Students have described the 2026 Edexcel A-level Mathematics Paper 1 as 'impossible', with nearly 19,000 people signing a petition for a review as Ofqual monitors the marking. The exam, sat on Wednesday, has left many pupils in tears, with one candidate claiming: 'I only got my name right.'
Petition Calls for Review
The petition, hosted on Change.org, argues that the pure mathematics paper demanded 'multiple layers of reasoning', 'extended algebraic manipulation' and 'unfamiliar approaches', disproportionately impacting lower-achieving candidates. As of Thursday, nearly 19,000 individuals have signed it, calling for grade boundaries to reflect the paper's difficulty.
Tutor's Assessment
YouTube mathematics tutor Bicen Maths described the paper as 'tough' and noted that the numbers were 'really messy'. He said: 'I think it was a tough paper. There were some tricky questions in there. The pacing was quite hard. There were barely any "show that" questions, and when there was, there was always an unknown with it. The proof question at the end was very, very tough. Just the numbers were so messy and I know that would have thrown a lot of people off.' He added that everyone who came out of the exam had a similar negative feeling.
Student Reactions
One viewer responding to Bicen Maths' reaction footage stated: 'I only got my name right.' Another commented: 'It brings me so much comfort that everyone found it difficult. At least I know I am not the only one.' A mathematics student remarked: 'If Bicen said it was a tough paper, then we all cooked.' One pupil expressed relief: 'Glad I wasn't overreacting; this paper felt like it came straight from hell.' Another student confessed: 'Couldn't tell if I was writing because I wanted to get a good grade or make the examiner laugh.' A parent offered encouragement: 'I'm a parent reading these comments. I want you all to remember how amazing and clever you all are, just for studying A-Level maths in the first place.'
Ofqual Monitoring
England's examinations regulator, Ofqual, confirmed it is 'closely monitoring' the marking of the A-level mathematics paper after more than 15,000 signatures were collected within 24 hours. A spokesperson said: 'Our priority is students and ensuring their grades are a reliable indication of what they know, understand and can do.'
Pearson's Response
Caroline Darrington, a spokesperson for Pearson, said: 'Every paper is developed with input from experienced senior examiners and rigorously checked to ensure it reflects the course and meets required standards. If a paper is found to be more difficult than previous years, grade boundaries will be set to reflect that. When setting grade boundaries, we review a range of evidence, including statistical data and expert judgment. This process ensures students receive results that fairly reflect their performance and are comparable across exam series.'
