What is it
GCSE Algebra covers manipulating expressions, expanding and factorising (including quadratics), solving equations, and rearranging formulae — the toolkit used throughout the rest of the exam papers.
Why it matters
More marks are attached to algebra than almost any other GCSE maths topic, and it's also the skill most other topics — graphs, geometry problems, even some statistics questions — quietly depend on.
Exam tip
When rearranging a formula, do the same operation to both sides one step at a time and write out each step — skipping steps mentally is where most rearranging errors happen.
Related topics
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