12 May 2023 , 17:13
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With GCSE time fast approaching, it's emerged that 42 per cent of pupils don't believe their parents could successfully sit their exams, while three out of 10 students claim their parents don't tend to know the answer when asked.
If you regularly find yourself scratching your head when your year 11 child shows you their maths homework then you're by no means alone. A question recently set by experts ahead of exam season has left 92 per cent of parents baffled, with just eight per cent daring to attempt the answer.
Fancy having a try for yourself? Then take a look at the algebra question below, without peeking at the answer.
Just eight per cent of parents attempted to give an answerThe algebra question, which has been set by online revision platform, SaveMyExams, shows a shape with all its measurements in centimeters.
At first, the question may look a little daunting, but maths lead Lucy Kirkham advises those giving it a go to first break down the shape into manageable chunks.
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Kirkham said: "Seeing questions with loads of algebra can be scary but breaking them down into smaller chunks will help you work through them more easily.
"Our maths experts at Save My Exams create colour-coded model answers which break down each question into easier steps to carefully guide users to the correct answer."
Offering additional advice, Kirkham continued: "This question gives you the answer you're working towards, which can sometimes be off-putting as you wonder 'How am I ever going to get there?'.
"Don't let it worry you, just try to start with the first step and you'll surprise yourself with how far you can get! Even if you don't get all the way through, marks are awarded for different stages of your working so you can always try to pick up some marks and use our model answers to see how you'd pick up the rest."