How to Teach A-Level Maths Online

October 2026  ·  11 min read

A-Level Maths is one of the most requested subjects in private tutoring, and one of the best suited to online delivery. Lessons are mostly about watching someone reason through a problem line by line, and a good screen set-up shows that more clearly than a crowded classroom whiteboard.

This guide is for maths tutors who want a dependable system: the right handwriting kit, a sensible balance across the three strands, a plan for the jump from GCSE, and exam technique that turns understanding into marks.

What does the A-Level Maths course actually cover?

In England, A-Level Mathematics follows a common Department for Education content framework, so every board covers the same core: pure mathematics, statistics and mechanics. Roughly two-thirds of the assessed content is pure maths and roughly one-third is applied (statistics and mechanics together). It is a linear qualification, assessed by three written papers at the end of the two-year course, graded A* to E.

Each of the main boards sets three papers of 2 hours, but they package the content differently:

• Pearson Edexcel: Papers 1 and 2 are pure; Paper 3 is statistics and mechanics.
• AQA: Paper 1 is pure; Paper 2 is pure and mechanics; Paper 3 is pure and statistics.
• OCR A: Paper 1 is pure; Paper 2 is pure and statistics; Paper 3 is pure and mechanics.
• OCR B (MEI): a different structure, including a paper with a comprehension element.

Calculators are allowed in all papers, and students are given a formula booklet. Mark totals, booklet contents and paper layouts are set by each board and do get revised, so check the current specification and sample assessment materials for your student's board before you plan a course.

How should I balance pure, statistics and mechanics?

Follow the weighting, but do not let the applied strands go cold. Many students arrive believing statistics and mechanics are "the easy third", then lose heavily on them because they only revised them in the final month.

A practical rule for a weekly one-to-one student is to give pure maths about two lessons in three, and rotate statistics and mechanics through the third slot. Pure is the engine: differentiation, integration, trigonometry, logarithms, sequences and proof all reappear inside applied questions. Mechanics leans on vectors, calculus and trigonometry; statistics leans on algebra and careful reading.

Teach applied topics after the pure skills they rely on. Variable acceleration in mechanics makes far more sense once a student can differentiate and integrate comfortably. Projectiles need confident trigonometry and resolving into components. The normal distribution and hypothesis testing are easier once a student is fluent with the binomial distribution and with notation.

Statistics also demands writing in context: a hypothesis-test conclusion should name the real-world claim and the significance level, not just "reject H₀". Practise those sentences regularly.

What equipment do I need to teach maths online?

The single most important upgrade is handwriting. Maths is written, not typed, and students learn method by watching the working appear one line at a time.

• A tablet and pen: an iPad with an Apple Pencil, an Android tablet with a stylus such as a Samsung Galaxy Tab with S Pen, or a pen tablet (such as a Wacom) plugged into your computer. A tablet you write directly on is more natural for most tutors; a pen tablet is cheaper but takes practice because you look at the screen, not your hand.
• A shared whiteboard: one where both of you can write, so the student works on the same canvas instead of holding paper up to the webcam. Choose one that saves or exports boards as PDF, so each lesson becomes a set of notes.
• Graphing tools: Desmos and GeoGebra are free and ideal for showing transformations, tangents, areas under curves and parametric equations moving in real time.
• The board's own documents: the specification, formula booklet and past papers with mark schemes, kept open in a second tab.

Ask students to get a pen device too if they can. Even a basic stylus on a tablet changes the lesson from "student watches" to "student writes while you watch", which is where most of the learning happens. If they cannot, insist on clear photos or a scan of written homework rather than typed answers.

How do I bridge the gap from GCSE to A-Level Maths?

The jump is steep, and it is mostly algebraic. GCSE Higher questions are often short and scaffolded; A-Level questions expect students to manipulate expressions confidently across several lines without prompting. Many sixth forms ask for a grade 7 or above in GCSE Maths for this reason, though entry requirements vary by school.

Diagnose early. In the first one or two lessons, give a short algebra check rather than starting the specification. The skills that most often cause trouble are:

1. Index laws with negative and fractional powers, for example rewriting 1/√x as x^−1/2 before differentiating.
2. Surds, including rationalising denominators.
3. Factorising and completing the square, and reading a turning point from the completed form.
4. Solving quadratic inequalities and writing the answer in set or interval notation.
5. Rearranging formulae and working with algebraic fractions.
6. Simultaneous equations where one is non-linear.
7. Straight-line geometry: gradients, perpendicular lines and equations of circles.
8. Precise notation: equals signs that only join equal things, brackets in the right places, exact answers left in surd or π form.

Fix gaps with short, daily retrieval practice rather than one long reteach. Five minutes of mixed algebra at the start of each lesson, plus a few questions between lessons, rebuilds fluency faster than an hour-long catch-up. If a student is still sitting GCSE or has a weak foundation, our GCSE Maths revision plan covers the earlier material in detail. For tutors who teach both levels, a curriculum such as Derstina's GCSE maths lessons can carry the foundation work while your live time goes on A-Level content.

What does a good weekly A-Level Maths lesson plan look like?

One 60-minute lesson a week is common for A-Level students, and it is enough if homework is regular. Here is an example four-week cycle for a Year 12 student, followed by the shape of a single lesson.

Within each 60-minute lesson, a reliable flow is:

• Retrieval (5–10 min): three or four short questions from earlier topics, done on the shared whiteboard.
• Homework review (10 min): only the questions they got wrong or skipped. Ask them to talk through their working before you correct it.
• New content (15–20 min): one worked example from you, then a near-identical one from them while you watch.
• Independent practice (15 min): graded questions, ending with one exam-style question.
• Exam technique and wrap-up (5–10 min): mark that exam question with the official mark scheme, then set homework.

In Year 13 and the spring before exams, shift the balance towards full past-paper questions and timed sections. For a broader revision structure to share with students, see how to revise for A-Levels.

How do I teach A-Level exam technique and mark schemes?

Students who understand the maths still drop marks because they do not know how marks are awarded. Teaching the mark scheme explicitly is one of the highest-value things a tutor can do, and it is easy online because you can put the question and the scheme side by side on screen.

Board mark schemes broadly use a common code. M marks are for a correct method, A marks are for accurate answers and usually depend on the preceding M mark, and B marks are independent marks for a correct result or statement. You will also see follow-through, where a later mark can be earned using an earlier wrong value. Exact codes and conventions vary slightly by board, so read the guidance at the front of each mark scheme.

Turn that into habits your student repeats every lesson:

• Show the method. A correct answer with no working can score little or nothing when the question says "use algebra" or "show your working".
• Treat "show that" as a proof. The answer is given, so every step must be visible and the final line must match the printed result exactly.
• Read "hence". It means use the previous part. "Hence or otherwise" allows another method, but the previous part is usually quickest.
• Give exact answers when asked. Leave surds, logs and π unless the question asks for decimals, and round only at the end.
• Use marks as a time guide. With 100 marks in 2 hours on most papers, about a minute a mark is a sensible pace.
• Use the calculator properly. Make sure students can use their calculator's distribution, equation and table functions, while still writing the method down.

Once a fortnight, have the student mark one of their own answers using the official scheme.

What do I need to know about the large data set?

Every board sets a large data set for the statistics content. Students are expected to have explored it during the course, and exam questions can assume familiarity with it, for example knowing what variables it contains, what units or codes are used, and how the data was sampled. Students do not get the full data set in the exam.

The data set is specific to each board and can change between exam series. Pearson Edexcel's has for some time used weather data from UK and overseas weather stations, while other boards use different sources. Always download the current version and the board's guidance before teaching it, rather than relying on an older copy.

Online, open it in a shared spreadsheet and have the student filter, sort and calculate summary statistics live. Short, regular exploration beats a summary sheet read the week before the exam.

How do I keep online A-Level Maths lessons active?

The trap in online maths is the tutor doing the writing for an hour. Aim for the student holding the pen for at least half of every lesson. Hand control of the whiteboard over early, ask them to explain each step aloud, and wait before you correct. When they are stuck, ask a question rather than writing the next line.

Keep a running "mistakes log" on a whiteboard page that carries across lessons: sign errors, missing constants of integration, forgotten "+c", degrees instead of radians. Review it before every mock. Students who see their own patterns written down tend to fix them faster.

Save every board as a dated PDF so students have revision notes. If you are setting up a maths practice from scratch, our guide to starting online maths tutoring and the one on how much to charge for online tutoring cover the business side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you teach A-Level Maths effectively online?

Yes. With a tablet and pen and a shared whiteboard, students can see every line of working and write their own solutions on the same canvas. Graphing tools such as Desmos make some topics clearer than on paper, and saved boards give students a full set of revision notes.

What is the best tablet for teaching maths online?

Any tablet with a precise stylus works well; an iPad with an Apple Pencil and Android tablets with a pen, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab with S Pen, are popular choices. A pen tablet connected to your computer is a cheaper alternative but takes practice. Pick whichever runs your whiteboard software smoothly and lets you write quickly and legibly.

How much of A-Level Maths is pure maths?

Roughly two-thirds of A-Level Maths content is pure mathematics, with the remaining third split between statistics and mechanics. All the main boards follow the same Department for Education content, but they arrange it across the three papers differently. Check your student's board specification for the exact paper structure.

How many hours of tutoring does an A-Level Maths student need?

One 60-minute lesson a week is a common pattern and is usually enough when the student also completes regular homework. Students with weak GCSE algebra may need a second short session for the first half-term to close the gap. Many increase to two lessons a week in the months before the exams.

Do students need to study the large data set?

Yes. Each board publishes a large data set, and exam questions can assume students have worked with it and know its variables and context. The data set is board-specific and can change, so download the current version from the board's website and explore it with your student during the course.

What are M, A and B marks in A-Level Maths?

M marks are awarded for a correct method, A marks for accurate answers and usually depend on earning the related M mark, and B marks are independent marks for a correct result or statement. Teaching students this code helps them see why showing working matters. Each board explains its conventions at the front of its mark schemes.