November 2025 Maths and Statistics Update
November’s here and that means mocks and resits are in full swing. Whether your learners are sitting GCSE or IGCSE Maths exams or tackling mocks, we’re wishing them all the best.
To help you get the most from your mock analysis, we’ve got a range of resources ready to support you.
👇 Click the shortcuts below to dive in.
Teaching A Level Maths or Further Maths? There’s a new group just for you!
It’s a space to share ideas and resources, get support with tricky topics and connect with other A Level teachers
This month includes QLA resources to support mock analysis, guidance on using exemplar materials, and a range of training events including support for grade 8/9 learners and marking guidance networks for GCSE Statistics and A Level Maths.
Our Enhanced Question Level Analysis (QLA) spreadsheets are designed to save teachers time while giving students the kind of feedback that really sticks.
These Excel tools break down student performance question by question, showing:
- Overall marks and grade for each paper
- Topics they’ve nailed
- Areas that need a bit more work
Each student gets a personalised feedback sheet, with space for teacher comments, perfect for sharing with students and parents.
📊 Real exam benchmarks
Students can see how their performance stacks up against the actual marks achieved by students at each grade in the real exams. That means clearer targets and more motivation to improve.
Smarter planning for teachers
The teacher overview shows class-wide performance with grade counts and target comparisons to help you quickly see where students are at. The summary at question level helps you spot common gaps to plan for effective follow-up teaching and revision.
Enhanced QLAs are available for our UK maths and statistics qualifications on the Maths Emporium.
Our Exemplar Materials are powerpoint presentations that look at a selection of
questions from the Summer 2025 examinations and are available for each of our maths and statistics qualifications.
They show real student responses to selected questions and how the examining team applied the mark schemes to demonstrate how the students were awarded marks on these questions.
How could you use the exemplar materials in your departmental CPD?
Below is one suggestion of how you could use the exemplars to deepen understanding of the mark schemes and prompt meaningful discussions.
Session 1 – Collaborative Modelling & Marking
Create and mark model answers together using the official mark schemes. Try out alternative methods, compare how they’re marked, and discuss any surprises or uncertainties. Reflect on how this shapes your teaching and how you model exam technique for students.
Session 2 - Marking Real Student Responses & Standardising
Mark the exemplar student answers using the official mark scheme, compare reasoning as a team, then review the actual marks and examiner notes. Discuss ways to improve consistency and quality of marking across your department.
Session 3 – Post-Mocks Analysis
Use QLA to spot strengths and gaps after mocks. Review student responses, especially near misses, and share examples that stood out. Discuss how exemplars help students understand mark schemes, improve communication, and refine their working.
You can find Exemplar Materials on the qualification pages under Teaching and Learning Materials and on the Maths Emporium within the Examiner Reports and Exemplars cabinet for each qualification.
Find out when you can expect our resources, support and free online training networks following the November 2025 exams.
Exemplar Materials and Shadow Papers for the June 2025 exams are now available!
We’ve just launched a brand-new set of Decision Maths walkthroughs, created by our Senior Examiners to help students master exam technique and build confidence in key topics.
Each walkthrough breaks down a core question with clear, step-by-step guidance, perfect for helping learners understand how to tackle tricky areas and improve their performance.
Access the videos via the Maths Emporium
This is a trial run, and we’re planning to add more over the coming weeks. But we’d love to hear what you think! Let us know how your students are using them, what’s working, and what you’d like to see next.
Exciting news for teachers of 9ST0 Statistics!
New topic tests for:
- Errors of Power
- Goodness of Fit
will be released on the Maths Emporium on Monday 3 November.
We've also released Summer 2024 Worked Solutions on the quals site.
A fab resource for supporting your independent learners!
Want to help your top students tackle the toughest questions with confidence?
This training session is all about unlocking strategies to support high-attaining learners in accessing the most challenging problem-solving questions targeting grades 8 and 9.
What you’ll explore:
🔍 Key past paper questions that differentiated Grade 9
🧠 Tricky topics like similarity, geometrical proof and vectors
💡 Quick-win teaching tips to boost resilience and reasoning
📚 Stretch activities and resources for top-end challenge
📅 Tuesday 18th November 2025 at 🕓 4:00 PM (GMT)
Want to feel more confident marking GCSE Statistics papers?
Join our free online session led by Mel Muldowney from JustMaths, a trusted specialist who knows the ins and outs of Pearson Edexcel GCSE Statistics.
What you'll gain:
- A look at real student responses from the Summer 2025 exam series
- Clear guidance on how marks are awarded and when you can award them
- A better understanding of marking principles to support your teaching and feedback
📅 Tuesday 4th November 2025 at 🕓 4:00 PM (GMT)
Want to sharpen your understanding of how A Level Maths exams are marked?
Join our free online session designed to support teachers delivering Pearson Edexcel A Level Maths, with expert guidance based on the 2025 exam series.
What you’ll gain:
- A clear look at the mark scheme structure and how marks are awarded
- Real student responses to help you understand what examiners are looking for
- Practical insights to support your teaching and feedback
📅 Wednesday 12th November 2025 at 🕓 4:00 PM (GMT)
Join us for a free one-hour CPD session led by experienced examiner and author Dr Ali Everett. This training dives into the summer 2025 exam series, offering practical insights and strategies to support your teaching.
What you’ll explore:
- Key trends in candidate performance
- Highlights from the examiner reports
- Annotated exemplars to unpack common challenges
- Teaching strategies to boost learner outcomes
Dr Everett brings over a decade of experience and is the lead author of the Pearson Scheme of Work for A Level Statistics. Expect a session packed with useful takeaways and expert guidance.
📅 Thursday 6th November 2025 at 🕓 4:00 PM (GMT)
If you're stepping into a Head of Department role, or thinking about it, this course is designed just for you.
This series of 3 paid-for CPD sessions provides a comprehensive package to support new and aspiring Heads of Department for maths. The sessions are written and presented by Naomi Bartholomew-Millar.
Session 1: Managing Staff - Tuesday 11 November 16:00-17:30
Session 2: Planning the Curriculum - Tuesday 13 January 16:00-17:30
Session 3: Managing an Exam Series - Thursday 12 February 16:00-17:30
For full details and to book your place, head to the PD Academy
Got a question about Functional Skills?
Starting in November, we’re launching monthly drop-in clinics to support centres and answer your questions. Join us on the second Thursday of every month from 4–5pm to connect with Pearson experts, share practice, and get advice.
📍 First session: 13th November – we’ll be focusing on Internal Verification and Assessment for Entry Level Functional Skills Maths.
📢 Level 2 Extended Maths Certificate – Issue 2 Spec and SAMs Now Live
We’ve just uploaded Issue 2 of the Specification and Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs) for the Level 2 Extended Maths Certificate to the qualification website.
What’s new?
SAMs: The question papers and mark schemes have been refined for clarity. You’ll find a handy summary of changes table at the start of the SAMs to guide you through the updates.
Specification: The Trapezium Rule has been added to Appendix 1 the list of formulae provided to students.
Take a look at the updated documents to support your planning and teaching.
Need tailored support or want to talk through something specific?
You can book a 1:1 meeting with me at a time that suits you. Just head to the booking page, choose your preferred date and time, and you'll receive a calendar invitation and meeting link.
Ever thought about becoming an examiner? Now’s the perfect time to take that step.
✅ Why apply?
- Boost your understanding of the assessment process
- Sharpen your teaching by seeing how students tackle real exam questions
- Get paid for your expertise
Applications are open now for GCSE Maths examiners.
Correction: The entry deadline for international centres is 21 March 2026
You can find full information on international centre entry deadlines for all qualifications on our website using the link below.
Entries: Entry Deadlines (International Centres)
Lastly, make sure you're following us on socials to keep up to date with the latest news about our qualifications and services 👇
Please do contact us using the links below if there is anything you would like support with.
Subject advisor
Vicky Wood
Mathematics and Statistics - UK centres
