An A level maths formula booklet gives you selected formulae to refer to during your exams. It does not include everything you need to know, so revision also involves learning which results to recall yourself.
Before downloading a copy, check which exam board you are studying with. Pearson Edexcel and AQA provide separate booklets, while OCR prints its supplied formulae inside the question papers. That difference matters when choosing the resource to practise with.
For everyday numeracy alongside separate exam study, Learnera’s Functional Skills Maths – Level 2 covers practical calculations and data interpretation. This CPD course supports learning but does not award a regulated Functional Skills qualification. It serves a different purpose from A level preparation.
Key Points
- Match your resource to your exam board and qualification code before using it.
- Separate the formulae provided in examinations from those you need to know independently.
- Practise selecting and applying formulae rather than simply finding them on the page.
Where Can You Find The Right A Level Maths Formula Booklet?
Find your formula resource through your exam board’s official website using your qualification code. Start with your course documents or ask your teacher for that code. A familiar logo alone will not distinguish standard A level from Further Maths or International A level.
For the qualifications below, check these details before downloading anything
Pearson’s document includes separate sections for several qualifications, so check the heading above each formula list. Having the correct PDF does not mean every page belongs to your syllabus. For OCR revision, use the formula pages in official papers alongside the relevant specification.
What Does The A Level Maths Formula Booklet Include?
The booklet provides selected mathematical results rather than a complete set of revision notes. Its contents depend on your board and qualification. For standard Edexcel and AQA Maths, examples include series sums and constant-acceleration equations.
Pure Mathematics material also includes compound-angle identities and small-angle approximations. You will find selected calculus results alongside numerical methods such as Newton–Raphson iteration and the trapezium rule. These expressions give you something to refer to, but they do not explain the whole method.
For example, finding a geometric series formula leaves several decisions to you. You still need to identify the first term and common ratio correctly. Before using an infinite sum, check the condition printed beside it. Reading that condition matters just as much as substituting the numbers.
Which Formulae Do You Still Need To Know?
You still need to know the results your specification identifies as expected knowledge without supplied formulae. For Edexcel 9MA0, these include the quadratic formula and standard laws of logarithms. The sine and cosine rules also belong in your recall practice.
Avoid treating a whole topic as either “provided” or “not provided”. Pearson supplies the change-of-base formula for logarithms, but expects you to know the logarithm laws. Similarly, series sum formulae appear in the booklet while general terms remain expected knowledge. These distinctions help you build a useful revision list.
Keep that list focused on results you cannot yet recall or use reliably. Test yourself by writing a formula from memory before answering a related question. Compare your attempt with the specification afterwards. This checks both your recall and whether you understand the symbols.
Can You Take Your Own Formula Booklet Into The Exam?
For Edexcel examinations, you cannot take your own formula booklet; a clean copy is supplied. Leave personal copies containing notes or highlighting with your revision materials. Pearson also states that its examination booklet must not be marked or removed from the examination room.
These instructions appear in the official Pearson Mathematical Formulae and Statistical Tables booklet. Keep your working in the answer booklet rather than adding it beside a supplied formula. For other boards, follow their examination instructions and your centre’s arrangements. Do not assume permission applies across every resource.
Calculator rules need a separate check too. Pearson permits calculators in all standard 9MA0 papers, including Paper 1. However, the calculator must meet the examination requirements. Having a permitted calculator does not remove the need to show your mathematical working.
How Should You Use The Formula Booklet During Revision?
Use the official formula resource alongside timed questions to practise choosing and applying the right expression. Start with a topic you have already studied. Work through a question using a clean copy without your usual notes.
Use that difficulty to choose your next practice task. For example, an algebra mistake needs different attention from forgotten notation. Revisit the question afterwards and check whether you can complete the troublesome step independently.
Put Your Formula Resource To Work
Choose one past-paper question for your next study session. Before calculating, write down what you know and what you need to find. Then decide whether a supplied formula helps connect them.
After marking your answer, record one specific point to practise next. Keep the task manageable: rearranging an equation or interpreting a condition gives your next session a clear purpose. Build your revision around those decisions rather than collecting more formula sheets.


