Exam-style mixed questions
Mixed questions like Essential Skills and Foundation GCSE papers
Exams mix topics together. The skill is spotting which maths a question needs, then showing your working clearly.
How to tackle an exam question
- Read the whole question twice. Underline the key numbers and what you are asked to find.
- Plan: which topic is this? Percentages? Area? Ratio?
- Show your working: you get marks for method even if the final answer is wrong.
- Check: estimate, use inverse operations, and include units.
- Watch the marks: a 1-mark question needs a quick answer; 4 marks means several steps.
Command words: Work out / Calculate (show steps), Estimate (round first), Show that (prove the given answer), Explain (use a sentence with numbers).
Worked examples
Example 1. [2 marks] Work out 35% of £240.
Example 2. [3 marks] A rectangle has an area of 48 cm² and a length of 8 cm. Find its perimeter.
Example 3. [3 marks] Solve 4(x − 1) = 2x + 10.
Example 4. [2 marks] Show that 2/3 of 72 is greater than 45% of 100.
Top tips and common mistakes
- Non-calculator papers: practise written methods for ×, ÷ and fractions.
- Calculator papers: write down the full calculator display before rounding.
- If you are stuck, move on and come back later.
Mixed questions keep my brain on its toes. I like to guess the topic before I start!
Practise
Answer as many as you like. Every question is new, and you get a “correct” tick for each one you get right first time. Use “Show answer” to see a worked solution.
Quiz: earn your stamp
Printable worksheet
Exam-style mixed questions worksheet. The questions come first and the answers for grown-ups are on the last page, so you can print just the question pages.
Printing is optional. A4 size.