Students enter our first‐year classes with a considerable diversity of mathematical skills. We have introduced a multi‐level entry scheme for first‐year engineering mathematics. Student discontinuance has been reduced from nearly 50 per cent (which is typical of similar courses in Australia) to 20 per cent. The remedial component is semi‐self‐paced and requires 80 per cent mastery. No extra resources have been required, and there has been an overall increase in the standard of the course.