percentage, compound measure and statistics content overlaps heavily with Business, Geography, Social Studies and The Sciences, so agreeing shared methods for percentages, graphs and units with those departments will reinforce Key Stage 3 teaching.
Source: WJEC GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy (Double Award) Specification, for teaching from September 2025, Version 5, September 2025.