DfE statement S6 · Statistics

Scatter graphs, correlation and lines of best fit

Both tiersEither paper

Scatter graphs, correlation and lines of best fit is content statement S6 of the DfE GCSE mathematics subject content, in the statistics area. It is on both tiers, and it appears on both the calculator and the non-calculator papers. Below is what the specification actually requires, the 4 mistakes that cost marks on this topic most often, and practice questions written to the statement — original questions, not past papers.

What the specification says

The DfE subject content for GCSE mathematics states, verbatim: "Use and interpret scatter graphs of bivariate data; recognise correlation and know that it does not indicate causation; draw estimated lines of best fit; make predictions; interpolate and extrapolate apparent trends whilst knowing the dangers of so doing." (statement S6). Every awarding organisation — Pearson Edexcel, AQA and OCR — must cover it, so the wording is the same whichever specification your school follows.
— Department for Education, Mathematics: GCSE subject content and assessment objectives, statement S6

Tier

Both tiers. This statement is Foundation content, which means Higher students are examined on it too — Higher is Foundation plus more, never instead of it.

Calculator

This turns up on both the non-calculator and the calculator papers, so practise it both ways — the written method for Paper 1 and the efficient calculator route for Papers 2 and 3.

Common mistakes

Forcing the line of best fit through the origin, or drawing it through the first and last points instead of through the body of the data.
Reading correlation as causation. The specification says explicitly that it does not.
Extrapolating far beyond the plotted data and presenting the prediction as reliable.
Joining the points dot-to-dot instead of drawing a single straight line of best fit.

Sample questions (10 of 30)

S6 · Scatter graphs, correlation and lines of best fitQuestion 1 of 10 · 0 correct

Practice mode· no pressure · hints available

Statistics

Intermediate

Write down the statement that correctly describes the difference between correlation and causation.

💡 Hints:

Foundation worksheet Higher worksheet Foundation statistics practice Higher statistics practice

Nearby statements

S1Sampling and inference about populations S2Tables, charts and diagrams for data S3Histograms and cumulative frequency graphsHigher only S4Averages, spread and comparing distributionspart Higher

Questions people ask

Is scatter graphs, correlation and lines of best fit on Foundation or Higher?

Both. It is Foundation content, so it can be asked on either tier.

Can I use a calculator for scatter graphs, correlation and lines of best fit?

It depends on the paper. Paper 1 is non-calculator; Papers 2 and 3 allow one, and this topic is asked on both kinds.

What is the single most common mistake here?

Forcing the line of best fit through the origin, or drawing it through the first and last points instead of through the body of the data.

Are these past paper questions?

No. Every question is original, written to this DfE content statement and checked before publication. We do not host past papers or mark schemes.

Back to Statistics at Foundation or at Higher.