A Year 12 and 13 plan for future maths students

A simple term-by-term plan. You don't need to do everything, but starting early makes Year 13 much calmer.

Year 12

Autumn

• Take Further Maths if you can. If your school doesn't offer it, look at the Advanced Maths Support Programme.
• Enter the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge if your school runs it.

Spring

• Start reading around: popular maths books, Plus magazine articles, maths podcasts and YouTube channels. Keep notes on what you enjoyed and why.
• Try a few NRICH problems each week.

Summer

• Go to open days, and ask current students what the jump from A Level felt like.
• Look up which admissions tests your chosen courses ask for, and start on past papers.
• Draft your personal statement. Write about maths you've explored beyond the syllabus, not just your grades. Our personal statement guide goes through the three UCAS questions.

Year 13

Autumn

• Send your UCAS application. Courses with an autumn admissions test or interviews often have an earlier deadline, so check UCAS early.
• Sit the MAT or TMUA if your courses need them.
• Prepare for interviews by talking through problems out loud.

Spring

• Do full past papers under timed conditions for your A Level and Further Maths exams. It's the fastest way to find the topics you still need to fix. Here's how to get the most out of them.
• If you have a STEP offer, keep up a regular routine of STEP questions.

Summer

• A Level exams, then STEP if it's part of your offer.
• Before you start university, read a short introduction to proof. It makes the first term much easier.

Last updated October 2026.