The A level syllabus in maths has changed dramatically over the last few years. In fact sitting an A level today from different examining boards will have different syllabuses. This is why first year intakes to universities have such a varied range of knowledge and you essentially have to crash course them through mathematics by reteaching them A-level in the first 3 weeks.
Current A levels do substantially more imaginary numbers, integration, differentiation and stadard deviation statistics.
Old Alevels did much more logs, matrices and translations.
You can check with your mate teacher - the sylabus is very different. Its not an excuse for the shambles that are A-levels but giving someone a paper from a subject testing a different area to what the kids have been taught will always result in sh*t grades. At 18, most of them wont have got a broad enough feeling for mathematics to be able to handle general questions (I know I didnt). But most of them will be better at maths at the moment they take their A-level in it than 90%+ of the poppulation will be. Ask people on these forums what the point of triple differentiating the time it takes a car to move from point A to point B and the A level candidates will not only know how to do it but also why youre doing it. Most here wouldnt have a clue (even those who knew it to pass their old A-levels).
For the record though, many schools are on the verge of abandoning A-levels and switching to another examining body. I forget what its called but theres a competing one thats set to replace it since too many people are getting As.
I seem to remember there being a show on TV called thatll teach them where they summer schooled some A-level grads through the old system and then tested their results using the old tests. I never saw the end of it but presumably that would give a fair indication of the difference.
Thats the way its always been taught on Northern Ireland board exams. the only places to take english board exams over here were the 6th form colleges or techs where you went if you didnt get good GCSEs - they were always easier than the NICCEA exams.
http://www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/qualifications/results.aspx?g=1&t=1&c=&s=62&v=0Doesnt look to me to be a whole lot different to what I did? Its just split out a bit more modularly.
