Bridging the gap between GCSE and AS/A Level Mathematics

The object of these exercises is to help you get started with the A Level course, and to smooth your path
through it. Many students find A Level a challenge compared with GCSE. This is a recognised issue – if
you find this you are very far from being alone! I hope that these pages will help you.

The main focus is on developing skills, as opposed to learning new material. So I suggest that you don’t
approach it with the mind-set “what do I have to do to get full marks?” but “what can I learn that will help me
in my future studies?” You want to be fluent in a number of aspects of GCSE work – not just able to get an
answer that would score a mark in a GCSE examination. For example, you will want to get a result in a
form that you yourself can go on and use readily. So there will be an emphasis on real fluency in algebra.
Likewise, you should try to develop the ability to think of the shapes of graphs corresponding to algebraic
formulae. Do not be afraid of any of this; over the years the vast majority of A Level students have
succeeded with the course. But you will find the path easier, enjoy it more and be more confident if you are
really on top of the basic vocabulary of the subject before you start putting it together into A Level
sentences.

One recurring theme here is; just because you can multiply out brackets, it doesn’t mean that you should.
Indeed, at this level it is often better to keep an expression in its factorised (bracketed) form.

Good luck!

This booklet is only a collection of exercises – for full notes and examples on these topics
(as well as the answers!) go to

https://mathematics.bourne-grammar.lincs.sch.uk/

Further reading

There are not many books designed for the sort of transition that this booklet represents, but an
outstanding exception is:

Fyfe, M. T., Jobbings, A. and Kilday, K. (2007) Progress to Higher Mathematics, Arbelos.

ISBN 9780955547706.

Alternatively, also published by Arbelos is an expansion of the same book which is more specifically aimed
at the transition to A Level. You may not need quite so much as this:

Fyfe, M. T., and Kilday, K. (2011) Progress to Advanced Mathematics, Arbelos.

ISBN 9780955547737.

OCR Resources: the small print

OCR’s resources are provided to support the delivery of OCR qualifications, but in no way constitute an endorsed teaching method that is required by the Board, and the decision to
use them lies with the individual teacher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the content, OCR cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions within these
resources.
© OCR 2017 - This resource may be freely copied and distributed, as long as the OCR logo and this message remain intact and OCR is acknowledged as the originator of this work.
OCR acknowledges the use of the following content: Adapted from materials written for St Paul’s School, London SW13 9JT.
Please get in touch if you want to discuss the accessibility of resources we offer to support delivery of our qualifications: [email protected]
Exercise 1.1 Simple Algebraic Expressions

1 Find the values of the letters p, q and r that make the following pairs of expressions always equal.

x (2 x + 3) 3(2 − 7 x)
(a) 1
7
x= (b) 1
5
(2 x + 3) = (c) 3
10
(2 − 7 x) =
p q r

2 Solve the following equations.

60 35 20 1
(a) = 12 (b) =5 (c) =
x+4 2x − 3 6− x 2

3 Make cos C the subject of the formula c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos C.

x+5
4 (a) Multiply by 8. (b) Multiply (x + 2)  3 by 12.
4

(c) Multiply 1
2
( x + 7) by 6. (d) Multiply 14 ( x − 3) by 8.

5 Solve the following equations.

(a) 3
4
(2 x + 3) = 85 ( x − 2) (b) 1
6
(5 x + 11) = 32 (2 x − 4)

(c) 5
9
(3 x + 1) = 127 (2 x + 1)

6 Make x the subject of the following equations.

a a 2a
(a) (cx + d ) = x + 2 (b) (cx + d ) = 2 ( x + 2d )
b b b
Exercise 1.2 Algebraic Fractions

1 Work out the following. Answers may be left as improper fractions.

4 5
(a) 5 (b) 3
7 12

8 8
(c) 4 (d) 3
11 11

3x 3x
(e) x (f) y
y y2

5 x3 3y4
(g)  3x (h)  2x
2y 4x2 z

2 Make x the subject of the following formulae.

(a) 1
2
A = x2 (b) V = 34  x3 (c) 1
2
(u + v) = tx (d) W = 32  x 2 h

3 Simplify the following compound fractions.

1 2 1
+1 +1 +2
(a) x (b) x (c) x +1
1 3 1
+3 −1 +1
x x x +1

4 Write as single fractions.

2 1 2 1 1 1 3
(a) + (b) − (c) − (d) +1 (e)
x −1 x + 3 x −3 x + 2 2 x − 1 3x + 2 x+2
1 2x 3 1
2− (f) −3 (g) − 2
x −1 x +1 4(2 x − 1) 4 x − 1

5 Write as single fractions.

x +1 2x x
(a) + x (b) + x+3 (c) + 3 ( x − 2) 2
x x+3 3
x−2
Exercise 1.3 Quadratic Expressions

1 Write without brackets.

(a) (x + 5)2 (b) (x – 4)2 (c) (2x + 1)2

(d) (3x – 2)2 (e) (x + 2)(x – 2) (f) (3x + 4)(3x – 4)

2 Simplify the following equations into the form ax + by + c = 0.

(a) (x + 3)2 + (y + 4)2 = (x – 2)2 + (y – 1)2

(b) (x + 5)2 + (y + 2)2 = (x – 5)2 + (y – 2)2

(c) (2x + 1)2 + (y – 3)2 = (2x + 3)2 + (y + 1)2

3 Simplify the following where possible.

(a) x2 + 4 (b) x2 − 4 x + 4 (c) x2 −1

(d) x2 + 9 x (e) x2 − y2 (f) x 2 + 2 xy + y 2

4 Write the following in the form (x + a)2 + b.

(a) x2 + 8x + 19 (b) x2 – 10x + 23 (c) x2 + 2x – 4

(d) x2 – 4x – 3 (e) x2 – 3x + 2 (f) x2 – 5x – 6

5 Write the following in the form a(x + b)2 + c.

(a) 3x2 + 6x + 7 (b) 5x2 – 20x + 17 (c) 2x2 + 10x + 13

6 Write the following in the form (ax + b)2 + c.

(a) 4x2 + 12x + 14 (b) 9x2 – 12x – 1 (c) 16x2 + 40x + 22

7 Factorise as fully as possible.

(a) x2 – 25 (b) 4x2 – 36 (c) 4x2 – 9y4

(d) 3x2 – 7x + 2 (e) 3x2 – 5x + 2 (f) 6x2 – 5x – 6

(g) 8x2 – 2x – 15

8 Multiply out and simplify.

2
 1  1  1  2  3
(a) x+  (b)  x +  x −  (c)  x +  x − 
 x  x  x  x  x
Exercise 1.4 Cancelling

1 Simplify the following as far as possible.

(a) 5x + 3y + 7x – 3y (b) 3x2 + 4xy + y2 + x2 – 4xy – y2.

4 + 6x 4  6x
(c) (d)
2 2

3x  xy 4 x + 10 y
(e) (f)
x 8x + 6 y

4x + 9 y 4x + 6 y
(g) (h)
2x + 3y 6x + 9 y

3x 2 + 4 y 2 x −3
(i) (j)
6 x2 − 8 y 2 3− x

2 Make x the subject of the following formulae.

ax py 3 ax 4 y 2
(a) = (b) =
b qz b qz

3 Simplify the following.

2 x 1 3 2 h 2 4
(a)  r (b)  3  hr 2
ab 3 rb

4 Simplify as far as possible.

x2 + 6 x + 8 3x 2 − 2 x − 8
(a) (b)
x2 − x − 6 x2 − 4

( x + 3) 2 − 2( x + 3) x(2 x − 1)2 − x 2 (2 x − 1)
(c) (d)
x2 + 2 x − 3 ( x − 1)2

x2
− x2 + 1
(e) x +1
2

x2
Exercise 1.5 Simultaneous Equations

Solve the following simultaneous equations.

1 x2 + xy = 12 2 x2 – 4x + y2 = 21

3x + y = 10 y = 3x – 21

3 x2 + xy + y2 = 1 4 x2 – 2xy + y2 = 1

x + 2y = –1 y = 2x

Exercise 1.6 Fractional and negative powers, surds

1 Write the following as powers of x.

1 1 3 1 1
(a) (b) (c) 5
x (d) x5 (e) (f)
x x5 x x3

2 Write the following without negative or fractional powers.

(a) x–4 (b) x0 (c) x1/6 (d) x3/4 (e) x–3/2

3 Write the following in the form axn.

3 5 1
(a) 43 x (b) (c) (d) (e) 6
x2 x 2x3

4 Write as sums of powers of x.

 1 x4 + 1  1 
(a) x3  x +  (b) (c) x −5  x + 2 
 x x2  x 

5 Write the following in surd form.

12 1 3
(a) 75 (b) 180 (c) (d) (e)
6 5 12

6 Rationalise the denominators in the following expressions.

1 2 6
(a) (b) (c)
2 −1 6 −2 7 +2

1 1
(d) (e)
3+ 5 6− 5
Trigonometry

1 Solve the following equations for 0  x < 360. Give your answers to the nearest 0.1.

(a) sin x = 0.9 (b) cos x = 0.6 (c) tan x = 2

(d) sin x = –0.4 (e) cos x = –0.5 (f) tan x = –3

2 Solve the following equations for –180  x < 180. Give your answers to the nearest 0.1.

(a) sin x = 0.9 (b) cos x = 0.6 (c) tan x = 2

(d) sin x = –0.4 (e) cos x = –0.5 (f) tan x = –3

3. Find expressions, of the form a sin  or b cos , for the sides labelled with letters in these triangles.

(a) (b) 5.6 cm

20 cm 32
p
r s
26
q
e.g. 𝑝 = 20𝑐𝑜𝑠26

t
(c) (d)
20
10 cm v
8.4 cm
u
17

w
Exercise 3.1 Straight line graphs

1 Rearrange the following in the form y = mx + c. Hence find the gradient and the y-intercept of each
line.

(a) 2x + y = 8 (b) 4x – y + 9 = 0

(c) x + 5y = 10 (d) x – 3y = 15

(e) 2x + 3y + 12 = 0 (f) 5x – 2y = 20

(g) 3x + 5y = 17 (h) 7x – 4y + 18 = 0

2 Sketch the following lines. Show on your sketches the coordinates of the intercepts of each line with
the x-axis and with the y-axis.

(a) 2x + y = 8 (b) x + 5y = 10

(c) 2x + 3y = 12 (d) 3x + 5y = 30

(e) 3x – 2y = 12 (f) 4x + 5y + 20 = 0
Exercise 3.2 Basic shapes of curved graphs

Sketch (do not plot) the general shape of the graphs of the following curves. Label the y-intercept and x-
intercepts of the graphs for the quadratics. For the quadratic graphs in questions 1-6 also find the minimum
point by completing the square.

Axes are not required but can be included in the questions marked with an asterix.

1 y = x2 – 3x + 2 2 y = –x2 + 5x + 1

3 y = 1 – x2 4 y = (x – 2)(x + 4)

5 y = (3 – x)(2 + x) 6 y = (1 – x)(5 – x)

7 y = x3 8 y = –x3

3 2
9* y= 10* y=−
x x

2
11 y = (x – 2)(x – 3)(x + 1) 12* y=
x2

13 Sketch on the same axes the general shape of the graphs of y = x2 and y = x4.

14 Sketch on the same axes the general shape of the graphs of y = x3 and y = x5.