Tutor tip
"Accuracy is everything in Statistics, take extra care with calculations particularly if there are follow up questions based on previous answers."
Statistics 1 is the first applied unit of the Edexcel International A-Level in Mathematics. Every topic below has exam-style questions and full worked solutions, free to download.
What's on Statistics 1
Statistics 1 covers six topics: representations of data, including histograms, box plots and stem and leaf diagrams; measures of spread and location — mean, median, quartiles, standard deviation and interpolation; probability, including Venn diagrams, tree diagrams and conditional probability; correlation and regression; discrete random variables and their expectation and variance; and the normal distribution. The unit rewards precision in wording as much as in calculation. A large share of the marks go to interpreting a result in context — saying what a correlation coefficient means for the data, or why a regression line should not be used outside the range of the data — and those marks are lost by writing a number without a sentence. The normal distribution is where the arithmetic is hardest. Standardising, reading tables backwards to find a value from a probability, and handling problems with two unknowns all appear regularly.
How Statistics 1 is examined
Statistics 1 is a written paper of 1 hour 30 minutes worth 75 marks, sat in the January, June or October series, counting for one sixth of the full International A-Level. A formula booklet and statistical tables are provided. Answers should normally be given to three significant figures unless the question says otherwise, and unrounded values should be carried through intermediate steps.
Practise Statistics 1 by topic
Every chapter below has exam-style questions with full worked solutions, free to download. Representations of data — histograms with unequal class widths, box plots, stem and leaf diagrams, and identifying outliers using the quartile rule. Measures of spread and location — mean, median and mode from grouped data, quartiles and percentiles by interpolation, variance and standard deviation, and coding. Probability — Venn diagrams, tree diagrams, mutually exclusive and independent events, and conditional probability. Correlation and regression — the product moment correlation coefficient, the regression line of y on x, and interpreting both in the context of the data. Discrete random variables — probability distributions, cumulative distribution functions, expectation and variance, and the discrete uniform distribution. The normal distribution — standardising, using the tables in both directions, and problems with an unknown mean, standard deviation, or both.
Statistics 1 questions — common questions
Guided courses covering probability and data handling are in the courses hub. H2 — Statistics 1 questions — common questions How long is the Statistics 1 exam? 1 hour 30 minutes, worth 75 marks.