Core Pure 1 Reaction + Predictions for CP2: A-Level Further Maths Exams 2025 [Edexcel]

Summary

In this video, Mr. Bison reflects on the Core Pure Math Exam Paper 1, describing it as more challenging than the 2024 paper but easier than the 2023 one. He highlights some tough questions, including one on differential equations and another on improper integrals. He also shares his predictions for Paper 2, suggesting topics like polar integration, proof by induction, and vectors may appear. Mr. Bison offers a revision session to help students prepare for the second paper, promising to cover key topics and providing additional resources. Overall, he reassures students that the exam was a solid test of their knowledge.

Takeaways

• 😀 Mr. Bison found the 2024 Core Pure exam tougher than the previous year, but easier than the 2023 exam.
• 😀 Some questions were particularly challenging, including the first-order differential equation and the improper integral.
• 😀 The last question, blending Demo's theorem with volumes of revolution, stood out as a tough one.
• 😀 According to a poll, 47% of people thought the exam was worse than expected, a significant increase compared to the 2024 exam (19%).
• 😀 37% of respondents said the exam was as expected, and only 16% thought it went better than expected.
• 😀 Mr. Bison predicts that polar integration, roots of polynomials, and series (summation) are likely to appear in the second paper.
• 😀 He also anticipates topics like proof by induction, vectors, coupled differential equations, Maclaurin series, roots of unity, and matrix-related questions.
• 😀 Mr. Bison is offering a £15 Zoom revision session to help students prepare for the second paper.
• 😀 The revision session will last for 3 hours and include additional questions to practice the predicted topics.
• 😀 The recording of the revision session will be available later in the afternoon for those who can't attend live.
• 😀 Mr. Bison encourages students to use the revision session or recording for effective preparation ahead of the second paper.

Q & A

How did the speaker feel about the difficulty of the 2024 Core Pure exam compared to the previous years?

The speaker found the 2024 exam to be tougher than 2023 but easier than 2024, mentioning that there were more challenging questions requiring deeper thinking.

What were the most challenging questions according to the speaker?

The most challenging questions were the first-order differential equation about walking up a hill, the improper integral, and the final question that blended Demo's theorem with volumes of revolution.

Which topics were predicted to appear in the second Core Pure exam?

The speaker predicted that the second paper might include topics such as polar integration, roots of polynomials, series summation, proof by induction, vectors, coupled differential equations, McLaurin series, roots of unity, and matrices.

What was the overall sentiment of the students based on the speaker's poll?

According to the speaker's poll, 47% of students felt that the paper was worse than they expected, 37% thought it was as they expected, and 16% believed it went better than expected.

How did the speaker compare the 2024 exam with the 2023 exam?

The speaker found the 2024 exam to be more manageable compared to the 2023 exam, which was described as one of the most difficult papers the speaker had encountered.

What specific areas of mathematics does the speaker think should be reviewed for the second paper?

The speaker recommends reviewing topics such as proof by induction, vectors, matrices, roots of polynomials, polar integration, series summation, coupled differential equations, and McLaurin series.

What was the general approach of the speaker to help students prepare for the second exam?

The speaker offered a live session on Zoom to help students prepare for the second paper, providing a set of practice questions and a recording for later viewing, emphasizing focused revision on key topics.

What did the speaker say about the difficulty of the differential equations in the 2024 exam?

The speaker found the differential equation questions challenging, particularly the first-order one, which appeared straightforward but had tricky parts, making it more difficult than expected.

How did the speaker recommend students handle their revision for the second exam?

The speaker advised students to attend the live revision session or watch the recording, emphasizing that the session would focus on the predicted topics for the second exam and include a set of additional questions to work through.

What did the speaker say about the method of differences question in the 2024 exam?

The speaker described the method of differences question as relatively straightforward, noting that it was one of the easier questions in the paper.