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Exam boardSpec J560England

OCR GCSE Maths

OCR Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1) in Mathematics (J560)

A linear, two-tier GCSE assessed by three papers per tier, each worth 100 marks across twelve named content strands.

Paper structure

Three 1 hour 30 minute papers per tier, each worth 100 marks (300 total per tier). For both tiers, Paper 2 is non-calculator and Papers 1 and 3 allow a calculator. Each paper carries 33⅓% of the qualification.

Tiers
  • Foundation:Grades 1–5 (Papers J560/01–03)
  • Higher:Grades 4–9 with grade 3 allowed (Papers J560/04–06)

Official resources

Specification, papers, mark schemes and grade boundaries — straight from OCR.

Specification (web)Full specification PDFHigher tier sample assessment (PDF)Past papers, mark schemes and reportsGrade boundaries hub
  • Higher tier sample assessment (PDF): Foundation version: 169000-foundation-tier-sample-assessment-materials.pdf
  • Past papers, mark schemes and reports: OCR colocates question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports per series on the assessment page (or via the past-paper finder).
Formulae sheet

Separate tier-specific formulae sheets are issued with every series and need not be memorised. The Higher sheet covers prism / circle / trapezium formulae, Pythagoras, right-angled trig, the quadratic formula, sine and cosine rules, ½ab sin C, compound interest and the probability rules.

Higher tier formulae sheet (PDF)Foundation tier formulae sheet (PDF)

Assessment objectives

How marks are split across the three things examiners look for.

AO1 — Use and apply standard techniques

Accurately recall facts, terminology and definitions; use and interpret notation correctly; carry out routine procedures or multi-step solutions.

Foundation: 50%Higher: 40%
AO2 — Reason, interpret and communicate mathematically

Make deductions and draw conclusions, construct chains of reasoning, interpret and communicate information accurately, present arguments and proofs, and critically evaluate methods.

Foundation: 25%Higher: 30%
AO3 — Solve problems within mathematics and in other contexts

Translate problems into mathematical processes, make connections between different parts of mathematics, interpret results in context, and evaluate methods and assumptions used.

Foundation: 25%Higher: 30%

What OCR tests

The OCR specification organises content into the sections below. Each one shows the Dipak School topics that practise material from that strand.

1. Number Operations and Integers

Calculations with integers, whole-number theory (primes, factors, HCF / LCM) and the order and inverse of operations.

No Dipak School practice topic for this strand yet.

2. Fractions, Decimals and Percentages

Equivalent fractions, calculations with fractions and decimals, recurring decimals (Higher), and percentage change.

3. Indices and Surds

Positive, negative and fractional indices, standard form, and (Higher) manipulating and rationalising surds.

4. Approximation and Estimation

Rounding, significant figures, estimation, and (Higher) error intervals and upper / lower bounds.

No Dipak School practice topic for this strand yet.

5. Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change

Sharing in a ratio, direct and inverse proportion, compound units, and growth / decay.

6. Algebra

Algebraic notation, expanding and factorising, solving linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, simultaneous equations, sequences and (Higher) algebraic fractions and proofs.

7. Graphs of Equations and Functions

Straight-line graphs and gradients, quadratic / cubic / reciprocal / exponential / trigonometric graphs, real-life graphs, and (Higher) transformations of functions and gradients / areas under curves.

8. Basic Geometry

Conventions and notation, angle rules, properties of polygons, constructions, loci and bearings.

9. Congruence and Similarity

Transformations (translation, rotation, reflection, enlargement), congruence and similarity criteria, and (Higher) plane vector geometry.

10. Mensuration

Units, perimeter, area and volume of 2D / 3D shapes, Pythagoras, and (Higher) sine and cosine rules.

11. Probability

Probability scale, relative frequency, sample spaces, Venn and tree diagrams, and (Higher) conditional probability.

12. Statistics

Sampling, interpreting and constructing charts (including grouped-data diagrams), summary statistics, bivariate data and outliers.

Higher-tier-only highlights

Topics that appear on the Higher paper but not Foundation.

  • Simplifying surds and rationalising denominators
  • Recurring decimals to exact fractions
  • Quadratics by completing the square and the quadratic formula
  • Iterative numerical solutions to equations
  • Sine rule, cosine rule and ½ab sin C
  • Plane vector geometry and vector proofs
  • Exponential growth and decay graphs
  • Histograms with unequal class intervals and frequency density
  • Conditional probability

Worth knowing

Now branded "Cambridge OCR"

The qualification name (GCSE Mathematics), code (J560) and Ofqual number (601/4606/0) are unchanged from the 2015 launch — only the awarding-body branding has been refreshed.

Studying for a different board?

The core content overlaps heavily — pick another board to see the specifics.

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