The mathematics entrance exam at 16+ is taken in November for entry to study A Levels in the following September.
The content of the exam is the Edexcel IGCSE syllabus but does not include the topics of arithmetic series and differentiation. The emphasis is on number and algebra skills. The test for entry in September 2026 onwards will be non-calculator.
When you
apply to St Paul’s, we need to know whether you intend to take single
mathematics A Level or further mathematics A Level.
Pupils who
do well on the entrance papers across all their chosen subjects are invited for
interview. Interviews are taken by subject specialists at St Paul’s School and
last 20-30 mins. The aims of the interview are to:
- gauge your ability to apply the GCSE mathematics skills in unfamiliar questions.
- to understand your reasons for choosing the subject.
- to investigate the additional problem-solving skills you have developed through classes and your independent studies.
We realise
that not all schools offer additional problem-solving clubs but there is a huge
amount of online material on offer and we want to know what you have
discovered.
Here are
some questions that have been set in previous years to give you a flavour of
the level of questions that we set:
There are a number of things you can do to develop your problem-solving
skills.
The last 5
questions of GCSE and IGCSE papers are certainly worth practising. They have
become more challenging over the last few years and have little or no
scaffolding. You have to develop the solution yourself devising a series of
stages that lead you to the answer. It is not always obvious where to start.
Have a look at the questions set by the UKMT
for the Intermediate and Senior Mathematical Challenges. The skills required
for the challenging questions at the end of the papers use standard number,
algebra and geometry skills. However, initially it will not be easy to work out
how to apply the skills. With practice, and some guidance from your mathematics
teacher, you will gradually improve until you are confidently tackling the
majority of the questions.
Encourage your school to enter you for these
challenges. You could even start your own mathematics club where similar minded
pupils can share ideas to solve the problems.
- Mr Ashworth Jones
Head of Mathematics