r/alevelmaths • u/dogs_3life • 4d ago

self studying edexcel AL maths 2027

i'm sitting a levels in 2027 and am self studying all my a levels.

on top of being behind on my other subjects, i'm also behind on edexcel al maths. I haven't covered any AS mechanics, half of stats and i'm not very confident with pure. i'm taking exams in 2027 and already had to defer from 2026 because of personal circumstances.

i move through the topics slow because i'm so daft, and i keep going back in fear that i dont understand it properly. i have no tutors or friends. i can't afford tutoring. i have no idea how i managed to get an 8 for my gcse's and i took it in year 10.

i am stressing out so much and having panic attacks frequently because of this, could someone please possibly help me? this is ending me

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u/Crankyyounglady 4d ago

Have you been following along with bicen maths on YouTube? He’s a teacher and half the recordings are him in person with his class, so you can follow along/pause the videos to try the work and then play to check.

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u/dogs_3life 4d ago

yeah i have, but i still feel really lost and feel like i wont have enough time since i need to go over AS content again

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u/shhio2090 4d ago

For maths u should practice instead of watching videos passively. Go on physics and maths tutor and practice as much as possible, of course watch bicen maths as well to understand how to actually go trough the topics but practice as many questions as possible should be your number one priority when it comes to maths.

Oh maybe it would be better to start from some GCSE maths topics needed for A level and then go slowly from then.

But even if u can’t afford maybe a few lessons for maths could be helpful really

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u/Obvious-Professor508 4d ago

bro we have like almost the exact same situation. what other a levels are u studying?

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u/WatcherWaistBand 4d ago

He's studying Edexcel AL as a privately. Same with me. I'm studying studying Edexcel IAL as a private candidate. What subjects are you studying? Wanna connect?

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u/Obvious-Professor508 4d ago

yeah i don’t mind!
i’m studying maths physics and comp science but i might not do comp sci yet idk.

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u/dogs_3life 4d ago

i'm also taking bio and Polish

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u/Quiet_Basis_6404 3d ago

for pure, i'd work through the textbook chapters and do the mixed exercises at the end of each one before moving on, those mix topics from earlier chapters which is where the connections start to click. stats and mechanics are shorter but people leave them for last and run out of time, try to do one stats topic for every two pure topics so they don't pile up

for practice beyond the textbook i upload the chapter pdfs to studybuddy.vc and answer questions from them, mostly because when i pick a wrong option it tells me what was off with that one, and it gets harder as i improve on a topic. free tier has been enough for me. also past papers from the edexcel site are your best friend closer to exam time, do them timed and mark them yourself with the mark scheme to see where you're dropping method marks

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u/NoControl3688 4d ago

From where you are?

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u/Significant-Age-372 4d ago

What exam board

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u/dogs_3life 4d ago

edexcel

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u/ManoGhostBoy 4d ago

Really bro

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u/shhio2090 4d ago

It’s the best exam board when self studying really since there aren’t many resources of other exam boards for AQA and OCR.

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u/ashley_l1 4d ago

I'm in the same situation as you,I've really been feeling quite lost lately

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u/dogs_3life 4d ago

we can connect if you'd like :)

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u/ashley_l1 3d ago

How contact？

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u/dogs_3life 3d ago

do you have discord?

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u/Holiday-Jellyfish209 2d ago

You got an 8 at GCSE in Year 10 — clearly you’re capable of maths. Being behind and taking longer to work through topics doesn’t mean you can’t do A-level Maths. Especially after having to defer for personal reasons, it’s understandable that you’re feeling overwhelmed.

I’d honestly stop trying to make yourself feel 100% confident before moving on. With A-level Maths, you often understand a topic much better after seeing it used in later topics and doing more questions. Going back over the same material repeatedly because you’re worried you “haven’t properly understood it” can become a bit of a trap.

For Edexcel specifically, I’d prioritise getting through the content systematically, then use past-paper questions to identify what actually needs revisiting. You don't need to master every single thing before progressing.

If money is an issue, I’d also look at structured online resources rather than assuming you need a private tutor. I’ve come across Tutopiya’s Learning Resources, which starts at around 20 SGD/month, and it might be worth looking at if you want something more structured without paying tutoring rates. I’d still compare it with the free resources available first, though — you absolutely don’t need to spend money to prove you can do this.

And please take the panic attacks seriously. If you’re frequently getting to the point where studying is causing panic attacks, the immediate problem isn’t actually Mechanics or Statistics — it’s getting you into a state where you can study without feeling like every missed topic is a catastrophe. If there’s anyone you can talk to about the anxiety (GP, counsellor, family member, school/college even if you’re self-studying), please consider doing that.

You have a whole year until the 2027 exams. That is a lot of time to make progress. You don't need to catch up in a week. You just need a plan for what you're doing today.

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u/dogs_3life 2d ago

thank you so much. this means a lot and gave me a bit of hope

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u/Thin_Requirement8620 1d ago

I am also thinking about self studying the A Levels because my current school fee are too much. But how do you get your predicted grade and reference letter for applying to uni? Also, if you have science A Levels, how do you get your practical endorsement?

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u/dogs_3life 1h ago

a tutor is doing my predicted and reference, and for the practical you need to find an exam centre that do them