How to use the Ten-Year Series for Maths revision

Topical or yearly: choose for your next goal

Topical practice groups questions by topic and can help when you are revising a specific skill. Yearly practice brings topics together in complete papers and can help you practise choosing methods and managing time.

Start with a weak topic if you cannot yet explain the method. Move to mixed questions and complete papers as your confidence improves. Check that your book and chosen questions match your current syllabus; older questions may cover different requirements.

Use a five-step practice routine

1. Choose: Pick one topic or a paper appropriate to what you have learnt.
2. Attempt: Work independently before checking answers. Keep your working, including incomplete attempts.
3. Review: Mark using your book’s guidance and identify the first step where your reasoning went wrong.
4. Explain: Write the correction in your own words. Label the gap: concept, method, arithmetic, reading or timing.
5. Retry: Return to the question after a few days without looking at the solution. Try a related question to check whether the method transfers.

Example: diagnose the error, not just the answer

This is an original practice example, not a past examination question.

Solve 3(x + 4) = 21. A student writes 3x + 4 = 21. The first error is expanding the brackets: 3 must multiply both terms. The correct steps are 3x + 12 = 21, 3x = 9, so x = 3.

A useful correction is “Multiply every term inside the brackets.” Then try 2(y + 5) = 18 independently. Check by substituting your answer into the original equation.

A manageable weekly plan

• Session 1: Review one weak topic and attempt a small set of questions.
• Session 2: Correct errors and try related questions.
• Session 3: Retry earlier mistakes, then attempt mixed practice.

Adjust the workload around school and rest. When attempting a full paper, follow the time and permitted materials specified for the relevant paper. Review the attempt before starting another one.

When you are still stuck

Bring your attempted working and a specific question to your teacher or tutor: “Why does this step work?” is more useful than only asking for the final answer. Online tuition can use paper or digital worksheets so the tutor can follow your reasoning.

Where to get past-year papers

Use authorised editions and check the subject, syllabus and edition before buying. We do not host scanned examination papers or answer keys.