How to get a grade 9 in GCSE Maths Higher (Edexcel)

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A grade 9 needs almost every mark on the standard and middle questions, plus a large share of the hardest questions at the end of each paper: unfamiliar problems, proofs and the grade 8 and 9 algebra and geometry. The gap between an 8 and a 9 is usually accuracy and exam technique across all three papers, not one missing topic.

What a grade 9 asks of you

Near-perfect accuracy on everything up to grade 7. Every slip early in a paper is a mark you have to win back on the hardest questions.
Secure command of all the grade 8 and 9 content, including the less common topics.
Solving unfamiliar, multi-topic problems with no hints about the method, and writing rigorous proofs.
Enough speed to leave 25 to 30 minutes for the final part of each paper.

Topics to master

Algebra: quadratic inequalities, turning points by completing the square, the equation of a circle and the tangent at a point, solving a line and a circle simultaneously, transformations of graphs (f(x) + a, f(x + a), −f(x), f(−x)), trigonometric graphs, the nth term of a quadratic sequence, algebraic fractions in equations, inverse and composite functions, algebraic proof.
Number: rationalising denominators, bounds to a suitable degree of accuracy, fractional and negative indices, proving recurring decimals are fractions.
Geometry: angles between a line and a plane in 3D, sine and cosine rules in multi-step problems, circle theorem proofs, vector proofs with ratios, similar solids with algebra, frustums, exact trigonometric values.
Rates of change: gradients of curves using tangents, estimating areas under curves with trapezia, and interpreting both in context.
Probability and statistics: conditional probability with algebra (forming and solving a quadratic), set notation in Venn diagrams, histograms with unequal classes, the product rule for counting.

Question types to master

The final questions on each paper, usually 4 to 6 marks each, which combine topics: a probability question that becomes a quadratic, a circle-and-line intersection, a vector proof, a 3D trigonometry problem.
Algebraic, geometric and vector proofs, with a conclusion that states exactly what has been proved.
“Show that” with exact answers, such as an area in the form a + b√3 or a length in terms of π.
Bounds questions that ask you to justify the accuracy of your answer.
Graph questions: sketching transformations, finding turning points, and finding the equation of a tangent to a circle.
Long unstructured problems in unfamiliar contexts, where you have to invent the method and decide what to calculate first.

Revision week by week (12 weeks)

Aim for five or six sessions a week of 45 to 60 minutes, plus the Daily 5 every day and one proof or unstructured problem each day.
Week 1: sit all three mock exams on this site, timed. In Progress, note every subtopic where you lost any marks, even small ones.
Weeks 2 to 4: grade 8 and 9 algebra. Custom papers on Hard, then Extreme once you are scoring well on Hard.
Weeks 5 and 6: geometry (3D trigonometry, circle theorems and circle equations, vectors, similar solids).
Week 7: number, rates of change, and the harder probability and statistics.
Weeks 8 to 10: two full timed papers a week, alternating non-calculator and calculator, using the site’s mocks and Pearson past papers from your teacher. After each, redo every dropped mark and find out why you dropped it.
Weeks 11 and 12: Extreme custom papers on your two weakest areas, a last timed mock, your mistakes list and the exam technique guide.

How to use this website

Notes: go through the grade-by-grade skill lists all the way to grade 9 and tick the checklist. Anything unticked becomes a custom paper topic.
Custom paper: work mainly on Hard (around grades 7 to 9). Extreme goes beyond grade 9, so use it for stretch once Hard feels comfortable.
Mock exams: sit them under strict time and aim to finish with at least 10 minutes to check. Treat every lost mark as something to fix.
Progress: look beyond the weakest subtopics. A subtopic at 80% still has a lost mark to explain, and redoing those questions is how you remove careless errors.
Daily 5 and Flashcards: short daily practice keeps older topics fresh while you focus on the hardest content.
Use the Whiteboard to sketch graphs and diagrams before you commit to a method.
Written reasoning is hard to mark yourself. A free 30-minute trial lesson with Chhetri Academy can give you feedback on your proofs and extended answers.

Timing strategy in the exam

Move briskly through the first half, in about 30 minutes, but check each answer as you write it. Speed is useless if it causes slips.
Give the second half about 45 minutes, and keep 10 to 15 minutes to check.
If a final question stalls, write down the set-up (the equation, the diagram labels, the first process), move on, and come back with fresh eyes.
Check by redoing key steps and rereading each question for the answer form, not just by glancing over your work.

Traps at grade 9

Careless slips early in the paper: the most common reason strong students miss a 9.
Proofs without a final concluding sentence, or with numerical examples instead of algebra.
“Show that” answers that skip steps or start from the given answer.
Not rejecting impossible solutions, such as a negative length or a probability above 1, or not saying why you rejected one.
Decimals where an exact answer was asked for: surds, fractions or multiples of π.
Bounds: giving an answer to a suitable degree of accuracy without the reason.
Graph transformations: for positive a, f(x + a) moves the graph a units to the left, not to the right.
Missing a simpler route by ignoring an earlier part or the word “hence”, then running out of time.

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