PixiMaths banner new.PNG

The resources on this page will hopefully help you teach AO2 and AO3 of the new GCSE specification - problem solving and reasoning.

This brief lesson is designed to lead students into thinking about how to solve mathematical problems. It features ideas of strategies to use, clear steps to follow and plenty of opportunities for discussion.

maths problem solving questions gcse

The PixiMaths problem solving booklets are aimed at "crossover" marks (questions that will be on both higher and foundation) so will be accessed by most students. The booklets are collated Edexcel exam questions; you may well recognise them from elsewhere. Each booklet has 70 marks worth of questions and will probably last two lessons, including time to go through answers with your students. There is one for each area of the new GCSE specification and they are designed to complement the PixiMaths year 11 SOL.

These problem solving starter packs are great to support students with problem solving skills. I've used them this year for two out of four lessons each week, then used Numeracy Ninjas as starters for the other two lessons.  When I first introduced the booklets, I encouraged my students to use scaffolds like those mentioned here , then gradually weaned them off the scaffolds. I give students some time to work independently, then time to discuss with their peers, then we go through it as a class. The levels correspond very roughly to the new GCSE grades.

Some of my favourite websites have plenty of other excellent resources to support you and your students in these assessment objectives.

@TessMaths has written some great stuff for BBC Bitesize.

There are some intersting though-provoking problems at Open Middle.

I'm sure you've seen it before, but if not, check it out now! Nrich is where it's at if your want to provide enrichment and problem solving in your lessons.

MathsBot  by @StudyMaths has everything, and if you scroll to the bottom of the homepage you'll find puzzles and problem solving too.

I may be a little biased because I love Edexcel, but these question packs are really useful.

The UKMT has a mentoring scheme that provides fantastic problem solving resources , all complete with answers.

I have only recently been shown Maths Problem Solving and it is awesome - there are links to problem solving resources for all areas of maths, as well as plenty of general problem solving too. Definitely worth exploring!

maths problem solving questions gcse

Accessibility links

Solving 'number' problems

Number problems often involve a combination of fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio. They can be set in a real-life context. A framework can be used to tackle these problems.

Number problems

Number problems are often set in a context, typically involving money or an amount of an item. To be confident at solving number problems, it is essential to understand the basics of fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio .

Always ensure that your working out is clear and that you show all of it. If a calculator is allowed, ensure that any calculations are also recorded.

A problem solving framework can be used to tackle number problems.

The six step framework is used to solve a number problem

GCSE Subjects GCSE Subjects up down

maths problem solving questions gcse

Beyond GCSE Revision

Gcse-grade revision from beyond, powered by twinkl, gcse maths problem solving questions with algebra.

GCSE Maths Problem Solving Questions

Problem solving is a major part of the new GCSE format. The most important point is that, if you see a question that is unlike anything you have seen before, don’t panic or assume that you don’t know how to answer it! You may well know all of the maths content needed to solve the problem but the challenge is working out what you have to use. Join Beyond’s Maths Team as we explore GCSE Maths problem solving questions using Algebra…

First thing’s first: don’t panic!

Sample GCSE Maths problem solving questions

At a party, guests are offered chicken, lasagne or quiche to eat. 7 of the adults choose quiche. There are 100 guests altogether. 16 of the 48 people who choose chicken are children. 28 people eat lasagne and a quarter of these are children. How many children are at the party?

A two-way table really helps with this:

For example, ‘Aeron is 3 years older than Lily. Heather is 3 times as old as Aeron. The sum of their ages is 67. How old is Lily?’

The calculation that this suggests is: Aeron’s age + Lily’s age + Heather’s age = 67 We don’t know any of the ages but we do know the result of adding them together. Let’s say that Aeron is a years old. In that case, Lily is a – 3 years old and Heather is 3 a years old.

Therefore, the sum of their ages is a + ( a – 3) + 3 a = 67.

Now we can find a by solving the equation and find the ages of the people.

Algebra shape

The perimeter of the shape is 24cm, y = 3 x and z = 2 x , show that x = 2

Perimeter = horizontal sides + vertical sides

( x + y + x + y )+ ( z + z ) = 24

Substituting in y and z in terms of x gives:

x + 3 x + x + 3 x +   2 x + 2 x = 24

Beyond resources for Maths problem solving questions

GCSE Probability and Statistics Problem Solving Worksheets

GCSE Probability Questions: Problem-Solving - KS4 Maths

GCSE Algebra Problem Solving Worksheets

GCSE Algebra Questions: Problem Solving - KS4 Maths

Long Multiplication Word Problems Differentiated Worksheets

Long Multiplication Word Problems

Edexcel Foundation Specimen Papers

GCSE Maths Exam Questions, Papers 1, 2 & 3 Edexcel Spec

You can find our other Maths blogs here – you might find our Maths Mastery Blogs particularly useful! While we’ve got you, don’t forget to  subscribe to Beyond  for access to thousands of secondary teaching resources. You can  sign up for a free account here  and take a look around  at our free resources  before you subscribe too. Happy revising from the Beyond Maths Team.

Share this:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Resourceaholic

Ideas and resources for teaching secondary school mathematics

Problem Solving

Share this Post

Cookie Consent

We use cookies to help provide a better website experience for you, and help us to understand how people use our website. Our partners will also collect data and use cookies for ad personalisation and measurement.

Clicking "Accept" will allow us and our partners to use cookies, learn more in our cookie policy or to change your cookie preferences, click "Manage".

To find out more about cookies and the types of cookies we are setting please visit our cookie policy .

If you'd prefer that certain types of cookie are not saved on your browser when visiting our website, use the toggles below to adjust those preferences and click "Save choices".

Strictly Necessary

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and without them you would not be able to reliably use the website. For example, logging into your account or completing forms.

Analytics Cookies

A series of cookies that collect anonymised data on how users interact with our website. This anonymous data helps us improve the website with a focus on its users, for example, ensuring the most popular content is easier to access.

View associated providers +

Marketing Cookies

These cookies track your online activity to help advertisers deliver more relevant and personalised advertising or to limit how many times you see an ad. These cookies can share that information with other organisations or advertisers.

Problems of the day

maths problem solving questions gcse

March Problems of the Day 2020 – KS2/KS3 Full Set

Here's the full set of KS2/KS3 problems from this year, along with answers.

March Problems of the Day 2020 – KS1 Full Set

Here's the full set of KS1 problems from this year, along with answers.

March Problems of the Day 2019 – GCSE Full Set

A set of GCSE problems covering content for foundation, foundation/higher crossover and higher. We hope they are useful in the run up to the exams. Good luck! #MathsEveryoneCan

March Problems of the Day 2019 – KS2 Full Set

Here is the full set of questions for KS2 Problems of the Day from March 2019.

March Problems of the Day 2019 – KS1 Full Set

Here is the full set of KS1 Problems of the Day that were released throughout March 2019.

March Problems of the Day 2018 – KS2 Full Set

For the month of March, each day we publish some reasoning and problem solving questions for use with your classes in the run-up to SATs. Practice is crucial to maths success, and our questions are designed to support your daily routines. These problems can be used across Y5 and Y6 throughout the year.

March Problems of the Day 2018 – KS1 Full Set

For the month of March, each day we publish some reasoning and problem solving questions for use with your classes in the run up to SATs. Practice is crucial to maths success, and our questions are designed to support your daily routines. These problems can be used across Y1 and Y2 throughout the year.

IMAGES

  1. GCSE Problem Solving Questions of the Day

    maths problem solving questions gcse

  2. GCSE Problem Solving Questions of the Day

    maths problem solving questions gcse

  3. New GCSE Maths problem solving revision practise

    maths problem solving questions gcse

  4. GCSE Maths: Problem Solving Higher Questions

    maths problem solving questions gcse

  5. GCSE Problem Solving Questions of the Day

    maths problem solving questions gcse

  6. MEDIAN Don Steward mathematics teaching: three AQA problem solving questions

    maths problem solving questions gcse

VIDEO

  1. Solve your maths question easily

  2. can you solve question in maths 🤯 || solve maths questions 🔥||

  3. #24 Mathematics question and solution

  4. How to solve maths questions 😀😀

  5. #23 Mathematics Question With Solution

  6. Unique 8 P.M study music 2023 edition

COMMENTS

  1. Problem solving

    GCSE AQA Problem solving Part of Maths 6 learner guides Problem solving introduction - AQA Revise Solving 'number' problems - AQA Revise Video Test Solving 'graphical' problems - AQA...

  2. Problem Solving

    Problem Solving with Probability Probability Answers Problem Solving with Ratio and Proportion Ratio and Proportion Answers Problem Solving with Shape, Space and Measure Shape, Space and Measure Answers These problem solving starter packs are great to support students with problem solving skills.

  3. Number problems

    Learn about and revise how to solve number problems using a problem solving framework with this BBC Bitesize GCSE Maths AQA study guide.

  4. GCSE Maths Problem Solving Questions with Algebra

    GCSE Maths Problem Solving Questions with Algebra Problem solving is a major part of the new GCSE format. The most important point is that, if you see a question that is unlike anything you have seen before, don’t panic or assume that you don’t know how to answer it!

  5. Resourceaholic: Problem Solving

    Problem Solving Booklet - Complete Mathematics GCSE Mathematics - 90 Problem Solving Questions - AQA (and PowerPoint collated by @EJMaths) Additional Mathematics Problem Solving Questions (& Teacher Guide) - AQA GCSE Problem Solving - MEI 55 Problems - MathsBox Maths problems, puzzles and ideas - Cubed Maths

  6. Maths problem of the Day

    For the month of March, each day we publish some reasoning and problem solving questions for use with your classes in the run-up to SATs. Practice is crucial to maths success, and our questions are designed to support your daily routines. These problems can be used across Y5 and Y6 throughout the year. Download