INTERNATIONAL

AS LEVEL

MATHEMATICS

9660

2021 ASSESSMENT RESOURCES

Unit P1 Pure Mathematics (MA01)

Answers and commentaries

INTERNATIONAL AS LEVEL MATHEMATICS 9660

2021 ANSWERS AND COMMENTARIES – MA01

Copyright © 2021 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 2

The question numbers in this resource reflect the question numbers from the original papers and match

the question numbers in the corresponding 2021 assessment materials.

QUESTION 2(A)

STUDENT A

COMMENTARY

The student has obtained a correct expression containing a single square root. The surd is not fully

simplified, but this is still worthy of the method mark. The correct fully simplified answer is required for the

final mark, and the student has given this.

2 marks

M1

A1

INTERNATIONAL AS LEVEL MATHEMATICS 9660

2021 ANSWERS AND COMMENTARIES – MA01

Copyright © 2021 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 3

STUDENT B

COMMENTARY

The method mark can be given for a correct unsimplified expression containing a single square root, or for

a correct expression containing two fully simplified surds as in this case. The correct fully simplified

answer is given and so the second mark can be awarded.

In general, if a student simply states the correct final answer with no working, then no marks can be

awarded. Also, the correct final answer must come from totally correct working if the second mark is to be

given.

2 marks

M1

A1

INTERNATIONAL AS LEVEL MATHEMATICS 9660

2021 ANSWERS AND COMMENTARIES – MA01

Copyright © 2021 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 4

QUESTION 2(B)

STUDENT A

COMMENTARY

The first method mark in this question is for showing that numerator and denominator are both to be

multiplied by the conjugate of the denominator. This is an example of the minimum acceptable for this

mark to be awarded, as it is clear that it is the student’s intention to multiply both numerator and

denominator, even though the conjugates are not in brackets. Omission of the multiplication signs here

would result in this mark not being awarded.

In the second line of working the student has correctly multiplied the denominator by its conjugate. For this

mark the correct denominator can be simplified or unsimplified, but a correct multiplication must have

been carried out, and the denominator must appear as the denominator in a fraction.