18 demanding questions: algebraic proof, functions, vectors, histograms, conditional probability and iteration.

🔺 Higher stretch — grade 8 and 9 topics

Maths · GCSE Higher · 18 questions · ~50 min

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

The top of a Higher paper is not the same content done faster — it is the statements that only appear at the top, and questions that hide two steps inside one instruction. This sheet gathers eighteen of them: algebraic proof and showing two expressions are equivalent, inverse and composite functions, transformations of graphs, the equation of a circle and its tangent, iteration, vectors used to construct a geometric argument, histograms with unequal class intervals, and conditional probability from a tree or a Venn diagram. It is deliberately hard and deliberately short. If you get half of it out, you are working where grades 8 and 9 are decided — and the worked answers are written to show the step that was actually being tested, not just the arithmetic around it.

1.Point A has coordinates (2, 5). Point A is translated to point B using the column vector with top number 6 and bottom number −3. Write down the coordinates of point B.
(a)(8, 2)
(b)(−1, 11)
(c)(−4, 8)
(d)(8, 8)
2.A company has 400 employees. 150 of them work part time and 160 of them cycle to work. Working part time and cycling to work are independent. Work out how many of the employees you would expect both to work part time and to cycle to work.
(a)10
(b)60
(c)310
(d)75
3.A circle has centre (0, 0) and passes through the point (7, 24). Work out the equation of the circle.
(a)x² + y² = 49
(b)x² + y² = 625
(c)x² + y² = 31
(d)x² + y² = 576
4.240 people were asked whether they had been to the cinema in the last month. 100 of the people are under 30 years old and 140 are aged 30 or over. 65 of the under 30s and 35 of those aged 30 or over had been to the cinema. One of the people aged 30 or over is picked at random. Work out the probability that this person had been to the cinema.
(a)7/48
(b)1/4
(c)3/4
(d)7/20
5.A designer creates a repeating tile pattern. Each tile is translated from the one before it by the column vector with top number 4.5 and bottom number −2.5 (in centimetres). The first tile has its bottom-left corner at (1.5, 3). Work out the coordinates of the bottom-left corner of the third tile.
(a)(10.5, 8)
(b)(6, 0.5)
(c)(10.5, −2)
(d)(10.5, 3)
6.Triangle ABC is translated by the column vector with top number 3 and bottom number −5 to form triangle A′B′C′. Triangle A′B′C′ is then translated by the column vector with top number −7 and bottom number 2 to form triangle A″B″C″. Work out the single column vector that translates triangle ABC directly to triangle A″B″C″.
(a)(10, −7)
(b)(4, −3)
(c)(−4, 3)
(d)(−4, −3)
7.A proof sets out to show that the sum of the squares of two consecutive odd numbers, written as 2n + 1 and 2n + 3, is always 2 more than a multiple of 8. Four attempts to expand (2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² and reach a conclusion are shown below. Which attempt correctly proves this claim?
(a)(2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² = (4n² + 4n + 1) + (4n² + 9) = 8n² + 4n + 10 = 4(2n² + n + 2) + 2, so the sum is always 2 more than a multiple of 4.
(b)(2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² = (4n² + 4n + 1) + (4n² + 12n + 9) = 8n² + 16n + 10 = 2(4n² + 8n + 5), and 4n² + 8n + 5 is an integer, so the sum is always even, which means it is a multiple of 8.
(c)(2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² = (4n² + 4n + 1) + (4n² + 12n + 9) = 8n² + 16n + 10 = 8(n² + 2n + 1) + 2, and n² + 2n + 1 is an integer, so the sum is always 2 more than a multiple of 8.
(d)(2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² = (4n² + 4n + 1) + (4n² + 12n + 9) = 8n² + 16n + 10 = 8(n² + 2n) + 10, so the sum is always 10 more than a multiple of 8.
8.The equation x² − x − 6 = 0 has roots x = 3 and x = −2. It can be rearranged as xₙ₊₁ = xₙ² − 6. This formula is used with starting value x₀ = 2.9, close to the root x = 3. Work out what happens to the sequence of values as n increases.
(a)The sequence settles towards x = 3
(b)The sequence stays constant at x = 2.9
(c)The sequence diverges, moving away from x = 3
(d)The sequence settles towards x = −2
9.A rule turns each input into an output. An input of 0 gives an output of −1, an input of 1 gives an output of 1, and an input of 2 gives an output of 3. Work out the rule, writing the input as x and the output as y.
(a)y = x − 1
(b)y = 2x − 1
(c)y = 3x − 1
(d)y = 2x + 1
10.A factory makes bolts on two machines. Machine A makes 60% of the bolts and machine B makes the other 40%. 5% of the bolts made by machine A are faulty and 10% of the bolts made by machine B are faulty. A bolt is picked at random from one day's production. Work out the probability that it was made by machine B and is faulty. Give your answer as a decimal.
(a)0.5
(b)0.07
(c)0.04
(d)0.1
11.Which expression is equivalent to 0.5(4x + 6) − x?
(a)3x + 3
(b)2x + 3
(c)x + 3
(d)x + 6
12.The heights, h cm, of 80 plants are grouped like this: 0 ≤ h < 20, 14 plants; 20 ≤ h < 40, 22 plants; 40 ≤ h < 50, 16 plants; 50 ≤ h < 80, 28 plants. Write down the class interval that contains the lower quartile.
(a)40 ≤ h < 50
(b)50 ≤ h < 80
(c)20 ≤ h < 40
(d)0 ≤ h < 20
13.n is an integer. Which of these expressions is always an even number?
(a)n² + n
(b)n² − n + 1
(c)2n + 1
(d)n² + 1
14.The function f(x) = x² for all real values of x has no inverse function, but g(x) = x² for x ≥ 0 does have one. Which statement correctly explains this?
y = x²
(a)Restricting any domain always creates an inverse
(b)Squares can never be reversed, under any conditions
(c)g's outputs are positive; f's could be negative
(d)g is one-to-one: f(3) = f(−3), removed by x ≥ 0
15.A rectangular garden has width w metres and length (w + 3) metres. A gardener writes its perimeter as 2w + 3. Which statement corrects the gardener's mistake?
(a)It is 2(w + (w + 3)) = 4w + 6, not 2w + 3.
(b)It is 3w + 6, since the length doubles but not the width.
(c)It is w + (w + 3) = 2w + 3, matching the gardener.
(d)It is 4(w + 3) = 4w + 12, treating it as a square.
16.The point (−4, 3) lies on the circle x² + y² = 25, which has centre (0, 0). Work out the equation of the tangent to the circle at (−4, 3), giving your answer in the form y = mx + c.
(a)y = (4/3)x + 25/3
(b)y = −(3/4)x
(c)y = −(4/3)x − 7/3
(d)y = (4/3)x + 16/3
17.A circle has centre (0, 0) and equation x² + y² = 100. Work out which one of these points lies on the circle.
(a)(6, 8)
(b)(10, 10)
(c)(5, 5)
(d)(3, 4)
18.A rule multiplies the input by a fixed number and then adds a fixed number. An input of 1 gives an output of 5, and an input of 3 gives an output of 11. Work out the rule, writing the input as x and the output as y.
(a)y = 3x − 2
(b)y = x + 4
(c)y = 3x + 2
(d)y = 2x + 3

What is on this worksheet?

The sheet holds 18 questions drawn from the MathsUK bank — the content areas covered: Algebra, Geometry and measures, Probability, Statistics (statements A6, A7, A13, A16, A20, G25, S3, P9). It is pitched at GCSE Higher and takes about 50 minutes to work through in full. It is built for independent practice, with full answers at the end for self-marking.

How to use the sheet well

Print it or open it on screen — both work. Printing is A4; the screen view fits phones and tablets.
Do all 18 questions before checking — about 50 minutes is the guide, but there is no time pressure.
Check the answers — press “Show answers” or print the answer page separately.
Redo the questions you got wrong — twice as effective as doing 18 fresh ones.
“New questions” — builds a fresh sheet on the same statements, so you can practise again without repeats.

Why this sheet helps

MathsUK worksheets use questions graded by difficulty and a fair spread of correct-answer positions (the answer is not always (a)) — so the student really has to think about each question rather than guess a pattern. Every question is tagged to a DfE content statement and checked before it enters the bank. The answers come with a step-by-step explanation, not just a value — so a wrong answer becomes a lesson.

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