A Level Math Revision Free diagnostic
Themed maths

Prior-knowledge relay and maths bingo for A Level Maths

Find out what your new Year 12 class remembers from GCSE, without a test. ‘Find someone who…’ bingo gets everyone moving, then a team relay where each answer is needed for the next question checks the algebra A Level builds on.

Level
A Level Maths (Year 12 and Year 13)
Time
35 minutes, plus a 10-minute extension
Topics
Algebra and functions: indices, surds and completing the square; Coordinate geometry: straight lines; Trigonometry: the cosine rule
Equipment
The starter is non-calculator. A calculator is needed for leg 3.

Download student sheet (PDF)Answers (PDF)

Suggested timings

PartTimeWhat
Starter5 minQuick questions on the board
Main: task A10 minLeg 1: algebra
Main: task B10 minLeg 2: straight lines
Main: task C10 minLeg 3: circles and triangles
Extension10 minFast finishers or homework

Starter (5 minutes)

‘Find someone who can…’ bingo: a different classmate for each square.

  1. Find someone who can expand (2x − 3)2.
  2. Find someone who can rationalise 6/√3.
  3. Find someone who can find the gradient of the line through (1, 2) and (4, 11).
  4. Find someone who can solve x2 − 5x + 6 = 0.

Main activity (30 minutes)

Task A: Leg 1: algebra (10 min)

Each answer is passed to the next person.

  1. Evaluate 272/3. Pass on A.
  2. Solve 3x = A2. Pass on B = x.
  3. Write x2 + 2Bx + 3 in the form (x + p)2 + q. Pass on p and q.
  4. Write down the coordinates of the minimum point of y = (x + p)2 + q.

Task B: Leg 2: straight lines (10 min)

Each answer is passed to the next person.

  1. A line has gradient 3 and passes through (2, 1). Find its y-intercept. Pass on A.
  2. Where does y = 3x + A cross the x-axis? Pass on the x-coordinate as B.
  3. Find the gradient of a line perpendicular to a line of gradient B. Pass it on as C.
  4. The line through the origin with gradient C meets y = x + 8. Find the point where they meet.

Task C: Leg 3: circles and triangles (10 min)

Each answer is passed to the next person.

  1. A right-angled triangle has shorter sides 6 cm and 8 cm. Find the hypotenuse. Pass on A.
  2. A sector has radius A cm and angle 72°. Find its arc length, in terms of π. Pass it on as B = kπ.
  3. A circle has circumference B cm. Find its radius. Pass it on as C.
  4. A triangle has sides C cm, 3 cm and 4 cm. Find its largest angle, to 1 decimal place.

Extension (10 minutes)

For fast finishers.

  1. Solve the simultaneous equations y = x2 − 3x + 2 and y = x − 1.

For teachers

Teacher notes and full worked answers
  • ‘Find someone who…’ bingo (starter): students walk round with the sheet and find a different classmate who can do each one; that classmate writes the answer and their initials. First to fill the sheet with correct answers wins. It mixes the class and shows you, at a glance, what was remembered from last year.
  • Relay: teams of four sit in a row. Student 1 answers question (a) and passes the answer to student 2, who needs it for (b), and so on. The team brings you the final answer; if it is wrong, they find the broken link together. Nothing is recorded on the site.
  • Afterwards, set the baseline test for a fuller picture of what each student remembers; 20 multiple-choice questions with an instant topic-by-topic report.

Starter

  1. 4x2 − 12x + 9
    • (2x)2 − 12x + 9
  2. 2√3
    • 6√3/3 = 2√3
  3. 3
    • 9/3 = 3
  4. x = 2 or x = 3
    • (x − 2)(x − 3) = 0

Task A: Leg 1: algebra

  1. 9
    • (∛27)2 = 32
  2. 4
    • 81 = 34
  3. (x + 4)2 − 13
    • x2 + 8x + 3 = (x + 4)2 − 16 + 3
  4. (−4, −13)
    • The minimum is where x + 4 = 0.

Task B: Leg 2: straight lines

  1. −5
    • 1 = 3 × 2 + c, so c = −5
  2. 5/3
    • 3x − 5 = 0
  3. −3/5
    • The product of perpendicular gradients is −1.
  4. (−5, 3)
    • −3x/5 = x + 8 gives −8x/5 = 8, so x = −5
    • y = −5 + 8 = 3

Task C: Leg 3: circles and triangles

  1. 10
    • √(36 + 64) = 10
  2. 4π cm
    • 72/360 × 2π × 10 = 4π
  3. 2
    • 2πr = 4π
  4. 104.5°
    • cos θ = (22 + 32 − 42)/(2 × 2 × 3) = −1/4
    • θ = 104.47…°

Extension

  1. (1, 0) and (3, 2)
    • x2 − 4x + 3 = 0, so (x − 1)(x − 3) = 0

The same answers are in the answers PDF. Every answer was recomputed by computer before publishing.

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