Formula Sheets Confirmed for AQA Maths and Combined Science Through 2027 — What Changes in the Exam

What was decided and when

In October 2024, the Department for Education confirmed that Ofqual rules would be updated to require all exam boards — including AQA — to provide formulae and equation sheets alongside GCSE Maths, Physics, and Combined Science exam papers. The decision covers the 2025, 2026, and 2027 exam series. AQA published its formula sheets by 1 September 2025 for the June 2026 exams, and will publish the 2027 versions by 1 September 2026.

What the sheet includes

For AQA GCSE Maths, the formula sheet covers the formulae that were previously required to be memorised: the quadratic formula, the sine and cosine rules, the formula for the area of a triangle using trigonometry, volumes of cones and spheres, and others. For Combined Science, the equation sheet covers all the physics equations in the specification — forces, energy, waves, electricity, and space — that students previously had to recall from memory.

Importantly, the sheet is a clean copy provided with each exam paper. You cannot annotate it in advance or bring your own copy. You receive it at the start of the exam.

What does not change

Having the formula does not mean you can use it without understanding. AQA examiners consistently report that the marks lost are rarely on recall — they are on applying formulae correctly: substituting the right values, rearranging equations, using consistent units, and interpreting the result. The formula sheet removes one layer of difficulty but does not remove the need to understand the maths behind each formula.

What changes after 2027

The formula sheet arrangement runs through 2027 only. The DfE's Curriculum and Assessment Review is expected to set longer-term expectations for reformed qualifications first taught in 2029 or 2030. Whether formula sheets will continue beyond 2027 under the new qualification framework has not yet been confirmed.

How to use the formula sheet effectively

• Familiarise yourself with the sheet before the exam — know which formulae are on it so you do not waste time searching during the paper
• Still Practice applying every formula on the sheet under exam conditions — having it available does not help if you cannot rearrange or substitute correctly
• Do not spend time memorising formulae that appear on the sheet; redirect that revision time to applying them in unfamiliar contexts
• For Combined Science equations, know what each symbol represents — the sheet gives you the formula but not the definitions