Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate - Grade Descriptors - Pearson Edexcel

Oct 20, 2026

A set of example grade descriptors for the Pearson Edexcel Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate, outlining assessment guidance for each unit within the qualification. The descriptors explain what learners can do at Pass, Merit, Distinction, and Distinction* levels, noting that coverage is not exhaustive and may overlap across topic areas. Units include Number, Algebraic manipulation, Graphs, More graphs, and Functions, with progress examples such as surds, powers, factorisation, polynomial work, gradients, transformations, and related graph skills.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Unit 1 - Number

Unit 2 - Algebraic manipulation

Unit 3 - Graphs

Unit 4 - More graphs

Unit 5 - Functions

Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate Grade Descriptors Pearson Edexcel Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate – Grade Descriptors Below are example grade descriptors for each unit that is in our scheme of work for this qualification. These grade descriptors are not exhaustive and do not cover every possible topic/type of question that could be assessed. These are simply a guide to help you assess your student’s current progress. There is some overlap between some topics so descriptors may appear in more than one topic area. Unit 1-Number | Pass | Merit | Distinction | Distinction* | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Learners can
• write a negative power in the correct form
• simplify a number to a fractional power
• simplify a basic surd
• simplify expressions with more than one surd by simplifying and collecting like terms
• start to simplify a harder quotient in surd forme.g. showing the correct
method to rationalise the denominator | Learners can
• begin to relate to numbers that are all powers of e.g. 2 or 3 and start to work out the value of an expression in this form
• start to simplify a harder quotient in surd form, e.g. showing the correct method to rationalise the denominator and getting the expansion of the numerator or denominator correct | Learners can
• begin to relate to numbers that are all powers of e.g. 2 or 3 and make a good start to working out the value of an expression in this form
• simplify a harder quotient in surd form, e.g. showing the correct method to rationalise the denominator and getting the expansion of the numerator and denominator correct | Learners can
• relate to numbers that are all powers of e.g. 2 or 3 and make a good attempt at working out the value of an expression in this form | Unit 2-Algebraic manipulation | Pass | Merit | Distinction | Distinction* | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Learners can
• expand a pair of brackets correctly
• identify the correct row from Pascal’s Triangle and start an expansion
• factorise a quadratic
• factorise the difference of two squares
• start to use the factor theorem by choosing the correct value of x | Learners can
• fully expand and simplify a cubic given Pascal’s triangle.
• correctly substitute values for expanding a polynomial (higher order than a cubic) with the help of Pascal’s triangle.
• understand the need to complete the square fora maximum/minimum and start to complete the square
• use the factor theorem with the correct value to get to the correct outcome (zero) and write a suitable conclusion | Learners can
• correctly substitute values for expanding a polynomial (higher order than a cubic) with the help of Pascal’s triangle and evaluate some terms correctly
• understand the need to complete the square fora maximum/minimum and complete the square | Learners can
• correctly substitute values for expanding a polynomial (higher order than a cubic) with the help of Pascal’s triangle and evaluate all terms correctly
• start the process of polynomial division or use inspection to factorise a cubic | Unit 3-Graphs | Pass | Merit | Distinction | Distinction* | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Learners can
• find the gradient of a perpendicular line and the equation given the coordinate of the yintercept
• start to look at a problem with coordinate grids e.g. finding coordinates with missing values using substitution
• draw and recognise the correct general shape of a trigonometric curve | Learners can
• apply Pythagoras’Theorem to find the distance between the two coordinate points
• correctly draw a trigonometric curve and knows the coordinates at which the graphs cut the x-andy-axes | Learners can
• find the distance between two coordinate points and give the answer in correct surd form | | Unit 4 – More graphs | Pass | Merit | Distinction | Distinction* | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Learners can
• sketch a circle with the correc

FAQs

What are grade descriptors used for in this qualification?

They provide example expectations for each unit, guiding how to assess a student’s current progress. They are a guide and do not cover every possible topic or question type.

How are performance levels structured in these descriptors?

Each unit lists descriptors for Pass, Merit, Distinction, and Distinction*, describing increasing capability across the skills in that unit.

Which topics are covered across the units in the document?

The document includes Unit 1 Number, Unit 2 Algebraic manipulation, Unit 3 Graphs, Unit 4 More graphs, and Unit 5 Functions, with example skills such as surds, factorisation, gradients, and graph transformations.

Oct 20, 2026

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