If you are taking GCSE maths in England in the next few years, here is some genuinely good news: you will be given a formulae sheet in the exam — and that is now confirmed not just for 2026 and 2027 but for the whole lifetime of the current GCSE specifications. Ofqual's chief regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, said he expects this to cover students sitting exams “up to and including 2030 or 2031, and any resit series after that.” Here is exactly what was decided, what is on the sheet, and — just as important — what isn't.
The distinction students often miss
The decision in one sentence
On 5 May 2026 Ofqual confirmed that exam boards must provide a formulae sheet in GCSE maths (and an equations sheet in GCSE physics and combined science) for exams from 2028 onwards, for as long as the current specifications run, including resits — on top of the sheets already confirmed for 2025, 2026 and 2027.
How we got here
Timeline
- 2022Formulae sheets introduced for GCSE maths (and equations sheets for physics and combined science) as part of the post-pandemic return to exams.
- 13 Nov 2024Ofqual confirms the sheets for the 2025, 2026 and 2027 exams, after 94% of consultation responses supported the maths sheet.
- 26 Feb 2026The Department for Education asks Ofqual to keep the support for the lifetime of the current GCSE specifications.
- 2–23 Mar 2026Ofqual consults: 2,182 responses, 91.7% supporting the maths formulae sheet.
- 5 May 2026Ofqual confirms the sheets for exams from 2028 onwards, for the lifetime of the current specifications, including resits.
- 2029 onwardsReformed GCSEs, following the new national curriculum, are expected for first teaching from about 2029; the rules for those will be set separately.
What is on the sheet
GCSE core The sheet reproduces the formulae that, in a normal year, the Department for Education's subject content says you must memorise. In practice that means:
Circles
- Circumference = 2πr = πd
- Area of a circle = πr²
Triangles
- Pythagoras: a² + b² = c²
- sin, cos and tan in a right-angled triangle
- Sine rule and cosine rule (Higher)
- Area = ½ab sin C (Higher)
Shapes and solids
- Area of a trapezium = ½(a + b)h
- Volume of a prism = area of cross-section × length
Algebra
- The quadratic formula (Higher)
Money
- Compound interest: P(1 + r/100)ⁿ
Probability
- P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A and B)
- P(A and B) = P(A given B) × P(B)
Formulae marked (Higher) appear only on the Higher-tier sheet. Some formulae — such as the volumes of a cone and a sphere, and the kinematics equations like v = u + at — have always been printed in the question itself when needed, so they were never part of the memorise list.
What is not on the sheet
The sheet is a short list, not a revision guide. Plenty of things you need are treated as part of the content itself and will not be printed for you, for example:
- areas of rectangles, triangles and parallelograms, and the angle facts for triangles, polygons and parallel lines;
- the equation of a straight line, y = mx + c, and how to find a gradient;
- circle theorems (see our circle theorems revision guide);
- how to find the nth term of a sequence, and how to work with ratio, percentages and standard form;
- above all, which formula a question needs — the sheet never tells you that.
Illustration — what the sheet gives you, and what it doesn't
Quick check
A question asks for the area of a triangle given two sides and the angle between them. What does the formula sheet give you?
How to use the sheet well
- Practise with the real one. Exam boards must publish each year's sheet by 1 September the year before. Download your board's sheet for your tier and use it for every past paper, so you know where everything is.
- Learn when, not just what. For every formula, write one sentence on when it applies (“sine rule: when I know a side and its opposite angle”).
- Don't lean on it for the basics. Looking up πr² costs time you need for harder questions. Most strong students still know the sheet by heart; it is a safety net, not a crutch.
- Watch your own exam year. The rules for reformed GCSEs (expected from about 2029 first teaching) will be decided separately.
Want to see how this year's students actually did? Read our breakdown of the GCSE maths results 2026.
Sources and further reading
- Ofqual — Decisions: proposed changes to the assessment of mathematics, physics and combined science GCSEs (5 May 2026) — exams from 2028 onwards; 2,182 responses; 91.7% support
- Ofqual — Decisions on changes to the assessment of mathematics, physics and combined science GCSEs in 2025, 2026 and 2027
- Tes — No need for GCSE students to memorise equations until 2030 (2 Mar 2026) — Sir Ian Bauckham's '2030 or 2031' comment
- AQA — GCSE Mathematics (8300) specification, appendix: mathematical formulae
Last reviewed: 3 October 2026. Figures are typical published values and rules can change. Exam wording varies by specification, so check yours.
Frequently asked questions
Will I get a formula sheet in my GCSE maths exam?
If you sit GCSE maths in England with AQA, Pearson Edexcel or OCR on the current specifications: yes. Sheets are confirmed for 2026 and 2027 (Ofqual decision of November 2024) and for 2028 onwards for the lifetime of the current specifications, including resits (Ofqual decision of 5 May 2026). Ofqual's chief regulator expects that to cover students taking GCSEs up to and including 2030 or 2031.
Does the formula sheet mean I don't need to learn formulae?
You don't need to memorise the formulae printed on it, but you do need to know when and how to use them. Ofqual tells exam boards not to set questions that can be answered just by copying from the sheet, and plenty of facts you need are not on it at all.
Is the formula sheet the same for Foundation and Higher?
No. Each tier gets a sheet matching its content, so Higher-only formulae such as the quadratic formula and the sine and cosine rules appear on the Higher sheet. Exam boards must publish each year's sheets by 1 September the year before the exams, so download the exact one for your board and tier.
Does this apply to IGCSE, or to Wales and Northern Ireland?
The decisions described here are Ofqual's, so they apply to GCSEs regulated in England. International GCSEs (such as Edexcel or Cambridge IGCSE) and qualifications regulated in Wales or Northern Ireland follow their own rules — check with your exam board.
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Sudershan Soni
Founder & Lead Tutor at Mostak Services — an MSc-qualified Mathematics, Science, Computer Science & STEM tutor with 20+ years of professional experience, teaching students from 11+ and GCSE to A-Level and beyond, online worldwide.
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