Cambridge OCR

Cambridge OCR GCSE Mathematics (J560)

J560 sets six papers — three per tier, 100 marks each — and the non-calculator paper is Paper 2 at Foundation and Paper 5 at Higher, not Paper 1. What that changes for revision.

The short answer
Cambridge OCR GCSE Mathematics (J560) sets six papers in total: three at Foundation (J560/01–03) and three at Higher (J560/04–06). Each runs 1 hour 30 minutes and carries 100 marks, so a candidate sits 300 marks. The non-calculator paper is Paper 2 at Foundation and Paper 5 at Higher.

The specification at a glance

Specification code: J560
Awarding body: Cambridge OCR (renamed from OCR in September 2025)
Papers set: 6 (three per tier)
Papers sat per candidate: 3 × 1 hour 30 minutes
Marks per paper: 100 (300 total)
Total assessment time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Foundation components: J560/01, J560/02, J560/03
Higher components: J560/04, J560/05, J560/06
Non-calculator paper: J560/02 (Foundation); J560/05 (Higher)
Foundation tier: Grades 5–1
Higher tier: Grades 9–4

Six papers, three per candidate

J560 is the specification most often described incorrectly, because it is the one that does not follow the three-paper pattern. Cambridge OCR sets six components — a distinct trio for each tier — and a candidate sits the three belonging to their tier.

Each paper carries 100 marks rather than the 80 used by Edexcel and AQA, so a J560 candidate is assessed over 300 marks in the same four and a half hours.

Foundation — J560/01 (calculator), J560/02 (non-calculator), J560/03 (calculator)
Higher — J560/04 (calculator), J560/05 (non-calculator), J560/06 (calculator)
Every paper: 1 hour 30 minutes, 100 marks, one third of the qualification

The non-calculator paper is not Paper 1

This is the single most useful thing to know about J560, and the thing most commonly got wrong. On Edexcel and AQA the non-calculator paper is Paper 1. On J560 it is Paper 2 at Foundation and Paper 5 at Higher.

Students who revise on generic "GCSE maths Paper 1 is non-calculator" advice walk into the wrong exam expecting the wrong conditions. If a student has moved school, or is using revision material written for another board, check the entry before building a revision plan around it.

How the marks are split

The assessment objectives and their weightings match the other GCSE boards, because they are set nationally rather than by the awarding body.

Cambridge OCR does not publish percentage weightings per topic area in the J560 specification. AQA notes that topic weightings for GCSE Mathematics are prescribed by Ofqual and common to all boards, but since Cambridge OCR does not restate them we do not assert figures here.

AO1 — use and apply standard techniques: 50% Foundation, 40% Higher
AO2 — reason, interpret and communicate mathematically: 25% Foundation, 30% Higher
AO3 — solve problems within mathematics and in other contexts: 25% Foundation, 30% Higher

How we prepare students for J560

The first thing we confirm with a new J560 student is which components they are entered for, because the revision order depends on it. Practising non-calculator technique for a Paper 1 that permits a calculator is wasted preparation.

Beyond that the work is the same as any GCSE Mathematics route: reasoning written out properly, full papers under time, and honest tier advice before entry rather than after a mock.

Total marks a J560 candidate sits, against 240 at Edexcel and AQA: 300Total marks a J560 candidate sits, against 240 at Edexcel and AQA[1]
The non-calculator paper at Foundation tier — not Paper 1: Paper 2The non-calculator paper at Foundation tier — not Paper 1[1]
External assessment; there is no coursework component: 100%External assessment; there is no coursework component[1]

Common questions

How many papers are there in OCR GCSE Maths?

Six are set — three for Foundation (J560/01–03) and three for Higher (J560/04–06) — and each candidate sits the three for their tier. This is different from Edexcel and AQA, which set three papers used across both tiers.

Which OCR GCSE Maths paper is non-calculator?

Paper 2 (J560/02) at Foundation tier and Paper 5 (J560/05) at Higher tier. It is not Paper 1, which is the pattern on Edexcel and AQA — a difference worth confirming before planning revision.

Why is J560 worth 300 marks when other boards are 240?

Each J560 paper carries 100 marks rather than 80. The assessment time is the same four and a half hours across three papers; only the mark scale differs, and grade boundaries are set against it accordingly.

Is OCR now called Cambridge OCR?

Yes. The board was renamed Cambridge OCR from September 2025. The J560 specification and its component codes are unchanged, so entries and past papers under the OCR name still apply.

Sources

GCSE (9–1) Mathematics J560 — specification — Cambridge OCR
GCSE Mathematics J560 (from 2015) — qualification page — Cambridge OCR

Last updated August 7, 2026