Maths Genie is one of the best free GCSE maths sites. Here's what it can't do.
Maths Genie's videos and worksheets are genuinely excellent. But once your child has worked through a worksheet — and the answers are already online — there's nothing new to practise on. Bow Tie Maths generates unlimited fresh questions every session.
Try the free mini mock — no card neededWhat Maths Genie does well
Clear, free video explanations
Maths Genie's hand-written video solutions cover every GCSE topic and are praised for their clarity. Completely free to access.
Organised by topic and grade
Resources are sorted by grade level (1–9) and topic, making it easy for students to find targeted practice material quickly.
Strong past paper archive
A solid archive of past papers from Edexcel, AQA, and OCR with mark schemes — a useful reference in the run-up to exams.
The same questions, every time.
Maths Genie's worksheets come from real past papers — which means the questions are fixed, the answers are public, and once a student has done a worksheet, there's nothing genuinely new to practise on that topic. There's also no marking, no tracking, and no way to know which topics still need work. Bow Tie Maths generates fresh questions algorithmically: same topic, different numbers, every session. Students can't Google their way through it.
How they compare
| Maths Genie | Bow Tie Maths | |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh questions every session | ✗ | ✓ |
| Instant answer marking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Grade prediction (1–9) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Weekly parent progress report | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video explanations per topic | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free to start | ✓ | ✓ |
| Available without school | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Maths Genie good for GCSE revision?
Maths Genie is excellent as a starting point — the videos are clear and the worksheets are well organised. The main limitation is that the questions are static. Once a student has worked through a worksheet and the answers are available online, there's limited benefit in repeating it.
What's the difference between Maths Genie and Bow Tie Maths?
Maths Genie provides fixed worksheets from past papers and free video explanations. Bow Tie Maths generates unlimited fresh questions algorithmically — different numbers every session — and marks them instantly. Bow Tie also tracks progress and predicts a working GCSE grade.
Can Maths Genie track my child's progress?
No. Maths Genie has no accounts, no marking system, and no progress tracking. It's a library of resources that students use independently. Bow Tie Maths records every answer and updates a predicted grade after every session.
Is Maths Genie completely free?
Yes — all digital content on Maths Genie is free. The only paid options are physical printed materials. Bow Tie Maths has a free mini mock (30 questions, grade estimate, no card required), with a paid subscription for unlimited practice.
See where your child stands
30 questions. Grade estimate at the end. No card, no commitment.
Start the free mini mock