BA/MMath in Mathematics Handbook (2025-26 Entry)

8.1 College Examinations

College tutors will organise college examinations, called collections, usually at the start of term. They are not to be confused with the University public examinations, which may count towards your degree classification(s). Collections are an opportunity to check on how you are progressing academically and provide you with the feedback to allow you to identify misunderstandings you may have with the material and improve your examination technique. 

8.2 University Examinations

For the undergraduate degrees in Mathematics you will sit examinations each year in Trinity term, called public examinations. The regulations governing the examinations are set out in the University Examination Regulations (see section 1.2) and guidance for students is given in the examination conventions. 

For each examination (Prelims, Part A and Part B), the department nominates a board of examiners, which is made up of internal examiners, and for the second public examinations, external examiners (academics from another university). The names of all examiners can be found in the relevant examination conventions. Assessors may also be appointed to assist the examiners. Formally, the examiners are independent of the Department and of those who lecture courses. However, for written papers in mathematics, the examiners are expected to consult with the course lecturers in the process of setting questions. It must be stressed that to preserve the independence of the examiners, students are strictly prohibited from contacting examiners directly about matters relating to the content or marking of papers. If you are unhappy with an aspect of your assessment you may make a complaint or appeal (see Appendix E)

8.3 Examination Conventions

The department publishes examination conventions for each year of the course, which are published online at: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/members/students/undergraduate-courses/examinations-assessments/examination-conventions. 

The definitive version of the conventions is made available online each October/November. Modifications must be published to prospective candidates not less than one whole term before the examination takes place. Examination conventions are the formal record of the specific assessment standards for the course or courses to which they apply. They set out how your examined work will be marked and how the resulting marks will be used to arrive at a final result and classification of your award. They include information on: marking scales, marking and classification criteria, scaling of marks, progression, resits, use of viva voce examinations, penalties for late submission, and penalties for over-length work. 

The examination conventions also contain details of how mathematics examinations are marked, and include qualitative class descriptors. 

8.4 Preparation for Examinations

Your tutors will advise you about revision and practice. The department holds examination forums, one for Prelims and one for Finals, to provide advice on revision techniques and give further details about the format of the examinations. There are also a number of revision resources available on the Mathematical Institute's website: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/members/students/undergraduate-courses/examinations-assessments/revision-resources

There are also some marked specimen solutions available to give a few examples of how answers might be written out and marked, and to indicate the level of detail expected. These can be found here: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/members/students/undergraduate-courses/examinations-assessments/specimen-solutions

In subjects which were taught in previous years, past examination papers are another good guide to the typical format and content of examination questions. However, please note that previous papers may have been set on different syllabi and you will need to be guided to relevant questions by your tutors. Students will find past papers most valuable when used in conjunction with corresponding examiners' reports. Examiners' reports will include generic feedback on the cohort performance and these are useful to see what the Examiners were looking for (and also give you hints about how to solve the questions). The past papers can be found online at: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/discovery/search?vid=44OXF_INST:SOLO&search_scope=EXAMP and the examiners' reports can be found online at: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/members/students/undergraduate-courses/examinations-assessments/examiners-reports. 

8.5 Some thoughts on Revision and Exam Technique

Please find a useful guide to revision and exam technique here: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/Revision_advice_final_0.pdf

8.6 Entering for University Examinations and Examination Timetables

Entry for the Prelims examinations happens automatically when you register at the beginning of the year. Information about entering for examinations in future years is available online at: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams. 

You will be issued with a personal timetable of examinations which will be sent to you at least five weeks before the examination. This gives details of where and when each of the written papers for which you are entered will take place. You will also receive a randomly allocated candidate number which you will use to identify your scripts, instead of your name and college. You must take your candidate number to every examination you sit. As a general guide, Trinity term examinations take place in the following weeks:

• Part B: Weeks 6-8TT
• Part A: Weeks 8-9 TT
• Prelims: Week 9 TT

Further information on examination timetables can be found at: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/timetables

8.7 Procedure for Written Examinations

Before the examinations you will receive at least one notice to candidates from the examiners to give you the details of the examination procedure. These notices are also published online at: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/members/students/undergraduate-courses/examinations-assessments/examination-conventions

Details of examinations to be held in Trinity term 2026 will be announced shortly. Practical information and support for sitting in person exams is provided on the Oxford students website: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/completing-an-exam/in-person-exams. 

8.8 Problems completing Assessments

There are a number of University processes in place to help you if you find that illness or other personal circumstances are affecting your assessments or if you experience technical difficulties with an online exam or submission. Full information is available online at: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/problems-completing-your-assessment

8.9 Examination Results

You will be able to access your results via the Student Self Service at: https://evision.ox.ac.uk/. The Academic and Assessment Results page within Student Self Service gives details of all your assessment results (examinations and/or submissions) and the overall result for the year (if applicable). 

8.10 First Public Examination

At the end of Trinity term of the first year you will sit the Preliminary Examination in Mathematics, which you need to pass in order to proceed to Part A. The examination consists of five papers: Mathematics I - Mathematics V. The examinations are either 2, 2.5 or 3 hours' duration. The examiners will also consider the marks awarded for your work on the Computational Mathematics projects. Candidates shall be deemed to have passed the examination if they have satisfied the examiners in all five papers and the practical assessment. The overall outcome (distinction/pass/fail) is calculated from the USMs for individual papers according to the following:

Two weighted averages, AV1 and AV2, are calculated below. The first, AV1, includes Computational Mathematics, and the second, does not. 

\[
Av_1 = \frac{MI + MII + \frac{6}{5}(MIII) + MIV + \frac{4}{5}(MV) + \frac{1}{3}CM}{5 \frac{1}{3}},
\]

\[
Av_2 = \frac{MI + MII + \frac{6}{5}(MIII) + MIV + \frac{4}{5}(MV)}{5},
\]

Both weighted averages are symmetrically rounded (i.e. 62.49 would be rounded down, 62.5 would be rounded up). 

Year outcomes will be awarded according to the following conventions:

• Distinction: Both AV1 ≥ 70 and AV2 ≥ 70, and a mark of at least 40 on each paper and for the practical assessment. 
• Pass: Not meriting a distinction and a mark of at least 40 on each paper and for the practical assessment. 
• Partial Pass: A mark of at least 40 on three or more of Papers I-V but do not meet the criteria for a pass or distinction. Such candidates may be required to resit the failed paper(s) and/or practical assessment before being awarded their final year outcome (see section 8.10.1 below)
• Fail: A mark of less than 40 on three or more papers

Computational Mathematics

Marks for the Computational Mathematics projects will be communicated to the Moderators early in Trinity term. The raw marks will consist of two marks out of 20 but will be incorporated into the average Prelims USM (AV1) as the equivalent of one third of a paper. 

8.10.1 Resits

Those who fail one or more of the Prelims papers in June, or who were unable to sit the examination because of illness or other urgent and reasonable cause, may enter for the Preliminary Examination in September (Resits). A candidate who failed one or two papers will be required to resit and pass those papers only to progress to Part A; any candidate failing three or more papers will be required to resit all five papers. A candidate who fails to satisfy the moderators in the practical work assessment may also offer the assessment on one subsequent occassion. 

8.11 Second Public Examination

The Second Public Examination has three parts: Part A taken at the end of the second year, Part B taken at the end of the third year, and Part C taken at the end of the fourth year. You need to complete the Part A exams before you can take Part B, and only students who obtain a Part B average of 59.5 or higher, qualify to proceed to Part C. 

The marks for the papers you take at Parts A & B are combined to give an average USM and classification for Parts A & B together. The relative weighting of Part A is 40% and of Part B is 60%. If you choose to finish your degree after Part B, and have satisfied the examiners, you will qualify for the degree of BA in Mathematics. This degree will have the classification you achieved overall at Parts A & B. 

Students who choose to stay for Part C will receive a separate classification for Part C based on their marks for the papers taken at Part C. Students who satisfy the examiners at Part C qualify for the degree of MMath in Mathematics and the degree will have two classifications, one for Parts A & B and one for Part C. Both classifications will appear on a student's degree certificate and transcript. Part C classifications will be based on the pass, merit and distinction scale in line with other MSc programmes. 

For further information on the Parts A, B and C examinations, please see the examination conventions. 

8.12 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional. Under the regulation for examinations, intentional or reckless plagiarism is a disciplinary offence. Please see the University's guidance on plagiarism here for further information: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism. 

You should take particular care to avoid plagiarism in any work you will be submitting for assessment, such as the Prelims Computational Mathematics projects or projects in Part B. 

The work you submit should be entirely your own, you should not copy someone else's work, and you will be asked to sign a declaration to this effect when you submit your work. You should ensure that any text which you have taken from lecture notes, books, or other sources, is properly identified and a full reference given.  

8.13 Prizes

The following prizes are available for undergraduate students. These are awarded by the examiners, and no application is necessary. A list of previous winners is available online at: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/members/students/undergraduate-courses/ba-master-mathematics/examinations-assessments/prizes

Prelims

• Departmental Prize for Mathematics or Mathematics and Statistics candidates
• Performance in Philosophy Prize

Part A

• Two Gibbs Mathematics Prizes for Mathematics or Mathematics and Statistics candidates
• Gibbs Prize for Mathematics and Philosophy candidates

Part B

• Two Gibbs Mathematics Prizes for Mathematics candidates
• A Gibbs Prize for Mathematics and Statistics candidates
• Gibbs Mathematics Prize for Mathematics and Philosophy candidates for performance in Mathematics papers
• Gibbs Mathematics Prize for Mathematics and Philosophy candidates for performance in Philosophy papers
• Two Junior Mathematical Prizes
• IMA Prize of a year's free membership