Who chooses the board?
Each board publishes its own GCSE Maths specification, which is the official document describing what is examined and how. Ask your maths department which specification you are following before you rely on anything below. This page explains what the documents say; it is not a guide to picking between them.
What the three boards share
All three describe the same overall shape: three written papers of 1 hour 30 minutes each, sat at either Foundation or Higher tier, with all three papers at the same tier. Each paper counts for an equal third of the qualification. AQA and Pearson Edexcel organise the content under the same six headings: number, algebra, ratio, proportion and rates of change, geometry and measures, probability, and statistics. Topics from across the course can appear on any paper, so there is no paper reserved for one area.
Where the documents differ
Mark totals are the clearest difference. AQA and Pearson Edexcel give each paper 80 marks, while OCR gives each paper 100. Because every paper is worth a third either way, the percentage weighting looks identical in all three columns; only the size of the raw total changes.
Calculator order is the second difference to notice. AQA and Pearson Edexcel put the non-calculator paper first. OCR puts it second, between two calculator papers. If you practise past papers in order, check which rule applies to the paper in front of you so that your timed practice matches the real conditions.
Tier wording is also presented differently. AQA and Pearson Edexcel list grade ranges from low to high, whereas OCR writes them from high to low. They are describing the same Foundation and Higher split.
Foundation and Higher tier
Ask your school which tier you are entered for. AQA and Pearson Edexcel state that all three papers must be taken at the same tier and in the same exam series. Grade ranges for the two tiers overlap at 4 and 5, which is why the tier matters when you choose which papers to practise: Foundation and Higher papers are different documents, even when the content headings match.
| What is compared | AQA 8300 1, 2, 3 | Pearson Edexcel 1MA1 4, 5 | OCR J560 6, 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papers | 3 written papers | 3 written papers | 3 written papers |
| Length of each paper | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Marks per paper | 80 | 80 | 100 |
| Total marks | 240 (3 × 80) | 240 (3 × 80) | 300 (3 × 100) |
| Weighting | Equal: 33⅓% each | Equal: 33.33% each | Equal: 33⅓% each |
| Calculator rules | Paper 1 non-calculator; Papers 2 and 3 calculator allowed | Paper 1 non-calculator; Papers 2 and 3 calculator allowed | Paper 1 calculator; Paper 2 non-calculator; Paper 3 calculator |
| Tiers | Foundation (grades 1 to 5) or Higher (grades 4 to 9); all three papers at one tier | Foundation (grades 1 to 5) or Higher (grades 4 to 9, with grade 3 allowed); all three papers at one tier | Foundation (grades 5 to 1) or Higher (grades 9 to 4); papers 1 to 3 are Foundation, 4 to 6 Higher |
| Content per paper | Any part of the specification may be assessed | Content for the tier is assessed across all three papers | All content may be assessed on calculator or non-calculator papers |
Last checked: 28 October 2026.
Reading the table
Every cell was taken from the board’s own pages and PDF, which are listed under Sources, with the numbers in each column heading pointing to them. Specifications can be reissued, so the date we last looked is shown below the table. If anything seems to conflict with what your school has told you, the school and the board’s current document come first.
Using the differences in your revision
Paper length and calculator rules shape how you rehearse. Set a timer for 90 minutes and keep your calculator in your bag for a non-calculator paper. Work from your own board’s papers wherever you can: the free past papers finder points you to where each board publishes them. A tutor can help you plan which papers to attempt and in what order, and go through your answers with you.
Official specification pages
Go straight to the source: AQA GCSE Mathematics (8300), Pearson Edexcel GCSE Mathematics (2015) and OCR GCSE Maths (J560).
Part of the GCSE Maths revision set: the revision guide, glossary of key terms and self-marking quiz.