A Level Mathematics

Essential preparation:

 Complete the Year 12 AS/A level Maths Baseline Test.

Make sure that you are fully confident with the Baseline Test content for September.
Everything on the test is GCSE content so use the resources you used for GCSE if you
need to revise. You will be completing a similar assessment when you start the
course in September. Make sure you are ready.

 Purchase a Casio Classwiz fx-991EX Calculator and learn how to use it.

A more advanced calculator is allowed at A level. The calculator we will be using is

the Casio Classwiz 991EX. This calculator can solve equations and inequalities, do
vector calculations, produce spreadsheets and a whole host of other things. It is
really important that you start the course knowing how to use the basic features of
the calculator. It is very different from the calculator you used at GCSE.

Use www.drfrostmaths.com ‘Guide to your Casio FX991EX-Classwiz’ to learn how to

use your calculator to:
 Solve linear equations
 Solve quadratic equations
 Solve simultaneous linear equations
 Solve inequalities
 Produce tables of values
Year 12 AS/A level Maths Baseline Test
Instructions

 The time for the test is 1 hour.

 Answer all questions.

Information

 The total mark for this paper is 48.

 The marks for each question are shown in brackets
-use this as a guide as to how much time to spend on each question.

Advice

 Read each question carefully before you start to answer it.

 Keep an eye on the time.
 Try to answer every question.
 Check your answers if you have time at the end.
1 Simplify these expressions.
x6  x2
a x5 (1 mark)
4 2
b (3x ) (1 mark)
1
4x 3
3
3 4
c (16 x ) (3 marks)

Solve 2 x  3x  6144
3 2
2 (2 marks)

3 Find the value of x.

 23 1
x 
25 (2 marks)

4 a Write 448 in the form a 7 , where a is an integer. (1 mark)

b Expand and simplify (3  5)(2  3 5) . (2 marks)

42 3
c Simplify 5  3 giving your answer in the form a  b c , where a, b and c are
rational numbers. (3 marks)

5 The area of a triangle is given as (16  4 5) cm2.

The base of the triangle is (7  5) cm, and the perpendicular height is ( p  q 5) cm.
Find the values of p and q. (4 marks)

6 Expand and simplify these expressions.

a 4(2 x  3 y ) (1 mark)

b (3 x  1)(4 x  3) (2 marks)

c ( x  1) ( x  3)
2
(3 marks)

7 Fully factorise these expressions.

a 3 x  12 xy (1 mark)

b x  5x  6
2
(1 mark)
8 Solve these equations.
a 2 x  15  7 (1 mark)

b x  11x  10  0
2
(2 marks)

c 3x  7 x  3  0
2
(2 marks)

9 Solve these pairs of simultaneous equations.

3x  y  2
a 4 x  y  9 (3 marks)
y  4x  3
b 2 y  2x  3 (3 marks)
x  y 1

c x  y  13
2 2
(4 marks)

10 Solve these inequalities.

a 3x + 5 ⩽ 12 (1 mark)
b 4x  3 > 9x  7 (2 marks)
2
c x + x − 56 ⩽ 0 (2 marks)

11 The function f is defined as f ( x)  x  7

2

Find the value of f(  3) . (1 mark)

This is the end of the test.
Markscheme:

Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step

and Progress descriptor

1a 1 1st
x3 Recall and use the rules for
positive integer indices.

1b 1 1st
9x 8
Recall and use the rules for
positive integer indices.

1c 1 3rd

4x
1
3 Recall and use the rules for
 94 zero, fractional and negative
8x indices.
1
1 19
 x3 4
2

1
1 31
 x 12
2

(5 marks)

Notes
None

Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step

and Progress descriptor

2 1 2nd
6 x5  6144  x5  1024 Solve equations involving
positive integer indices.
1
x4

(2 marks)

Notes
None
 Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step
and Progress descriptor

3 1 4th
2
x 3  25 Solve equations involving
fractional and negative
1 indices.
x  125

(2 marks)

Notes
Condone omission of ±

Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step

and Progress descriptor

4a 1 1st
8 7 Simplify surds.

4b 1 3rd
6  9 5  2 5  15 Expand pairs of brackets
involving surds.
1
 9  7 5

4c 1 4th
42 3 5 3 Rationalise the denominator
 of a fraction with a surd
5 3 5 3
expression as denominator.
1
20  4 3  10 3  6

25  3

1
13 7
  3
11 11

(6 marks)

Notes
None
 Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step
and Progress descriptor

5 1 4th
1
(7  5)( p  q 5)  (16  4 5) Solve problems involving
2 surds in context and
complete simple proofs
1 involving surds.
32  8 5
pq 5 
7 5

1
224  56 5  32 5  40
pq 5 
44

1
p  q 5  6  2 5  p  6, q  2

(4 marks)

Notes
Alternative method:
1
2  7  5   p  q 5    16  4 5 
7 p  7 q 5  p 5  5q  32  8 5
7 p  5q  5(7 q  p)  32  8 5

Hence: 7 p  5q  32
7q  p  8
Now solve simultaneous equations to find p = 6, q = 2

Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step

and Progress descriptor

6a 1 1st
8 x  12 y Expand single brackets.

6b 2* 2nd
12 x  5 x  3
2
Expand the product of two
brackets and simplify.

6c 1 3rd
( x 2  2 x  1)( x  3) Expand the product of three
brackets and simplify.
2*
x  x  5x  3
3 2

(6 marks)

Notes
*6b Award 1 mark for any two terms correct.
*6b Award 1 mark for any three terms correct.

Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step

and Progress descriptor

7a 1 1st
3 x(1  4 y ) Factorise linear expressions.

7b 1 2nd
( x  3)( x  2) Factorise simple quadratic
expressions.

(2 marks)

Notes
None

Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step

and Progress descriptor

8a 1 1st
x  4 Solve linear equations in one
unknown.

8b 1 2nd
( x  10)( x  1)  0 Solve simple quadratic
equations by factorising.
1
x  10, x  1

8c 1 3rd
7  49  36 Solve quadratic equations by
x use of formula.
6

1
7 1
x  13
6 6

(5 marks)

Notes
None
 Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step
and Progress descriptor

9a 1 1st
7 x  7 Solve linear simultaneous
equations by elimination and
1 substitution.
x  1

1
y5

9b 1 1st
2(4 x  3)  2 x  3  6 x  3 Solve linear simultaneous
equations by elimination and
1 substitution.
1
x
2

1
y 1

9c 1 4th
x  ( x  1)  13
2 2
Find intersections of circles
and straight lines.
1
2 x 2  2 x  12  0  x 2  x  6  0

1
x  3, x  2

1
y  2, y  3

(10 marks)

Notes
None
 Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step
and Progress descriptor

10a 1 2nd
7 Solve linear inequalities.
x ⩽ 3

10b 1 2nd
4  5x Solve linear inequalities.

1
4
x
5

10c 1 4th
( x  7)( x  8)  0 Solve quadratic inequalities.

1
−8 ⩽ x ⩽ 7

(5 marks)

Notes
None

Q Scheme Marks Pearson Progression Step

and Progress descriptor

11 1 3rd
(3)  7  2
2 Understand and use function
notation.

(1 mark)

Notes
None