Choosing the Right Books & Revision Guides for GCSE Maths

Choosing he right books can make GCSE Maths much less stressful.
You don’t need a shelf full of materials — just a small, well-chosen set that your teen will actually use.

Here’s what works best.

📘 CGPbooks.co.uk – Everything in One Place

For most families, the simplest and most effective option is CGP Books.
They publish everything your teen needs — all written in a friendly, straightforward style that matches the exam content closely.

Their range includes:

  • Textbooks – complete topic coverage, clear examples, and answers to every question

  • Revision Guides – short summaries of key ideas for quick review

  • Workbooks – hundreds of matching practice questions

  • Flashcards – perfect for recall, formulas, and key terms

💡 Because CGP covers all the exam boards (AQA, Edexcel, and OCR), you don’t need to buy separate official textbooks — these are often harder to follow and don’t include full answer sets.

🧩 How to Use Them Together

Each CGP resource has its role, but they work best as a set:

  1. Textbook – learn the topic clearly and check examples.

  2. Workbook – practise similar questions straight away.

  3. Revision Guide – use as a checklist for what’s been covered and what still needs work.

  4. Flashcards – quick bursts of self-testing to reinforce key facts and formulas.

🧠 Encourage short, regular sessions — 15–20 minutes of practice is far more effective than long, infrequent study sessions.

⏰ What to Focus on (and When)

  • Years 9–10: Use the textbook and workbook side by side for steady progress through the course.

  • Year 11: Shift focus to revision guides, workbooks, and past papers for exam practice.

  • If it’s late in Year 11: Skip the textbook — focus instead on revision and problem-solving practice.

🧮 Maths progress comes from practice — the goal isn’t to read about maths, it’s to do it.

💬 The Takeaway for Parents

You don’t need to worry about finding the perfect resource — CGP has it covered.
A textbook, revision guide, workbook, and flashcards are more than enough for any student.

🎯 Keep it simple, keep it consistent — and help your teen build the habit of regular practice.