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Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Majority of parents unable to answer 'tough' GCSE Maths question
The maths question stumped the majority of parents who were asked if they could solve it With exam season in full swing, parents will want to do all they can to help their children prepare for their all-important GCSEs. But, a recent survey found that grown-ups might struggle helping their teens with some of the questions that they have to face in the exam hall. As students are in the midst of their maths GCSE, a new survey of UK parents by Save My Exams has revealed that a staggering eight in 10 parents were unable to answer a past maths GCSE question. Millions of teenagers are due to sit, or have already taken, some of their GCSE exams. With secondary school students receiving revision support from parents in the build-up, experts from Save My Exams have challenged parents to answer a maths question that would feature across both the foundation and higher papers. Save My Exams asked 500 parents to answer a past paper GCSE maths question and found that 85% wouldn't have got the marks. From those surveyed, 55% got the question wrong. Up to 30% simply couldn't provide an answer at all, which would mean missing out on vital marks in a test. Over three in 10 parents surveyed said that they were not confident that they would pass their child's GCSE exams. Almost a third (28%) also stated a lack of confidence and uncertainty in their child passing their GCSEs this year. The question was: "Chris, Debbie and Errol share some money in the ratio 3:4:2." It adds: "Debbie gets £120. Chris then gives some of his share to Debbie and Errol. "The money that Chris, Debbie and Errol each have is in the ratio 2:5:3." Students are then asked to calculate "how much money did Chris give to Errol?" Lucy Kirkham, head of STEM at Save My Exams, explained how to solve the question and get a full-mark answer. Below, there is a full-colour coded guide that shows Lucy's working out (something that students must remember to demonstrate in exams to gain additional marks). She said: "This GCSE Maths question relates to changing ratios. It requires students, and parents, to correctly find the value of one part, in order to work out how much money Chris gave to Errol. "Before being able to calculate this, you first need to work out how much each part of the ratio is worth by dividing how much Debbie gets by her part of the ratio, then multiplying this by Chris and Errol's ratios. One part is therefore worth £30, multiplying this by each of the other shares, Errol gets £60 and Chris £90, meaning they have shared £270 in total. "In the second ratio, there are 10 shares in total (2 + 5 + 3 = 10) so one part is equivalent to £27, as you divide the total amount the friends have by the total shares in the new ratio. Finally, you can work out how much Errol now gets by deducting the two values Errol had in each ratio, giving a final answer of £21."
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
'Impossible' GCSE question is so tough it baffles both parents and kids
Secondary school students around the UK are sitting their GCSE exams this week, and to mark the occasion, we've found a tricky maths question that even parents can't answer This week, teenagers across the UK are sitting their GCSE exams in a range of subjects, including maths. But there's been one GCSE calculation, labelled 'impossible', that has left even parents stumped when trying to figure out the answer. Secondary school students will no doubt be working hard and cramming in some last-minute revision sessions this week as they sit an exam for each of their subjects. For many students - and adults - maths is one of the hardest subjects to get to grips with, and there'll be no shortage of teens spending extra time making sure they've nailed their algebra and fractions before their exam. And if you're a student looking for some extra revision material, or a parent wanting to see just how hard the GCSE exams of the current day are, why not try and complete this fiendishly difficult question that was featured in a real maths exam? The question was put together after research from Save My Exams, who challenged parents to answer it and found that 100% of those quizzed got the answer wrong. Of course, expecting students to pass every question on their exam papers is unreasonable. But the challenge goes to show just how difficult the tests can be - and how much kudos kids deserve. It also revealed that parents might have some revision of their own to do. Surprisingly, the trick question failed to dent parents' confidence, despite their poor results. Of the 1,000 parents quizzed, 92% were unable to answer the question at all, and 8% failed to get the correct answer. Yet, an average of 75% of these parents still believed they could pass their children's exams. One in two (52%) admitted they don't always understand the homework questions their children are set, though. The GCSE maths question that the parents failed shows a shape with all its measurements in centimetres, where the area of the shape is A cm² and respondents are asked to show that A = 2x² + 24x + 46. Thankfully, Save My Exams' maths lead Lucy Kirkham has worked out the answer for anyone left stuck by the question. Sharing advice, Lucy said: "Seeing questions with loads of Algebra can be scary but breaking them down into smaller chunks will help you work through them more easily. "Our maths experts at Save My Exams create colour-coded model answers which break down each question into easier steps to carefully guide users to the correct answer. "This question gives you the answer you're working towards, which can sometimes be off-putting as you wonder 'How am I ever going to get there?'. Don't let it worry you, just try to start with the first step and you'll surprise yourself with how far you can get! "Even if you don't get all the way through, marks are awarded for different stages of your working so you can always try to pick up some marks and use our model answers to see how you'd pick up the rest." It is not just maths that confuses parents, however, though it ranked as the worst subject. According to the research by Save My Exams, parents struggled the most with Maths (53%), followed by Science (35%), Spanish (30%), French (29%) and English Literature (27%). A version of this story was first published on December 25th 2022.
Daily Record
08-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
'Tricky' maths exam question leaves 85% of parents stumped - but can you answer it correctly?
A new survey of UK parents has found that eight in 10 people were unable to answer a past maths GCSE question, which looked at ratios. A maths exam question has proven so challenging that it left 85-per cent of people stumped while trying to solve it. The arrival of May marks the beginning of exam season, with millions of pupils putting their rigorous revision to the test. Regardless of whether you were a maths prodigy during your school days or someone who has completely erased all recollections of maths classes, the stress and anxiety linked with taking an exam are all too familiar. A recent survey conducted by Save My Exams among UK parents revealed that eight out of 10 parents couldn't answer a previous maths GCSE question concerning ratios. Ratios might initially appear complex, but there are formulas to decipher them. Numerous maths experts utilise social media platforms to demonstrate the correct approach to such questions. In one popular video, a secondary school teacher - who also serves as the head of maths - explained how to dissect and respond to a maths exam question about the ratio of sweets hypothetically received by three children. As exams approach, many secondary school students receive revision assistance from their parents. Bearing this in mind, experts from Save My Exams asked 500 parents to answer a past paper GCSE maths question, reports the Mirror. The question, which would be included in both the foundation and higher paper, left 85-per cent of individuals unable to provide a solution. In fact, 55-per cent of participants answered incorrectly, while 30-per cent couldn't provide an answer at all. UK secondary school students' parents were faced with a tricky question about changing ratio. Lucy Kirkham, head of STEM at Save My Exams, unravelled the solution, saying: "This GCSE Maths question relates to changing ratios, and requires students and parents to correctly find the value of one part, in order to work out how much money Chris gave to Errol. "Before being able to calculate this, you first need to work out how much each part of the ratio is worth by dividing how much Debbie gets by her part of the ratio, then multiplying this by Chris and Errol's ratios." Debbie's part in the ratio was 4 and she received £120. So, the first step would be to divide 120 by 4, giving an answer of 30. This figure can then be multiplied by each of the figures in the original ratio (3:4:2) to show how much each person received. Chris received three shares and 3 x 30 is 90, meaning he received £90. Errol received two shares and 2 x 30 is 60. She continued: "One part is therefore worth £30, multiplying this by each of the other shares, Errol gets £60 and Chris £90, meaning they have shared £270 in total. "In the second ratio, there are 10 shares in total (2 + 5 + 3 = 10) so one part is equivalent to £27, as you divide the total amount the friends have by the total shares in the new ratio." Errol had three shares in the second ratio and 3 x 27 is 81. The expert explained: "Finally, you can work out how much Errol now gets by deducting the two values Errol had (this would be £81 minus £60) in each ratio, giving a final answer of £21."
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Tricky GCSE maths question is so hard it leaves 85% of people stumped
The month of May is typically the start of exam season up and down the UK, with millions of secondary school children now having to put all their hard work and revision to the test A GCSE maths question is so difficult, it left 85% of people scratching their heads in a bid to try and answer it correctly. The month of May signals the start of exam season, with millions of pupils putting their hard work and revision to the test. Whether you were a maths whizz during your time at school, or someone who's banished all memories of maths lessons from your mind, the nerves and anxiety associated with sitting an exam are all too easy to remember. A new survey of UK parents by Save My Exams revealed that eight in 10 parents were unable to answer a past maths GCSE question which looked at ratios. Ratios can seem tricky at first, but there are formulas to work them out. Many maths experts take to social media to share the correct method to tackling such questions. In one particularly popular video, a secondary school teacher - and head of maths - detailed how to break down and answer a maths exam question on the ratio of sweets a hypothetical trio of children received. In the run up to their GCSEs, many secondary school children receive revision support from their parents or guardians. With that in mind, experts from Save My Exams asked 500 parents to answer a past paper GCSE maths question. The question, which would feature across both the foundation and higher paper, left 85% of people unable to answer it. 55% of respondents got it wrong, while 30% were unable to provide an answer at all. Parents of UK secondary school students were asked to answer the following question: 'Chris, Debbie and Errol share some money in the ratio 3:4:2. Debbie gets £120. Chris then gives some of his share to Debbie and some of his share to Errol. The money that Chris, Debbie and Errol each have is now in the ratio 2:5:3. How much money did Chris give to Errol?' The question relates to the topic of changing ratio. Lucy Kirkham, head of STEM at Save My Exams, explained the answer: 'This GCSE Maths question relates to changing ratios, and requires students and parents to correctly find the value of one part, in order to work out how much money Chris gave to Errol. 'Before being able to calculate this, you first need to work out how much each part of the ratio is worth by dividing how much Debbie gets by her part of the ratio, then multiplying this by Chris and Errol's ratios.' Debbie's part in the ratio was 4 and she received £120. So, the first step would be to divide 120 by 4, giving an answer of 30. This figure can then be multiplied by each of the figures in the original ratio (3:4:2) to show how much each person received. Chris received three shares and 3 x 30 is 90, meaning he received £90. Errol received two shares and 2 x 30 is 60. Kirkham continued: 'One part is therefore worth £30, multiplying this by each of the other shares, Errol gets £60 and Chris £90, meaning they have shared £270 in total. 'In the second ratio, there are 10 shares in total (2 + 5 + 3 = 10) so one part is equivalent to £27, as you divide the total amount the friends have by the total shares in the new ratio.' Errol had three shares in the second ratio and 3 x 27 is 81. The expert added: 'Finally, you can work out how much Errol now gets by deducting the two values Errol had (this would be £81 minus £60) in each ratio, giving a final answer of £21.'
