Opening Maths Unlocked
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Opening Maths Unlocked
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GCSE MATHS REVISION
Aiming for a Grade 4 in GCSE Maths? The most effective approach is not to try to revise every topic at once. Start by securing the fundamental skills that appear throughout Foundation Maths, then build into the more demanding Foundation content.
There is no official list of "Grade 4 topics". Your final grade is based on the marks you earn across the papers, and exam questions can combine several mathematical skills. This checklist is therefore a revision priority guide rather than a promise that learning a particular set of topics will guarantee a Grade 4.
Work through the three stages below. If a skill feels secure, move on. If you regularly make mistakes, use Maths Unlocked to practise that skill before progressing.
Updated 29 September 2026
Stage 1 of 3
These are the foundations that support a large amount of GCSE Maths. Weaknesses here can make many other questions harder, so prioritise these before moving on to more demanding content.
Stage 2 of 3
Once the core skills are becoming reliable, build into the wider Foundation curriculum. These topics often require you to combine more than one basic skill or apply mathematics in unfamiliar contexts.
Stage 3 of 3
These are more demanding Foundation-tier skills. You do not need every question on an exam to be correct to achieve Grade 4, but becoming confident with more of this content gives you more opportunities to collect marks across the papers.
— You can answer a typical question on this skill without notes or help.
— You understand the method but still make mistakes or need reminders.
— You are unsure how to begin or do not yet understand the method.
Start with the skills marked Practise. These are often the quickest gains because you already understand some of the mathematics. Then work on the Learn skills, while revisiting Secure skills regularly so that they stay fluent.
If your exam is approaching, prioritise accuracy and fluency in the Secure First section before trying to master every difficult Foundation topic. Strong arithmetic, fractions, percentages, ratio, basic algebra and core geometry are used throughout GCSE Maths.
Then focus on the topics where you are already close to being successful. Turning an occasional correct answer into a reliable one is often more useful than spending all of your revision time on a topic you have never understood.
Finally, practise mixed questions and exam-style problems. GCSE Maths does not assess topics only in isolation: questions can require you to recognise which mathematics to use and combine several skills.
You can also improve your chances of collecting marks by making your existing knowledge more reliable.
Write down the main steps of your method. Even when the final answer is wrong, correct working may earn method marks.
Practise using the calculator you will take into the exam, including fractions, powers, roots and brackets.
Underline or identify the information you need and make sure you answer what has actually been asked.
Look for required units, decimal places or significant figures before moving on.
If you are stuck, move on and come back later rather than losing a large amount of time on one question.
Foundation tier offers grades 1 to 5. Higher tier offers grades 4 to 9, with a limited Grade 3 safety net for students who narrowly miss Grade 4. A Grade 4 or 5 has the same value whether it is achieved through Foundation or Higher tier. Your school decides which tier is appropriate for you.