Mark Scheme

Spring 2025

Pearson Edexcel GCSE

In Mathematics (1MA1)
Aiming for Grade 8 1H

The following table shows the marks scored on average at certain grades on similar
questions from live exams.

For example: A student who achieved a Grade 8 on similar questions from either the
Summer 2024 or November 2024 exam sittings achieved on average 28.1 marks from
these questions.

Grade 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Mark 33.1 28.1 20.0 13.3 7.9 3.7 1.6
General marking guidance
These notes offer general guidance, but the specific notes for examiners appertaining to individual questions take precedence.

1 All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark the last candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the first.

Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide the principles by which marks will be awarded; exemplification/indicative
content will not be exhaustive. When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark scheme to a candidate’s response,
the response should be sent to review.

2 All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded; mark schemes should be applied positively. Examiners should also be
prepared to award zero marks if the candidate’s response is not worthy of credit according to the mark scheme. If there is a wrong
answer (or no answer) indicated on the answer line always check the working in the body of the script (and on any diagrams), and award
any marks appropriate from the mark scheme.

Questions where working is not required: In general, the correct answer should be given full marks.
Questions that specifically require working: In general, candidates who do not show working on this type of question will get no
marks – full details will be given in the mark scheme for each individual question.

3 Crossed out work

This should be marked unless the candidate has replaced it with
an alternative response.

4 Choice of method
If there is a choice of methods shown, mark the method that leads to the answer given on the answer line.

If no answer appears on the answer line, mark both methods then award the lower number of marks.

5 Incorrect method
If it is clear from the working that the “correct” answer has been obtained from incorrect working, award 0 marks. Send the response to
review for your Team Leader to check.

6 Follow through marks

Follow through marks which involve a single stage calculation can be awarded without working as you can check the answer, but if
ambiguous do not award.
Follow through marks which involve more than one stage of calculation can only be awarded on sight of the relevant working, even if it
appears obvious that there is only one way you could get the answer given.
7 Ignoring subsequent work
It is appropriate to ignore subsequent work when the additional work does not change the answer in a way that is inappropriate for the
question or its context. (eg. an incorrectly cancelled fraction when the unsimplified fraction would gain full marks).
It is not appropriate to ignore subsequent work when the additional work essentially makes the answer incorrect (eg. incorrect algebraic
simplification).

8 Probability
Probability answers must be given as a fraction, percentage or decimal. If a candidate gives a decimal equivalent to a probability, this
should be written to at least 2 decimal places (unless tenths).
Incorrect notation should lose the accuracy marks, but be awarded any implied method marks.
If a probability fraction is given then cancelled incorrectly, ignore the incorrectly cancelled answer.

9 Linear equations
Unless indicated otherwise in the mark scheme, full marks can be gained if the solution alone is given on the answer line, or otherwise
unambiguously identified in working (without contradiction elsewhere). Where the correct solution only is shown substituted, but not
identified as the solution, the accuracy mark is lost but any method marks can be awarded (embedded answers).

10 Range of answers
Unless otherwise stated, when an answer is given as a range (e.g 3.5 – 4.2) then this is inclusive of the end points (e.g 3.5, 4.2) and all
numbers within the range.

11 Number in brackets after a calculation

Where there is a number in brackets after a calculation E.g. 2 × 6 (=12) then the mark can be awarded either for the correct method,
implied by the calculation or for the correct answer to the calculation.

12 Use of inverted commas

Some numbers in the mark scheme will appear inside inverted commas E.g. “12” × 50 ; the number in inverted commas cannot be any
number – it must come from a correct method or process but the candidate may make an arithmetic error in their working.

13 Word in square brackets

Where a word is used in square brackets E.g. [area] × 1.5 : the value used for [area] does not have to come from a correct method or
process but is the value that the candidate believes is the area. If there are any constraints on the value that can be used, details will
be given in the mark scheme.

14 Misread
If a candidate misreads a number from the question. Eg. uses 252 instead of 255; method or process marks may be awarded provided
the question has not been simplified. Examiners should send any instance of a suspected misread to review.
Guidance on the use of abbreviations within this mark scheme

M method mark awarded for a correct method or partial method

P process mark awarded for a correct process as part of a problem solving question

A accuracy mark (awarded after a correct method or process; if no method or process

is seen then full marks for the question are implied but see individual mark schemes
for more details)

C communication mark awarded for a fully correct statement(s)

with no contradiction or ambiguity

B unconditional accuracy mark (no method needed)

oe or equivalent

cao correct answer only

ft follow through (when appropriate as per mark scheme)

sc special case

dep dependent (on a previous mark)

indep independent

awrt answer which rounds to

isw ignore subsequent working

Paper: Aiming for Grade 8 1H
Question Answer Mark Mark scheme Additional guidance
1 7 P1 for setting up an equation using volumes, May occur later in the process
Must use expressions for volumes but
eg (x + 2)(2x – 1)(x – 1) = 2x(x +3)(x – 3) + 142 these may have been incorrectly
expanded and simplified
P1 for process to find an expanded expression for the area of one
face,

eg (x + 2)(2x – 1) = 2x2 – x + 4x – 2 or 2x2 + 3x – 2 Condone one incorrect term in

or (x + 2)(x – 1) = x2 – x + 2x – 2 or x2 + x – 2 expansion of two brackets
or (2x – 1)(x – 1) = 2x2 – 2x – x + 1 or 2x2 – 3x + 1
or 2x(x + 3) = 2x2 + 6x
or 2x(x – 3) = 2x2 – 6x
or (x + 3)(x – 3) = x2 – 3x + 3x – 9 or x2 – 9

P1 for a complete process to find a fully expanded expression for the Expression need not be fully simplified,
volume of one cuboid, but must be correct

eg 2x3 + 3x2 – 2x – 2x2 – 3x + 2 or 2x3 + x2 – 5x + 2

or 2x3 + 6x2 – 6x2 – 18x or 2x3 – 18x

P1 (dep P3) for correct rearrangement of the expanded terms in their

equation leading to a 3-term quadratic

eg x2 + 13x – 140 (= 0) or x2 + 13x = 140

A1 cao
Paper: Aiming for Grade 8 1H
Question Answer Mark Mark scheme Additional guidance
2 15π P2 for process to find size of the angle
5  360
eg oe (= 150)
2  6

or for working with proportion

5 5 12 12
eg (= ) or (= )
12 12 5 5

(P1) x
for a first step eg × 2 × π × 6 = 5π)
360

P1 (dep on P2) for process to find the area

"150" 5
eg    62 or    62
360 12

A1 cao

3 (a + b)( x − y) M1 for a correct partial factorisation,

eg x(a + b) – y(a + b) or x(a + b) + y(–a – b)
or a(x – y) + b(x – y)

A1 for (a + b)( x − y) oe
Paper: Aiming for Grade 8 1H
Question Answer Mark Mark scheme Additional guidance
4 180 – 4e and reason M1 for angle ACD = e Angles must be clearly labelled on the
or for angle ADC + angle BAD = 180 diagram or otherwise identified
or for angle BAX = 3e (where X lies on DA extended)

A1 for 180 – 4e oe May be unsimplified

C1 (dep M1) for an appropriate reason relating to parallel lines from Underlined words need to be shown
eg alternate angles are equal Reason needs to be linked to their
or allied angles / co-interior angles add up to 180 method, which can be implied from
or correctly identified angles (stated or
for corresponding angles are equal written on the diagram)

5 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, B1 cao

17

6 (a) Box plot B3 for a fully correct box plot Box can be any height. Accept ends that
are marked (eg line, cross, dot) or
defined by the ends of the whiskers if
clear
(B2 for a box drawn and at least three correctly plotted values from
8, 25, 34, 42, 74) For LQ accept value in range 24 to 26

(B1 for correctly identifying one of LQ (25), Median (34), UQ (42) May be implied by one of these values
from the cf graph) being correctly plotted

(b) Yes with M1 for 30 ÷ 100 × 60 (= 18)

supporting
evidence M1 for reading from the graph at cf = 60 – “18” (= 40)

C1 for correct decision and correct figures

Paper: Aiming for Grade 8 1H
Question Answer Mark Mark scheme Additional guidance
Alternative
M1 for reading from the graph at mark = 40 (= 42)

M1 for (60 – “42”) ÷ 60 × 100 (= 30)

or for 60 – “42” (= 18) and 30 ÷ 100 × 60 (= 18)

C1 for correct decision and correct figures

7 4:1 1 1 1 1
P1 for OM = a or MO = − a or ON = b or NO = − b
4 4 3 3
OX = a − b or XO = −a + b or ZY = a − b or YZ = −a + b

P1 1 4 1 1 Implies 1st P1
for XN = b − a + b (= b − a ) oe or MN = b − a oe
3 3 3 4
1 3
or XM = b − a + a (= b − a ) oe
4 4
P1 1 1 1 4 3
for XN = b − a + b oe and MN = b − a or b − a − b + a oe
3 3 4 3 4

A1 for 4 : 1 oe A correct answer with no supportive

working gets 0 marks

8 Shown M1 n n −1
for or
n +1 n

A1 n n −1 n −1 Do not award A1 if errors seen

(dep) for × oe =
n +1 n n +1
Paper: Aiming for Grade 8 1H
Question Answer Mark Mark scheme Additional guidance
9 (a) Histogram drawn B3 for fully correct histogram with axes scaled and labelled Relative heights 2, 3.5, 4.4, 2, 0.8

(B2 for 4 correct bars or for frequency ÷ class width for all 5
frequencies and 2 correct bars of different widths)

(B1 for 2 correct bars of different widths

or for frequency ÷ class width for at least 3 frequencies)

(b) 67 M1 for a method to find number of people in interval

150 1 1
eg × 70 + 22 + × 30 (= 67)
2 3
1 2
or 150 – 20 – 8 – × 70 – × 30 (= 67)
2 3 Where [3.5], [4.4] and [2] are the
or 10 × [3.5] + 5 × [4.4] + 5 × [2] ft their histogram heights of the bars of their histogram
A1 67
for or ft their histogram
150
10 100 M1 for angle BAC = 40

M1 for angle OAC or angle OCA = 10 angle AOB = 120 gets M1M1
or angle OAB or angle OBA= 30

M1 for angle ACB = (180 – 30 – 30) ÷ 2 (= 60) Award M3C0 for answer of 100 with no
or angle OCD = 90 or angle OCB = 50 correct appropriate circle theorem

C1 for angle ACD = 100

and one correct appropriate circle theorem from Underlined words need to be shown
alternate segment theorem Reason needs to be linked to their
angle at the centre is twice the angle at the circumference method, which can be implied from
the tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius correctly identified angles (stated or
written on the diagram)
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