AQA vs Edexcel vs OCR GCSE Maths: Differences
One of the questions I hear most from parents: “My child's friend at another school says their maths exam is different. Is one board easier?” The short answer is no. The longer answer is that AQA vs Edexcel vs OCR GCSE maths differ in structure and question style, but test the same content at the same standard, and a grade 7 on any board is worth exactly the same as a grade 7 on any other.
Your child cannot choose their exam board. The school decides. But understanding the differences helps you buy the right revision guides, download the right past papers, and know what to expect when your child describes their exam experience. This guide covers every meaningful difference, verified against the official specifications.
Why Are There Three Exam Boards?
England has three main exam boards for GCSE Maths: AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance), Edexcel (part of Pearson), and OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA). Each is regulated by Ofqual, which ensures that all qualifications are of equivalent standard.
AQA is the largest exam board in England, used by over half of all GCSE entries. It is a registered charity. Edexcel, part of Pearson plc (the world's largest education company), also offers International GCSEs for overseas learners. OCR, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, is the third most popular for GCSE Maths and is well-known for its Computer Science and PE specifications.
Schools choose one board for each subject. Your child cannot opt for a different board, and switching mid-course is extremely rare. What matters for parents is understanding which board your child sits so you can provide the right resources.
If your child's friend at another school describes a different exam experience, it is almost certainly because they sit a different board. The content is the same; the structure and question style differ. Neither is easier. Ofqual ensures a grade on one board is worth the same as a grade on any other.
Exam Structure Comparison
All three boards use three written papers, each lasting 1 hour 30 minutes. There is no coursework on any board. The entire grade comes from exam performance. But the marks and calculator arrangement differ.
| AQA (8300) | Edexcel (1MA1) | OCR (J560) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papers | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Duration each | 1h 30m | 1h 30m | 1h 30m |
| Marks per paper | 80 | 80 | 100 |
| Total marks | 240 | 240 | 300 |
| Non-calculator | Paper 1 (first) | Paper 1 (first) | Paper 2/5 (middle) |
| Calculator papers | Papers 2 & 3 | Papers 2 & 3 | Papers 1/4 & 3/6 |
| Foundation grades | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–5 |
| Higher grades | 4–9 | 4–9 | 4–9 |
All three boards use three papers at 1h 30m each. The key differences are total marks and non-calculator placement.
Total Marks: 240 vs 300
The most visible structural difference is marks. AQA and Edexcel both use 80 marks per paper (240 total). OCR uses 100 marks per paper (300 total). OCR deliberately chose higher marks to allow more method marks within questions, meaning students can be rewarded for each correct step even if they do not reach the final answer.
This does not make OCR easier. Grade boundaries adjust proportionally. Achieving a grade 7 on OCR requires roughly the same mathematical ability as achieving a grade 7 on AQA or Edexcel. The extra marks simply allow more granular assessment.
Non-Calculator Paper Placement
This is a difference that catches students off-guard if they compare notes with friends on other boards. On AQA and Edexcel, the first paper is non-calculator. Students start the exam series without a calculator. On OCR, the middle paper is non-calculator. OCR students start with a calculator.
In 2026, all three boards sit on the same dates. On 14 May 2026, AQA and Edexcel students will sit their non-calculator paper while OCR students sit their first calculator paper. If your child has friends at a different school, they may come out of the exam describing completely different experiences. That is normal.
OCR numbers its Foundation papers 1, 2, 3 and its Higher papers 4, 5, 6. AQA and Edexcel use the same paper numbers for both tiers. This is a labelling difference only; it does not affect the exam content or structure.
Formula Provision
For 2026 and 2027, all three boards provide a formulae sheet (called an “Exam Aid”) as decided by the DfE and Ofqual. However, the delivery differs slightly:
AQA & Edexcel
- •Standalone formulae sheet provided as a printed insert
- •Sheet covers key formulae for both tiers
- •Students receive it at the start of the exam
OCR
- •Formulae historically embedded directly into questions when relevant
- •Now also receives the standard Exam Aid insert
- •OCR students effectively get both approaches
Regardless of board, your child should still memorise the core formulae (circle area, Pythagoras, trig ratios). Having them on a sheet is a safety net, not a substitute for fluency. Students who rely entirely on the formulae sheet lose time looking things up under exam pressure. For the full list of what must be memorised vs what is provided, see our detailed specification guides: AQA specification summary, Edexcel specification summary, and OCR specification summary.
Same Content, Same Weighting
This is the most important thing for parents to understand: all three boards test identical curriculum content. The Department for Education prescribes the same GCSE Maths content for every board. The six topic areas are the same everywhere:
| Topic Area | Foundation Weight | Higher Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Number | ~25% | ~15% |
| Algebra | ~20% | ~30% |
| Ratio, Proportion & Rates of Change | ~25% | ~20% |
| Geometry & Measures | ~15% | ~20% |
| Probability | ~15% (combined) | ~15% (combined) |
| Statistics | with Probability | with Probability |
Topic weightings are prescribed by Ofqual and are identical across AQA, Edexcel, and OCR.
Ofqual also mandates the same assessment objective weightings across all boards. On Foundation, roughly 50% of marks test standard techniques (AO1), 25% reasoning (AO2), and 25% problem-solving (AO3). On Higher, it shifts to approximately 40/30/30. No board can deviate from these proportions.
This means no board tests “harder” content. They all test the same curriculum, with the same balance of question types. The difference lies entirely in how the questions are written and presented.
Question Style: The Real Difference
If the content and weightings are identical, what actually differs? Question style. This is where the boards have genuine personality, though these are generalised perceptions based on years of teacher feedback and student experience.
Grade Boundaries Compared
Grade boundaries change every year based on paper difficulty and cohort performance. The table below shows June 2025 Higher tier boundaries for comparison.
| Grade | AQA (out of 240) | Edexcel (out of 240) | OCR (out of 300) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 199 (83%) | 191 (80%) | 258 (86%) |
| Grade 7 | 130 (54%) | 134 (56%) | 166 (55%) |
| Grade 4 | 47 (20%) | 49 (20%) | 47 (16%) |
June 2025 Higher tier boundaries. Percentages are NOT directly comparable across boards.
It is tempting to look at those grade boundaries and conclude that one board is “easier.” That is a mistake. Different papers with different questions produce different boundary percentages. A harder paper produces lower boundaries. The percentage tells you about that specific paper's difficulty in that year, not about the board overall. Ofqual ensures that the same ability produces the same grade on every board.
For a deeper dive into how grade boundaries work, including historical trends and what they mean for your child, see our guide to GCSE grade boundaries explained.
2026 Exam Dates
For the first time in several years, all three boards have synchronised their GCSE maths exam dates completely. Every student in England sits the same paper number on the same day, regardless of board.
| Date | Session | AQA | Edexcel | OCR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 14 May 2026 | Morning | Paper 1 (non-calc) | Paper 1 (non-calc) | Paper 1/4 (calc) |
| Wed 3 June 2026 | Morning | Paper 2 (calc) | Paper 2 (calc) | Paper 2/5 (non-calc) |
| Wed 10 June 2026 | Morning | Paper 3 (calc) | Paper 3 (calc) | Paper 3/6 (calc) |
All three boards sit on the same dates. Note: AQA/Edexcel start non-calculator, OCR starts with calculator.
How to Find Your Child's Board
Many parents do not know which board their child sits until surprisingly late. Here are four ways to find out:
Ask their maths teacher
The simplest and most reliable method. Teachers know exactly which board and tier your child is entered for. Most will also tell you whether the tier choice is final or still under review.
Check a mock paper or past paper
If your child has brought home any practice papers, the board name and specification code (8300, 1MA1, or J560) will be printed on the front cover. This is a quick way to confirm.
Check the school website
Many schools list their exam board choices under a “curriculum” or “exams information” section. Some even provide direct links to the specification documents.
Look at your child’s exercise book
Some schools note the specification code on exercise books, revision checklists, or homework booklets. Look for “8300,” “1MA1,” or “J560.”
Once you know the board, you can find the exact specification, past papers, and mark schemes on the board's website. For a detailed breakdown of each specification, see our individual guides:
AQA (8300)
- •Read our full AQA specification summary
- •Download past papers from aqa.org.uk
Edexcel (1MA1)
- •Read our full Edexcel specification summary
- •Download past papers from qualifications.pearson.com
OCR (J560)
- •Read our full OCR specification summary
- •Download past papers from ocr.org.uk
For the detailed specification breakdowns: AQA GCSE Maths specification summary | Edexcel GCSE Maths specification summary | OCR GCSE Maths specification summary.
Why It Matters for Revision
Understanding which board your child sits has direct, practical implications for revision. Using the wrong board's resources wastes time on unfamiliar question styles.
Past papers must match the board
Practising AQA papers when your child sits Edexcel means they encounter different question styles, different mark allocations, and potentially different emphasis. Always use papers from the correct board.
Revision guides should match too
CGP, Collins, and other publishers produce board-specific editions. The generic “GCSE Maths” revision guide may cover the content, but it won’t match the style. Board-specific guides include questions that mirror the actual exam format.
Online resources are organised by board
Maths Genie, Save My Exams, and Physics & Maths Tutor all organise their question banks by exam board. Our own GCSE maths practice questions are organised by board and topic for exactly this reason.
Mark schemes differ between boards
Even for the same mathematical content, boards allocate method marks differently. Understanding your board’s mark scheme helps your child maximise partial marks on questions they find difficult.
For core revision, stick to your child's own board. Once they have exhausted those past papers (which is unlikely, each board has years of papers available), doing papers from another board can provide useful extra practice. But the priority should always be familiarity with their board's style.
What Parents Should Not Worry About
I want to be direct about three concerns I hear from parents repeatedly, because they cause unnecessary anxiety.
“Is my child’s board harder?”
No. Ofqual exists specifically to prevent this. Grade boundaries adjust every year so that the same mathematical ability produces the same grade regardless of board. If one board sets a harder paper, its boundaries drop. The system self-corrects.
“Should we switch boards?”
This is the school’s decision. Switching mid-course is extremely rare and almost always disruptive. Your child’s teachers have planned their entire course around the chosen board. Trust that decision and focus on mastering the content.
“Will universities care which board?”
No. Universities treat all boards identically. A grade 7 is a grade 7, whether it was awarded by AQA, Edexcel, or OCR. The same applies to sixth form entry requirements, apprenticeship applications, and employer expectations.
The things that do matter: knowing which board your child sits, using the right past papers, buying board-specific revision guides, and understanding whether they are on Foundation or Higher tier. For more on that tier choice, see our guide to Foundation vs Higher tier.
Your child's exam board is decided by their school. A grade 7 on any board is worth the same as a grade 7 on any other. The differences between AQA, Edexcel, and OCR are in structure and question style, not in standard. Focus your energy on the right past papers, the right revision guides, and helping your child master the content, not on worrying about which board they sit.
