AQA apologises after GCSE maths paper had wrong insert

England’s largest exam board has apologised after students sitting a foundation-tier GCSE maths paper this morning found that the exam contained information intended for another paper, Tes has learned.

The exam included an insert with formulae required to complete AQA’s equivalent higher-tier exam - which was also taking place this morning - as well as those needed for the foundation exam.

Schools have told Tes that entrants only learned of the issue once they had started the exam.

AQA later said that, after initial contact with schools to offer an apology today, it would be in touch again before results day in August to “explain what we’ve done to make sure no learners are disadvantaged”.

GCSE maths exam had wrong formula sheet

One teacher told Tes this morning that schools had received no information from AQA indicating any issue with wrong inserts, adding: “In this series of exams we’ve had two erratum notices for minor typos (geography and physics) but nothing at all for this. Schools only found out via text and email from colleagues working elsewhere.

“Exams officers downloaded new inserts and rushed to print them. Some disruption to smooth starts but exams started within the rules - still nothing from AQA now.”

Two schools reporting that the foundation GCSE maths paper contained the insert mistakenly are in different local authority areas, prompting concern that the problem was not localised and could affect many students - fears that were later confirmed by AQA.

Some teachers have been communicating on social media that their schools received the “wrong formula sheet”, with one saying the exam had to be paused to rectify the issue.

AQA ‘sorry’ for error

AQA said that students had the information needed for the paper, but also acknowledged an “impact” on students.

An AQA spokesperson told Tes: “Students who sat AQA GCSE maths foundation paper three had exam papers with higher-tier inserts. Inserts contain formulae that aid students when they sit the exam.

“Students had the information they needed to sit the exam, as the foundation-tier insert formulae are also in the higher-tier version. There was one question on the exam paper that required the use of the formulae sheet. But we understand that this has had an impact on students and exams officers.”

AQA thanked exams officers for their “professionalism” in dealing with the problem.

It added: “We are sorry for this mistake and accept responsibility, but it was an error made by a supplier; it was not related to union industrial action [that involved AQA]. We’re looking into how it happened.

“We’ve contacted schools and colleges today to give reassurance, and will be in touch again before results day to explain what we’ve done to make sure no learners are disadvantaged.”

Mistakes ‘disruptive’ for schools

Some teachers told Tes that the issue would have been more serious if the higher-tier exam had included foundation-tier inserts, rather than the other way around. In the scenario that played out in schools today, foundation students could, in theory, just use the information they needed and ignore that which was intended for the higher paper.

Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at the NAHT school leaders’ union, said such mistakes were “unsettling” for students at a stressful time and “disruptive” for schools, creating extra workload.

She added: “Schools are charged a lot by exam boards, and it’s essential they get basics like this right, both for the smooth running of exams and to maintain trust in the qualification system among students, parents and staff.

“Lessons must be learned, as errors like this really shouldn’t happen.”

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Exams are stressful enough for students and staff, even when things run smoothly. So it is always frustrating when errors are made which make these situations more challenging than they need to be.”

Mr Di’Iasio said the union would be inviting feedback from members to assess the impact of the error, and will “pick that up accordingly” with AQA and exams regulator Ofqual.

In 2025 around 190,000 students entered GCSE maths via AQA, amounting to 22 per cent of the entire cohort. This figure was second only to Pearson.