What actually comes up — one exam at a time, from our own classification of every question in the published papers.
Revision advice is usually generic because the people giving it have not counted anything. These pages are the opposite: we take an exam, classify every question in the papers that have already been sat, and publish what the distribution actually looks like — including the parts that suggest you should spend less time somewhere.
Each page shows its method in full: which papers, which years, and how questions were assigned. None of it predicts a future paper. It tells you where the marks have historically been, which is a better basis for prioritising than instinct.
Every question in the published TMUA papers, 2016–2023: 320 questions across 16 papers. Paper 2 turns out to be 43.8% pure reasoning — a share that has been rising — while Paper 1 concentrates 64.4% of its questions into just four topics. Full topic and subtopic tables for both papers.
The five reasoning skills Paper 2 actually tests — necessary vs sufficient conditions, implication vs the converse, negating quantifiers, choosing a proof method, and finding the exact step where a proof fails — each explained with a full worked example, sourced from the official specification.
Edexcel Further Maths is Core Pure Mathematics 1 & 2 (compulsory) plus two of four option pairs: Further Pure Mathematics, Further Statistics, Further Mechanics and Decision Mathematics. We classified every mark across all ten papers from the published 2019–2025 series — 5,263 marks, 1,536 questions, 70 papers in total — split so each paper's shares reflect only the paper a candidate actually sits, never a blend across option papers nobody takes together.
| Paper | Marks | Questions | Largest subtopic | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Pure 1 | 533 | 162 | First-order differential equations | 13.5% |
| Core Pure 2 | 530 | 154 | Argand Diagrams | 11.9% |
| Further Pure 1 | 525 | 139 | Conic Sections | 20.2% |
| Further Pure 2 | 525 | 160 | Congruences | 14.3% |
| Further Statistics 1 | 525 | 174 | Discrete distributions | 30.5% |
| Further Statistics 2 | 525 | 161 | Tests on Variance | 16.0% |
| Further Mechanics 1 | 525 | 115 | Oblique Impact | 37.1% |
| Further Mechanics 2 | 525 | 127 | Centre of Mass by Integration | 24.2% |
| Decision Mathematics 1 | 525 | 179 | Optimization | 29.7% |
| Decision Mathematics 2 | 525 | 165 | Mixed Strategies | 19.4% |
If you are still choosing your two option pairs, book a free meeting and we will talk it through against your own strengths — the choice affects two years of lessons, and it is worth five minutes of advice.
Compulsory for every Further Maths candidate. Complex numbers, matrices, further algebra, hyperbolic functions, further calculus and first-look differential equations. First-order differential equations are 13.5% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
Compulsory for every Further Maths candidate. Builds on Core Pure 1: further complex numbers, further matrices, polar coordinates, and second order differential equations. Argand Diagrams is 11.9% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
One of four option pairs. Conic sections, further vectors, inequalities, further numerical methods and further trigonometry. Conic Sections is 20.2% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
One of four option pairs. Groups, further matrix algebra, further complex numbers, number theory and further sequences and series. Congruences is 14.3% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
One of four option pairs. Discrete probability distributions, probability generating functions, hypothesis testing and quality of tests. Discrete distributions are 30.5% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
One of four option pairs. Linear regression, continuous probability distributions, correlation, combinations of random variables and further hypothesis tests. Tests on Variance is 16.0% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
One of four option pairs. Momentum and impulse, work, energy and power, elastic strings and springs, and elastic collisions. Oblique Impact is 37.1% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
One of four option pairs. Motion in a circle, centres of mass, further dynamics and further kinematics. Centre of Mass by Integration is 24.2% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
One of four option pairs. Algorithms and graph theory, algorithms on graphs, critical path analysis and linear programming. Optimization is 29.7% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
One of four option pairs. Transportation problems, allocation problems, flows in networks, dynamic programming and game theory. Mixed Strategies is 19.4% of the marks — the largest single subtopic.
More exams are being added. For topic frequency across GCSE, A-Level and IB papers board by board, see the topic priority calculator. If you are switching tests this cycle, we also cover what changed when Oxford retired the MAT for the TMUA.
The harder half is knowing where you stand against it — and having someone turn that into a plan with an order and a deadline.
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