Do maths grades add up?

These were the main conclusions of a two-part investigation by Bristol University chemist Dudley Shallcross and Gerry Walton, head of mathematics at Rednock Comprehensive School in Dursley, Gloucestershire. The research was supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)-led initiative, Chemistry for our future  (CFOF), funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The findings provide insight into what each grade at GCSE and A-level maths means in terms of the mathematical knowledge and skills of students entering a chemistry degree, and importantly lead to recommendations for the maths provision in UK chemistry departments.