Why students who understand Maths still lose GCSE marks

Some students understand every topic in class, then feel disappointed with their mock result. Usually the marks are lost in small, fixable ways.

1. No working shown

GCSE Maths gives method marks. A wrong final answer with clear working can still score most of the marks. A wrong answer with no working scores nothing. Write every step.

2. Misreading the question

"Give your answer to 2 decimal places", "in its simplest form", "show that", "in cm²". Underline these words before starting, and check them again at the end.

3. Rounding too early

Keep full values on the calculator until the last step, then round once.

4. Calculator slips

Know the calculator well: brackets, fractions, powers, and degrees mode for trigonometry. Do a quick estimate to check the answer is sensible.

5. Running out of time

Do not spend five minutes on one question. Leave it, move on, and come back. Timed practice papers build this habit.

6. Not learning from mistakes

After every paper, sort each lost mark into "did not know it" or "careless". The first needs teaching; the second needs better checking. Keep a list and review it before the next paper.