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.OAB is a triangle, with OA = a and OB = b. E lies on OA produced beyond A, such that A is the midpoint of OE. F lies on AB such that FB is twice AF. G is the midpoint of OB. By finding the vectors EF and EG, show that E, F and G are collinear, and give the scalar k such that EF = k × EG.
(a)1/3
(b)4/3
(c)3/2
(d)2/3
2.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).
3.f(x) = 2x − 1. Work out ff(x).
y = 2x − 1
(a)4x² − 4x + 1
(b)4x − 2
(c)4x − 3
(d)4x − 1
4.The masses, m kg, of 80 sacks of grain are summarised by these cumulative frequencies: m < 10, 6 sacks; m < 20, 22 sacks; m < 30, 58 sacks; m < 40, 74 sacks; m < 50, 80 sacks. Use interpolation to estimate the median mass.
(a)20
(b)31.1
(c)40
(d)25
5.The point (6, 8) lies on the circle x² + y² = 100. Work out the gradient of the tangent to the circle at (6, 8).
(a)−3/4
(b)−4/3
(c)3/4
(d)4/3
6.Which expression is equivalent to 3(2x − 5) + 4x?
(a)10x + 15
(b)6x − 15
(c)10x − 15
(d)10x − 5
7.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
8.The point A(−6, 8) lies on the circle x² + y² = 100, whose centre is the origin O. The tangent to the circle at A crosses the y-axis at the point B. Work out the length of OB.
(a)12.5
(b)8
(c)10
(d)3.5
9.A drone flies from its base in three stages, each stage measured in metres east and north as a column vector. Stage 1 is the column vector with top number 30 and bottom number 40. Stage 2 is the column vector with top number −10 and bottom number 20. Stage 3 is the column vector with top number 15 and bottom number −5. Work out the column vector that would take the drone in a single straight flight back to its base from where it ends up.
(a)(−35, 55)
(b)(35, −55)
(c)(−35, −55)
(d)(35, 55)
10.A circle has centre (0, 0) and equation x² + y² = 64. Write down the radius of the circle.
(a)64
(b)8
(c)16
(d)32
11.A cyclist's journey from her house to the shop is represented by the column vector with top number 2 and bottom number 5, where each unit is 1 km east and 1 km north. She then cycles from the shop to the park, represented by the column vector with top number 4 and bottom number −3. What single column vector represents her journey from her house directly to the park?
(a)(2, −8)
(b)(6, 2)
(c)(6, 8)
(d)(−2, 8)
12.The graph of y = x² − 4x is translated by the vector (3, 0). Work out the equation of the image, giving your answer in the form y = x² + bx + c.
y = x² − 4xy = x²
(a)y = x² − 7x + 21
(b)y = x² + 2x − 3
(c)y = x² − 4x + 3
(d)y = x² − 10x + 21
13.A number machine multiplies its input by 3 and then adds 7. The output is 1. Work out the input.
(a)2
(b)−18
(c)−6
(d)−2
14.The point (3, 6) lies on the circle x² + y² = 45. The tangent to the circle at (3, 6) crosses the x-axis at the point P. Work out the coordinates of P.
(a)(15, 0)
(b)(6, 0)
(c)(0, 0)
(d)(0, 7.5)
15.A doctors' surgery has 400 patients. 3 in every 10 of the patients are over 65 years old. 90 of the patients over 65 and 70 of the patients aged 65 or under had a flu jab. One of the patients who had a flu jab is picked at random. Work out the probability that this patient is over 65.
(a)7/16
(b)3/4
(c)9/16
(d)9/40
16.An allotment is in the shape of a rectangle. Its length is 5 m more than its width, x metres, and its area is 20 m². This gives x² + 5x − 20 = 0, which can be solved using the iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = 20 ÷ (xₙ + 5). Taking x₀ = 2, so that x₁ is the value found after the formula has been used once, work out x₂ correct to 2 decimal places.
(a)2.55
(b)−1.71
(c)2.00
(d)2.86
17.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)
18.A ferry company finds that on 20% of days the sea is rough. If the sea is rough, the probability that a crossing is delayed is 0.75. If the sea is calm, the probability that a crossing is delayed is 0.1. Given that a crossing was delayed, work out the probability that the sea was rough that day.
(a)1/5
(b)3/20
(c)15/23
(d)3/4

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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