A massive petition has almost 20,000 signatures as exam watchdow sdaidf it was going to 'closely monitor' the marking of the exam07:28, 05 Jun 2026Students have been left in tears after an ‘impossible’ maths paper which left one saying ‘I only got my name right’. Almost 19,000 people have signed a petition demanding a review of the Edexcel A Level Mathematics Paper 1 which was taken on Wednesday.‌The petition, published on Change.org, said questions on the pure mathematics paper required “multiple layers of reasoning”, “extended algebraic manipulation” and “unfamiliar approaches”, which disproportionately affected lower-achieving candidates.‌Youtube maths teacher Bicen Maths’ reaction to the exam was ‘Wow, that was a tough paper.’ One viewer of his reaction video said: “i only got my name right.”‌Another added: “It brings me so much comfort that everyone found it difficult. At least I know I am not the only one.” A Maths student said: “If bicen said it was a tough paper then we all cooked.”A pupil added: “Glad I wasn’t overreacting this paper felt like it came straight from hell.” Another student said: “Couldn’t tell if i was writing because i wanted to get a good grade or make the examiner laugh.”A mum or dad made the good comment: “Im a parent reading these comments. I want you all to remember how amazing and clever you all are, just for studying A-Level maths in the first place.”‌England’s exams regulator has said it is “closely monitoring” the marking of an A-level maths paper, after more than 15,000 people signed a petition demanding a review in less than 24 hours.Signatories said Wednesday’s Pearson Edexcel paper one exam was significantly more challenging than any past papers and had left students feeling “overwhelmed” and “uncertain”.‌Ofqual, which is responsible for regulating examinations in England, said it was aware of concerns and that it would be “closely monitoring” Pearson’s approach to marking the exam.“Our priority is students and ensuring their grades are a reliable indication of what they know, understand and can do,” the watchdog told the Press Association.The petition, which was created on Wednesday, said grade boundaries should reflect the difficulty of the exam. “Many students have dedicated countless hours over two years to preparing for these examinations,” it said.‌“They have attended lessons, completed extensive independent study, worked through past papers, attended revision sessions, and made considerable personal sacrifices in pursuit of their academic goals.“These students deserve confidence that their grades will reflect their mathematical ability rather than the unusual difficulty of a single examination paper.”Caroline Darrington, a spokesperson for Pearson, said the exam board was committed to ensuring a fair exam experience for all candidates.‌“Every paper is developed with input from experienced senior examiners and rigorously checked to ensure it reflects the course and meets required standards,” she said.“If a paper is found to be more difficult than previous years, grade boundaries will be set to reflect that. When setting grade boundaries, we review a range of evidence, including statistical data and expert judgment.“This process ensures students receive results that fairly reflect their performance and are comparable across exam series.”Article continues belowTo view and sign up to the petition click here.