Could YOU pass this GCSE maths exam? As teenagers across the UK brave gruelling tests, try your hand at these problems
This year's GCSE exams are well under way and the first maths paper - one of three - has come and gone.
And parents who have children going through the turbulent period in their academic careers will surely be grappling with very anxious teenagers cramming their studies well into the night.
As pupils wade through last-minute revision before the next test on June 4, mothers and fathers being consulted on mock papers are undoubtedly faced with the task of brushing up on their long-forgotten skills.
A series of concepts are explored in Year 10 and 11 - from algebra, geometry , ratio and statistics.
Yet, few will remember even the most basic of elements.
But how would you fare in a quiz intended for 16-year-olds?
Whether you'll sit around twiddling your thumbs or ace some speedy sums - here's a chance to try your hand at it.
Below are some real questions taken from a non-calculator paper. Try your best then check the answers at the bottom...
We'll start off easy but you might need a pen and paper. Here are 13 questions from a GCSE mathematics exam:
1. Work out 6.3 x 2.4
2. (a) Write 156 as a product of its prime factors
(b) Find the highest common factor of 156 and 130
3. Work out the value of:
4. The mean length of 5 sticks is 4.2cm. Nawal measured the length of one of the sticks as 7cm
Nawal made a mistake. The stick was not 7cm long. It was 17cm long
(b) How does this affect your answer to part (a)?
5. Mano has three shelves of books
There are x books on shelf A
There are (3x + 1) books on shelf B
There are (2x – 5) books on shelf C
There is a total of 44 books on the three shelves
All the books have the same mass
The books on shelf B have a total mass of 7500g
Work out the total mass of the books on shelf A
6. (a) Factorise:
7. The normal price of a mattress is reduced by 40% in a sale
The price of the mattress in the sale is £660
Work out the normal price of the mattress
8. The circumference of a circle is 10m
Work out the area of the circle
Give your answer in terms of π
9. The straight line L has equation 2y = 3x – 7
Find an equation of the straight line perpendicular to L that passes through (6, –5)
10. Here is triangle ABC
Find the size of angle ABC
11. Solid A and solid B are similar
The ratio of the height of solid A to the height of solid B is 2 : 5
The volume of solid A is 12cm3 (cubed)
Work out the volume of solid B
12. The 2nd term of a geometric sequence is:
The 3rd term of the sequence is:
Find the value of the common ratio of the sequence
Give your answer in the below form, where a and b are integers
13. Spinner A and spinner B are each spun once
The probability that spinner A lands on red is 1/4
The probability that both spinner A and spinner B land on red is 1/24
Work out the probability that one spinner lands on red and the other spinner does not land on red
ANSWERS
1. 15.12
2. (a)
(b) 26
3. 17
4. (a) 3.5
(b) it reduced the mean/my answer will be less/the answer will be 1/it will be 2.5 less
5. 2400
6. (a)
(b)
7. 1100
8.
9.
10. 120
11. 187.5
12.
13. 1/3
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Did Welsh Rarebit start out as a joke by the English?
It's a beloved national dish of Wales and is found on restaurant menus across the country, but did Welsh rarebit actually start life as a joke played by the English?Toasted bread smothered in a rich, cheesy sauce - what's not to love? But the origin stories of this nostalgic comfort food are as varied as the recipes you can use to make credit poor farmers using a clever substitute for meat while others think English pubs coined the name as a joke, mocking the Welsh for not affording real which of these cheesy tales cuts the mustard? Welsh food historian and author Carwyn Graves said rarebit was "clearly associated with cultural and ethnic Welshness", with cheese being a vital part of European diets for a long time, especially in regions like Wales, where the dairy industry the Middle Ages, before refrigeration, cheese and butter were essential for preserving milk from the spring and summer for use during the colder was also a vital source of protein for poorer communities, particularly in areas like Wales and the Alps, where meat was scarce. In Wales, melted or roasted cheese became popular across all social classes, eventually evolving into Welsh 1536 Act of Union, incorporating Wales into England, saw Welsh migrants bringing melted cheese dishes to English Graves said the English saw it as an ethnic curiosity, even joking about 16th Century tale sees Saint Peter trick Welshmen with the call caws bobi - Welsh for roasted cheese - which he said reflected the dish's cultural ties to name Welsh rarebit appeared much later, with early English cookbooks, such as Hannah Glasse's in 1747, using terms including Welsh rabbit and Scotch rabbit for similar cheese on toast Mr Graves said there was no historical evidence linking the name to actual rabbits and he said the theory that poor people couldn't afford rabbit meat and used cheese instead was unproven. Kacie, from The Rare Welsh Bit food blog said Welsh rarebit, also known as Welsh rabbit, originated in the 1500s as a popular dish among Welsh working-class families who couldn't afford meat like rabbit, using cheese on toast as a substitute. According to her, the dish was first recorded in 1725 and over time, the name shifted from Welsh rabbit to Welsh rarebit, possibly to move away "from patronising connotations associated with the nature of the dish as a poor man's supper". Katrina from Real Girls Travel explained "nobody's quite sure how the name came about", but it's generally believed "Welsh rarebit" likely began as a joke about the poor people of south Wales, who were thought to live on rabbit and ale. She added that many mistakenly think Welsh rarebit contains rabbit because the dish was originally called "Welsh rabbit" in 1725. According to Katrina, the name probably changed because, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the English often gave humorous or fanciful names to regional foods, making the change "an attempt to make it a more fitting dish"."I personally think it was a language barrier or a strong Welsh accent that gave the dish its name," she added. In Sarah Fritsche's blog the Cheese Professor, she explained the word "Welsh" was used as an insult in 1700s Britain, similar to how "welch" functioned as a pejorative. According to Ms Fritsche, "rabbit" was used humorously because only the wealthy could afford real rabbit, making the cheesy toast a "poor person's substitute".She added "rarebit" was a corruption of "rabbit" and is unique to this dish, first appearing as "rare bit". Rose Geraedts, originally from the Netherlands, has lived in Brecon, Powys, for 20 years and runs the International Welsh Rarebit opened the business eight years ago after noticing cafes and pubs in the area were not serving it, despite high demand from tourists. "I thought it was crazy that a national dish wasn't on the menu. I think many saw it as old-fashioned," she took over a disused Victorian school building, renovated it and made Welsh rarebit the star of the show."It seemed mad not to do it - but a lot of people think I'm nuts," she cafe now offers six varieties and Ms Geraedts said customers loved the dish's rich, comforting flavour, seasoned with cayenne pepper, nutmeg, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Ms Geraedts said she had welcomed visitors from around the world, from Australia to America, and even served celebrities including Jonathan Ross and rugby legend Gareth added: "People love it because it's nostalgic. They remember their mother or grandmother making it."It's much more than just dry cheese on toast."Ms Geraedts believes rarebit became popular due to Wales' connection to cheese-making, despite its name being a sarcastic "patronising" English joke. University lecturer, dietician, cook and food writer Beca Lyne-Pirkis said she first learned to make Welsh rarebit with her grandparents so it brings back "nostalgic memories".The 43-year-old, from Cardiff, said it was a great first dish to learn as it's "more complicated than cheese on toast" but not too Lyne-Pirkis said she has two versions - a rich, roux-based recipe with cheddar, beer, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and a quicker one mixing egg, cheese, and seasoning to spread on toast. The dish stayed with her through her university years and is now a favourite with her children."I fell in love with the flavour," she said."When I eat it I get the nostalgic childhood feeling as I have so many fond memories of eating it. That's where my love of food came from."Whatever the roots, Ms Lyne-Pirkis said rarebit was now a timeless, adaptable national dish rooted in family stories and experimentation."Every recipe has its own story, which helps keep the recipe alive."
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Killer sudoku 973
Click here to access the print version. Normal sudoku rules apply, except the numbers in the cells contained within dotted lines add up to the figures in the corner. No number can be repeated within each shape formed by dotted lines. To see the completed puzzle, buy the next issue of the Guardian (for puzzles published Monday to Thursday). Solutions to Friday and Saturday puzzles are given in either Saturday's or Monday's edition.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Sudoku 6,924 expert
Click here to access the print version. Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. To see the completed puzzle, buy the next issue of the Guardian (for puzzles published Monday to Thursday). Solutions to Friday and Saturday puzzles are given in either Saturday's or Monday's edition.
