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.At a sports club, the numbers of members who play tennis and badminton are: 50 members play tennis, 40 members play badminton, and 18 members play both tennis and badminton. A member who plays tennis is chosen at random. Work out the probability that this member also plays badminton.
(a)9/25
(b)9/20
(c)1/4
(d)1/5
2.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.
3.A group of 80 pupils was asked whether they walk to school. 45 of the pupils are girls and 35 are boys. 30 of the girls walk to school and 14 of the boys walk to school. One of the girls is picked at random. Work out the probability that she walks to school. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)3/8
(b)11/20
(c)1/3
(d)2/3
4.A rule turns each input x into an output y. The inputs are x = −1, 0, 1, 2 and the matching outputs are y = 5, 3, 1, −1. Work out the rule.
(a)y = −2x + 3
(b)y = 2x + 3
(c)y = −2x − 3
(d)y = −x + 4
5.The iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = xₙ³ − 2 is used repeatedly, starting from x₀ = 2. Which of these describes what happens to the sequence of values as n increases?
(a)It stays constant, since x₀ = 2 is a fixed point.
(b)It oscillates between two fixed values.
(c)It converges to a fixed value close to 2.
(d)It diverges, growing rapidly without limit.
6.OABC is a parallelogram, with OA = a and OC = c. M is the midpoint of OC, and N is the point on AC such that AN is twice NC. By finding the vectors MN and MB, show that M, N and B are collinear, and give the scalar k such that MN = k × MB.
(a)1/3
(b)2/3
(c)1/6
(d)3
7.The graph of y = f(x) has a minimum turning point at (3, −5), crosses the x-axis at x = 1, and crosses the y-axis at (0, −2). Exactly one of these statements about the graph of y = −f(x + 2) is true. Which statement is true?
(a)y = −f(x + 2) crosses the x-axis at x = 3.
(b)y = −f(x + 2) has a maximum turning point at (5, 5).
(c)y = −f(x + 2) has a minimum turning point at (1, 5).
(d)y = −f(x + 2) has a maximum turning point at (1, 5).
8.A photo printing service has two adverts for its price. Advert A: cost in pounds = 3(2n + 4) for n photos. Advert B: cost in pounds = 6n + 12. A customer says the two adverts always charge the same amount. Is the customer correct?
(a)They always charge the same, since 3(2n + 4) = 6n + 12.
(b)It depends on the value of n, so it cannot be decided.
(c)Advert A is cheaper, since 3(2n + 4) = 6n + 4.
(d)Advert A is cheaper, since 3(2n + 4) = 2n + 7.
9.At a garden centre, 3/5 of the plants for sale are perennials. 1/4 of the perennials are in flower. Work out the probability that a plant picked at random from the garden centre is a perennial and is in flower.
(a)4/9
(b)17/20
(c)3/20
(d)1/4
10.A circle has centre (0, 0) and passes through the point (12, 35). Work out the equation of the circle.
(a)x² + y² = 1225
(b)x² + y² = 1369
(c)x² + y² = 144
(d)x² + y² = 2209
11.For two events A and B, P(A) = 0.6 and P(A and B) = 0.15. Work out P(B | A).
(a)0.15
(b)0.09
(c)0.25
(d)0.45
12.In a class of 30 pupils, 18 study French, 14 study German and 7 study both French and German. A pupil who studies French is picked at random. Work out the probability that this pupil also studies German.
(a)1/2
(b)7/25
(c)7/30
(d)7/18
13.A cumulative frequency graph for the diameters, d mm, of 320 ball bearings is plotted from these points (upper class boundary, cumulative frequency): (10, 30), (20, 90), (30, 190), (40, 280), (50, 320). Estimate the diameter below which 90% of the ball bearings measure.
(a)40
(b)10.3
(c)42
(d)40.9
14.m is the column vector with top number 3 and bottom number −4. Which of these column vectors is a scalar multiple of m?
(a)(−6, −8)
(b)(6, −8)
(c)(6, −4)
(d)(9, −8)
15.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)
16.A student uses the iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = √(7xₙ + 3) to find an approximate solution of an equation. Work out which equation this iterative formula solves.
(a)x² + 7x − 3 = 0
(b)x² − 7x + 3 = 0
(c)x² − 7x − 9 = 0
(d)x² − 7x − 3 = 0
17.Which of these equations represents the graph of y = 2ˣ translated by 3 units in the positive y-direction?
(a)y = 2ˣ + 3
(b)y = 2ˣ⁺³
(c)y = 2ˣ − 3
(d)y = 2(x + 3)
18.A histogram shows the times, t minutes, taken by 120 visitors to complete an escape room. The bar for 0 ≤ t < 10 has a frequency density of 5 visitors per minute, the bar for 10 ≤ t < 20 has a frequency density of 2 visitors per minute, the bar for 20 ≤ t < 40 has a frequency density of 1.5 visitors per minute, and the bar for 40 ≤ t < 60 has a frequency density of 1 visitor per minute. Work out which class contains the median time.
(a)The class with times from 0 up to 10
(b)The class with times from 20 up to 40
(c)The class with times from 10 up to 20
(d)The class with times from 40 up to 60

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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