References only, not question text. Open Official paper ↗ where Cambridge publishes the paper,
or see the official Cambridge past-papers page; for other papers, ask your
school. “Paper 42” means Paper 4, variant 2.
Practice questions
Original questions written by HomiLabs in the style of the exam, with answers and mark schemes. They are not
Cambridge past paper questions and have not been reviewed by Cambridge. Try each one before opening the answer.
Q1Angles, parallel lines & polygons · Core · Paper 1 style · no calculator · 3 marks
Four angles meet at a point. They are 4x°, (2x + 15)°, 95° and (x + 40)°.
Angles are 120°, 75°, 95°, 70°; largest 4 × 30 = 120 B1
Q2Angles, parallel lines & polygons · Core · Paper 1 style · no calculator · 4 marks
(a)Find the size of one exterior angle of a regular hexagon.[1]
(b)Find the size of one interior angle of a regular hexagon.[1]
(c)Find the sum of the interior angles of an octagon.[2]
Show answer
(a) 60°
360 ÷ 6 B1
(b) 120°
180 − 60 B1
(c) 1080°
(8 − 2) × 180 M1; 1080 A1
Q3Angles, parallel lines & polygons · Core · Paper 3 style · calculator · 3 marks
(a)One angle of an isosceles triangle is 38° and it is the angle between the two equal sides. Find the other two angles.[2]
(b)In a different isosceles triangle, one of the two equal angles is 38°. Find the third angle.[1]
Show answer
(a) 71° and 71°
(180 − 38) ÷ 2 M1; 71 A1
(b) 104°
180 − 2 × 38 B1
Q4Angles, parallel lines & polygons · Standard · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 4 marks
Each exterior angle of a regular polygon is 24°.
(a)Find the number of sides of the polygon.[2]
(b)Find the size of one interior angle.[1]
(c)Find the sum of the interior angles.[1]
Show answer
(a) 15
360 ÷ 24 M1; 15 A1
(b) 156°
180 − 24 B1
(c) 2340°
15 × 156 or 13 × 180 B1
Q5Angles, parallel lines & polygons · Standard · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 4 marks
AB and CD are parallel straight lines, with A and C on the left and B and D on the right. A straight line crosses AB at P and CD at Q, with Q below P. Angle BPQ = 64°.
(a)Find angle PQC. Give a geometrical reason.[2]
(b)Find angle PQD. Give a geometrical reason.[2]
Show answer
(a) 64°; alternate angles are equal
64 B1; reason B1
(b) 116°; co-interior angles add up to 180°
180 − 64 B1; reason B1 (or angles on a straight line with (a))
Q6Angles, parallel lines & polygons · Standard · Paper 1 style · no calculator · 3 marks
Each interior angle of a regular polygon is 4 times as large as each exterior angle.
(a)Find the size of one exterior angle.[2]
(b)Find the number of sides of the polygon.[1]
Show answer
(a) 36°
x + 4x = 180 M1; x = 36 A1
(b) 10
360 ÷ 36 B1
Q7Angles, parallel lines & polygons · Challenge · Paper 4 style · calculator · 4 marks
The interior angles of a pentagon are x°, (x + 20)°, (2x − 10)°, 105° and (3x − 30)°.
(a)Find x.[3]
(b)Find the size of the largest angle.[1]
Show answer
(a) x = 65
Sum of angles of a pentagon = 540 B1; 7x + 85 = 540 M1; x = 65 A1
(b) 165°
3 × 65 − 30 B1
Q8Angles, parallel lines & polygons · Challenge · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 3 marks
A square, a regular hexagon and a regular polygon with n sides meet at a point, fitting together with no gaps or overlaps.
Q11Circle theorems · Standard · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 4 marks
PQRS is a cyclic quadrilateral. Angle PQR = (2x + 10)° and angle PSR = (3x − 5)°.
(a)Find x.[2]
(b)Find angle PQR.[1]
(c)Angle QPS = 75°. Find angle QRS.[1]
Show answer
(a) x = 35
Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral add to 180°: 2x + 10 + 3x − 5 = 180 M1; x = 35 A1
(b) 80°
B1
(c) 105°
180 − 75 B1
Q12Circle theorems · Challenge · Paper 4 style · calculator · 5 marks
A, B and C are points on a circle with centre O. TA is a tangent to the circle at A. Angle TAB = 58°, and C is on the major arc AB (on the opposite side of AB from T).
(a)Find angle ACB. Give a reason.[2]
(b)Angle CAB = 47°. Find angle ABC.[1]
(c)Find the reflex angle AOB.[2]
Show answer
(a) 58°; alternate segment theorem (angle between tangent and chord equals angle in the alternate segment)
Q21Scale drawings & bearings · Challenge · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 5 marks
A ship sails 8 km from port P on a bearing of 040° to a point Q. It then sails 6 km on a bearing of 130° to a point R.
(a)Find the bearing of P from Q.[1]
(b)Show that angle PQR = 90°.[2]
(c)Find the distance PR.[2]
Show answer
(a) 220°
40 + 180 B1
(b) Bearing of P from Q is 220° and bearing of R from Q is 130°, so angle PQR = 220 − 130 = 90°.
M1 using back bearing; A1
(c) 10 km
PR² = 8² + 6² M1; 10 A1
Q22Geometrical terms & shape properties · Core · Paper 1 style · no calculator · 4 marks
(a)Write down the name of a quadrilateral that has exactly one pair of parallel sides.[1]
(b)Write down the name of a polygon with 7 sides.[1]
(c)Write down the type of each angle: 95°, 210°, 45°.[2]
Show answer
(a) Trapezium
B1
(b) Heptagon
B1
(c) 95° obtuse, 210° reflex, 45° acute
B2 (B1 for two correct)
Q23Geometrical terms & shape properties · Core · Paper 3 style · calculator · 5 marks
(a)Write down the number of faces, edges and vertices of a triangular prism.[2]
(b)Write down the number of faces, edges and vertices of a square-based pyramid.[2]
(c)How many faces does the net of a cuboid have?[1]
Show answer
(a) 5 faces, 9 edges, 6 vertices
B2 (B1 for two correct)
(b) 5 faces, 8 edges, 5 vertices
B2 (B1 for two correct)
(c) 6
B1
Q24Geometrical terms & shape properties · Standard · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 5 marks
(a)Write true or false for each statement.(i) The diagonals of a rhombus cross at right angles.(ii) The diagonals of a rectangle bisect its angles.(iii) A kite that is not a rhombus has exactly one line of symmetry.(iv) The opposite angles of a parallelogram are equal.[4]
(b)Name the quadrilateral whose diagonals are equal in length, bisect each other and cross at right angles.[1]
Show answer
(a) (i) true (ii) false (iii) true (iv) true
B1 each
(b) Square
B1
Q25Geometrical terms & shape properties · Challenge · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 5 marks
A is the point (−1, 1), B is (2, 5) and C is (7, 5).
(a)Show that AB = BC.[2]
(b)ABCD is a rhombus. Find the coordinates of D.[2]
(c)Find the coordinates of the point where the diagonals of the rhombus cross.[1]
Show answer
(a) AB = √(3² + 4²) = 5 and BC = √(5² + 0²) = 5
M1 for one length by Pythagoras; A1 both
(b) (4, 1)
D = A + (C − B) = (−1 + 5, 1 + 0) M1; (4, 1) A1
(c) (3, 3)
Midpoint of AC B1
Q26Symmetry · Core · Paper 1 style · no calculator · 4 marks
(a)Write down the number of lines of symmetry and the order of rotational symmetry of each shape.(i) regular pentagon(ii) rectangle (not a square)(iii) parallelogram (not a rectangle or rhombus)(iv) isosceles trapezium[4]
Show answer
(a) (i) 5 lines, order 5 (ii) 2 lines, order 2 (iii) 0 lines, order 2 (iv) 1 line, order 1
B1 each
Q27Symmetry · Standard · Paper 1 style · no calculator · 5 marks
Use the capital letters written in a plain block style: H, S, Z.
(a)For each capital letter H, S and Z, write down the number of lines of symmetry.[2]
(b)For each of the letters H, S and Z, write down the order of rotational symmetry.[2]
(c)Write down the order of rotational symmetry of a regular hexagon.[1]
Show answer
(a) H: 2, S: 0, Z: 0
B2 (B1 for two correct)
(b) H: 2, S: 2, Z: 2
B2 (B1 for two correct)
(c) 6
B1
Q28Symmetry · Challenge · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 4 marks
(a)How many planes of symmetry does a cuboid measuring 2 cm by 3 cm by 5 cm have?[1]
(b)How many planes of symmetry does a right pyramid with a square base have?[1]
(c)A right prism has a cross-section that is an equilateral triangle. How many planes of symmetry does it have?[1]
(d)Write down the order of rotational symmetry of this triangular prism about the axis through the centres of its two triangular faces.[1]
Show answer
(a) 3
B1
(b) 4
B1
(c) 4
3 containing the long axis, 1 perpendicular to it B1
(d) 3
B1
Q29Constructions & loci · Standard · Paper 3 style · calculator · 4 marks
(a)Describe the locus of points that are 3 cm from a fixed point A.[1]
(b)Describe the locus of points that are the same distance from two fixed points B and C.[1]
(c)Describe the locus of points that are the same distance from two straight lines that meet at a point.[1]
(d)A goat is tied to a post at one corner of a large rectangular field with a rope 5 m long. Describe the region the goat can reach.[1]
Show answer
(a) A circle, centre A, radius 3 cm
B1
(b) The perpendicular bisector of the line BC
B1
(c) The bisector of the angle between the lines (both angle bisectors)
B1
(d) A quarter circle (sector), centre the corner post, radius 5 m, inside the field
B1
Q30Constructions & loci · Challenge · Paper 2 style · no calculator · 5 marks
On a coordinate grid, A is the point (0, 0) and B is the point (8, 0).
(a)Find the equation of the locus of points that are the same distance from A and from B.[1]
(b)Find the coordinates of the two points on this locus that are 5 units from A.[2]
(c)Describe the region of points that are nearer to A than to B and less than 5 units from A.[2]
Show answer
(a) x = 4
B1
(b) (4, 3) and (4, −3)
4² + y² = 25 M1; y = ±3 A1
(c) Inside the circle centre A radius 5 and to the left of the line x = 4
B1 circle region; B1 correct side of x = 4
Similar questions
Questions that test the same subtopic in different years, grouped so you can work on one skill at a time.
References only: find each question in its paper (official link where available, otherwise through your school).