Statistics is only available as GCSE but as there is no practical assessment this doesn't prove an issue for home educators.
Both options to study are tiered, so you need to decide between foundation or higher.
Some people use Statistics as a precursor to doing Maths, others as an extension if Maths has been sat early and they want to show Maths skills being kept up to date. It's a useful course alongside subjects such as Psychology.
AQA GCSE Statistics[]
AQA GCSE Statistics page and specification
- Exams from: June 2019
- Available in June
- Specification code: 8382
Subject content[]
The AQA GCSE in Statistics covers five sections:
- Understand the importance of the careful planning of a clear strategy for collecting, recording and processing data in order to address an identified question or hypothesis.
- Recognise the opportunities, constraints and implications for subsequent mathematical analysis involved in obtaining appropriate data through careful design of primary data collection techniques or through the use of reference sources for secondary data to ensure unbiased research.
- Generate data visualisation and understand the mathematics required to derive these visualisations.
- Calculate statistical measures to compare data.
- Use visualisation and calculation to interpret results with reference to the context of the problem, and to evaluate the validity and reliability of statistical findings.
Students are also required to be familiar with the Statistical Enquiry Cycle. It is recommended they carry out practical investigations.
Assessment[]
100% exam based.
Students opt to sit Foundation or Higher tier. A student taking Foundation tier assessments will be awarded a grade within the range of 1 to 5. A student taking Higher tier will be awarded a grade within the range of 4 to 9. A student sitting the Higher tier who just fails to achieve grade 4 will be awarded an allowed grade 3, if they don't meet the standard for the allowed grade 3 they will receive U (Unclassified).
- Paper 1 - 1 hr 45 mins - 80 marks - 50%
- The examination covers full content
- Multiple choice, short answer and a Statistical Enquiry Cycle (SEC) question.
- Tiered - foundation or higher
- Paper 2 - 1 hr 45 mins - 80 marks - 50%
- The examination covers full content
- Multiple choice, short answer and a Statistical Enquiry Cycle (SEC) question.
- Tiered - foundation or higher
Resources[]
There is one endorsed textbook for the specification. Details can be found here
Answers can be found here
Past papers can be accessed through the specification page or here.
Edexcel GCSE Statistics[]
Edexcel GCSE Statistics page and specification
- Exams from: June 2019
- Available in June
- Specification code: 1ST0
Subject content[]
The Edexcel GCSE in Statistics covers three topics:
- The collection of data
- Processing, representing and analysing data
- Probability
Students are also required to be familiar with the Statistical Enquiry Cycle. It is recommended they carry out practical investigations.
Assessment[]
100% exam based.
Students opt to sit Foundation or Higher tier. A student taking Foundation tier assessments will be awarded a grade within the range of 1 to 5. A student taking Higher tier will be awarded a grade within the range of 4 to 9.
- Paper 1 - 1 hr 30 mins - 80 marks - 50%
- The examination covers full content
- Questions on statistical methods, familiar and unfamiliar contexts and the component parts of the statistical enquiry cycle
- Tiered - foundation or higher
- Paper 2 - 1 hr 30 mins - 80 marks - 50%
- The examination covers full content
- Questions on statistical methods, familiar and unfamiliar contexts and the component parts of the statistical enquiry cycle
- Tiered - foundation or higher
Resources[]
There is an endorsed textbook for the specification. Pearson Student Book
Pearson Revision guide and Revision workbook
CGP Revision Guide and Exam Practice book
Past papers can be accessed through the specification page or here.
Teaching and Learning resources on the specification page has a lot of useful resources including a scheme of work, a Getting Started Guide, mapping documents showing overlap with Maths and practice questions
Maths Genie a free online Maths site has a small section for the Edexcel Statistics GCSE, it includes past papers, mark scheme and some topic based questions with solutions (divided into topics just for GCSE statistics and crossover topics with Edexcel Maths syllabus). https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/statistics.html
Which board should I choose?[]
There is little difference between the content of AQA and Edexcel. If your exam centre can accommodate either, the best strategy is to download some past/specimen exam papers to see if you prefer the style of question of one board over another. The grade boundaries in 2019 were slightly higher for AQA than for Edexcel which suggests that AQA was a slightly easier paper in 2019 but this can change year to year.
At the time of writing (Sept 2020), there seems to be more textbook resources available for Edexcel but distance learning providers are available for both AQA and Edexcel. Both boards have a textbook but there are more revision resources for Edexcel.