Is MathsGenie or Corbettmaths better for a student who is struggling with GCSE Maths?

MathsGenie may be the better fit when the student needs a clear route from explanation to practice, marking and a planned next step. Its lessons, topic questions, progress records and revision planner can reduce the organisational burden. Corbettmaths can be equally useful when the main need is a clear video explanation followed by printable practice. A struggling student should begin with one diagnosed weakness, not work through random resources. Teacher support remains important if the student cannot identify why an answer is wrong.

Are MathsGenie and Corbettmaths free to use?

Both provide substantial publicly accessible revision material. Corbettmaths foregrounds open videos, practice questions, worksheets, 5-a-day activities, booklets and answers. MathsGenie provides free public resources including GCSE revision materials, questions, worksheets, videos, papers and mark schemes. A free account can also save certain activity and progress information. Some advanced or higher-usage account tools have limits or belong to paid account levels. Features and access arrangements can change, so check the current official pages rather than relying on an old price or feature comparison.

Which platform is better for GCSE Maths past papers?

MathsGenie is useful if you want board-organised past papers, official mark schemes, selected worked solutions and a record of your attempts within one account. That connected record can help reveal whether scores are improving. Corbettmaths provides practice-paper collections, solutions and board-focused revision pages that are convenient for downloading or printing. Whichever platform you use, verify the examination board, tier and paper conditions, complete the paper under realistic timing, and mark against the correct scheme.

Can MathsGenie or Corbettmaths mark written GCSE Maths answers automatically?

MathsGenie advertises automatic and AI-assisted marking tools for submitted answers and uploaded work, subject to the current feature and account allowance. It also provides conventional mark schemes and worked solutions. Corbettmaths primarily supports self-marking through answers and model solutions. Automatic feedback can save time, but it is not the same as an official examiner’s decision. Ask a teacher to check unusual methods, unclear handwriting or any result that appears inconsistent with the mark scheme.

Which is better for GCSE Maths teachers setting homework?

MathsGenie is likely to suit teachers who want a connected class workflow. Its educator features include class join codes, assignments, automatic marking, gradebooks and views of student or class progress. Corbettmaths is convenient when a teacher wants to select a worksheet, 5-a-day task, video or booklet and distribute it through an existing school system. The right choice depends on whether the priority is minimal setup or reducing repeated marking and score administration.

Should a GCSE student use both MathsGenie and Corbettmaths?

Using both can be sensible, provided each has a defined role. For example, a student might follow a MathsGenie revision plan and progress record while using an alternative Corbettmaths video or question set when extra explanation or fresh practice is needed. Avoid completing duplicate worksheets merely to feel busy. Every activity should answer a revision need: learning an unfamiliar method, practising a weakness, checking retention or improving timed examination performance.

MathsGenie vs Corbettmaths: Which Is Better for GCSE Maths Revision?

The short answer: MathsGenie is likely to suit students who want learning, question practice, marking and revision planning connected in one account. Corbettmaths is particularly useful for direct access to videos, printable exercises and its established 5-a-day routine.

Neither is automatically the best GCSE maths revision website. Students who work well from downloaded worksheets may prefer Corbettmaths, while those who need results recorded and the next task identified may gain more from MathsGenie. Using both selectively can also work.

This comparison reflects official public information reviewed in August 2026. Features and access limits can change, so check the live product pages before making a long-term decision.

MathsGenie vs Corbettmaths at a glance

Decision area	MathsGenie	Corbettmaths	What the trade-off means
Course coverage	GCSE Maths resources are organised by examination board, qualification and tier, including AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas, OCR, WJEC and CCEA routes	A broad topic library is supported by GCSE revision pages, practice papers and board-specific collections	MathsGenie places specification selection at the centre of revision. Corbettmaths offers broad access, but students must confirm that each resource matches their board and tier
Topic teaching	Interactive lessons, revision guides, videos and worked examples sit within the same subject area	Short videos are paired with practice questions and textbook exercises across a large topic index	MathsGenie offers several connected teaching formats. Corbettmaths is simpler when a student wants to find a video and start a worksheet immediately
Worked examples	Specification-matched guides show methods step by step, with videos and selected paper solutions	Videos demonstrate methods, while model solutions support booklets and papers	Written examples let students inspect one step slowly; videos can make a process easier to follow. The better format depends on how the student learns
Question practice	Topic questions, worksheets, mini tests, exam-style questions and papers can form one practice route	Practice questions, exercises, revision booklets, 5-a-day tasks and papers provide substantial practice	MathsGenie is stronger when results should lead into another task. Corbettmaths suits students or teachers who want abundant printable work selected manually
Past papers	Papers are organised by board, year and series, with official mark schemes; account tools can save attempts and scores	GCSE revision pages include practice papers, answers and model solutions	MathsGenie adds a record around paper practice. Corbettmaths keeps access direct, but students may need their own score tracker
Marking and feedback	Mark schemes and solutions support self-marking; account tools also advertise automatic or AI-assisted feedback, subject to current limits	Answers and model solutions support self-marking	Corbettmaths works when students can diagnose errors independently. MathsGenie reduces friction by connecting marking to progress, although automated feedback cannot replace teacher judgement
Revision planning	A planner can schedule work towards exam dates, while the Scheme of Learning provides staged progression	5-a-day and time-based revision programmes provide a ready-made routine	MathsGenie can personalise what comes next. Corbettmaths offers a memorable habit but leaves the student or teacher to prioritise individual weaknesses
Progress tracking	Account features record lesson completion, paper attempts, scores and subject progress	The public-resource workflow mainly suits manual tracking	MathsGenie is clearer when evidence must persist between sessions. Corbettmaths may suit students who want minimal setup and already track work elsewhere
Teacher workflow	Teachers can create classes, share join codes, set work and view gradebook or progress information	Exercises, 5-a-day sheets, booklets and solutions can be distributed with little setup	MathsGenie can reduce administration when assignments and results belong in one system. Corbettmaths is flexible for teachers who only need individual resources

Which platform has better GCSE course coverage?

Both platforms cover the main GCSE Maths areas: number, algebra, ratio, proportion and rates of change, geometry and measures, probability, and statistics. Coverage alone therefore does not settle the MathsGenie vs Corbettmaths decision.

The important question is how clearly content connects to your specification. MathsGenie asks students to choose their qualification and examination board before presenting relevant lessons, questions and papers. Its GCSE Maths revision hub provides board-specific routes and distinguishes Foundation and Higher material.

MathsGenie also has a staged Scheme of Learning. Its first ten stages cover Foundation content, while later stages contain Higher-only work. Stage tests offer a progression route, although students revising near the examination should usually target diagnosed weaknesses rather than restart automatically at Stage 1.

Corbettmaths has an extensive searchable topic index containing videos, worksheets, practice questions, revision booklets and paper collections. This breadth helps teachers who know which skill to assign. Students must take more responsibility for checking that work suits their tier and examination board.

Topic teaching and worked examples

Corbettmaths follows a recognisable pattern: find a topic, watch its video, then open the associated questions or textbook exercise. This is efficient for students who want a concise demonstration followed by written practice. Larger Foundation and Higher revision videos also have accompanying question booklets and answers.

MathsGenie connects several explanation formats within the same course structure. Its revision guides contain specification-matched notes and worked examples, while interactive lessons record whether a topic has been started or completed. Videos remain available for visual demonstrations.

Neither format guarantees learning. After an explanation, close the example and attempt a fresh question without prompts. If you cannot reproduce the method, return to the step causing difficulty instead of replaying a full video passively.

MathsGenie has an advantage when students want to move from explanation to questions without losing the course context. Corbettmaths has an advantage when simplicity matters more than connected activity records.

Question practice and past papers

Corbettmaths offers several scales of practice. A student can complete questions on one topic, work through a mixed 5-a-day set or attempt a longer booklet or practice paper. The 5-a-day levels can make short, regular practice sustainable for students who resist longer revision sessions.

MathsGenie similarly supports topic questions, worksheets, tests and full papers. Its past-paper tools organise papers by examination board, year and series, with official mark schemes and selected worked or video solutions. Signed-in students can record attempts and scores, making paper practice part of a longer-term progress record.

Whichever platform you choose, do not move directly from watching a video to declaring a topic complete. Use this sequence:

Attempt a small set without notes.
Mark it immediately.
Record the precise error, such as “changed the inequality incorrectly” rather than “bad at algebra”.
Correct the original work.
Attempt a different question after a gap.
Use a timed paper to test whether the skill transfers into mixed exam conditions.

This process matters more than the number of worksheets downloaded.

Answer marking and feedback

Corbettmaths generally supports self-marking through answers and model solutions. This encourages students to compare their method with a completed solution, but it works best when they can identify why their answer differs and assess method marks honestly.

MathsGenie provides conventional mark schemes and worked solutions, while also advertising account-based automatic and AI-assisted marking. Depending on the feature and current account allowance, its tools can add comments, apply a rubric or process uploaded paper work.

This creates a connected loop: attempt, submit, receive feedback, record the result and choose another task. It is a clear reason to consider MathsGenie as a Corbettmaths alternative.

Automated marking remains a support tool rather than an awarding-body judgement. Handwriting, unusual valid methods and unclear diagrams can complicate digital interpretation. Ask a teacher to review feedback that appears inconsistent with the official mark scheme.

Planning and progress tracking

Corbettmaths provides structure through 5-a-day and longer countdown-style revision programmes. These remove the daily decision about finding a task. However, a general mixed set may not concentrate sufficiently on the topics costing an individual student marks.

MathsGenie’s revision planner takes a more personalised approach. Students select their subjects, examination board and relevant dates, and the planner schedules lessons and homework across available study days. Completing connected work can update the plan, while account areas retain scores, attempts and progress information.

This is helpful for students who repeatedly ask, “What should I revise next?” It matters less to an organised learner who already maintains an effective timetable and error log.

Tracking must lead to action. After each result, choose one next step: relearn the method, complete fresh questions or retest the skill under timed conditions.

Which is better for teachers?

Corbettmaths is practical for quick classroom deployment. A teacher can select a video, print a worksheet, use a 5-a-day starter or distribute a revision booklet without asking students to join another digital class. This fits an existing school learning platform or paper-based system.

MathsGenie offers a more integrated workflow. Its educator information describes class creation through join codes, assignment setting, automatic marking, gradebooks, individual progress views and whole-class summaries. Results can remain in one place instead of being transferred manually.

A connected system is most valuable when staff and students use it consistently. Corbettmaths may be faster for an occasional worksheet or cover lesson. For repeated homework, intervention groups or specification-coverage monitoring, MathsGenie’s account tools may justify the setup.

How to choose the right platform

Choose MathsGenie if you need:

an examination-board-led route through Foundation or Higher content;
lessons, worked examples, questions and papers in one structure;
saved scores and progress between sessions;
revision planning that leads towards a next task;
optional automatic or AI-assisted marking;
class assignment, marking and gradebook tools.

Choose Corbettmaths if you prefer:

direct access to topic videos and printable exercises;
a simple five-question daily routine;
manually selected resources rather than a connected account;
worksheets and booklets that fit an existing teacher-led plan;
keeping records in your own notebook, spreadsheet or school system.

Use both if:

one explanation makes more sense than the other;
you need fresh questions after completing a topic set;
your teacher assigns one platform while you track independent revision elsewhere.

Do not duplicate identical work simply to use two websites. Give each resource a purpose.

Final verdict

There is no universal winner in this GCSE maths revision platform comparison. Corbettmaths is a strong option for accessible videos, printable practice and regular 5-a-day work. It suits independent students and teachers who want resources to place within an existing plan.

MathsGenie is stronger when fragmentation is the main problem. It connects learning, exam-style questions, marking, progress records and planning the next step. Not every student needs every feature, but the workflow can make revision easier to sustain and evaluate.

For more decision guides, visit the revision platform comparison hub. If the connected approach suits you, start GCSE Maths revision with MathsGenie, select the correct examination board and tier, and begin with a weakness identified from recent work.