Mathematics
“Improving your Key
Stage 3 test Result”
A booklet of helpful hints, tips
and a revision checklist
Contents
Page
Why are KS3 tests important?
The Mathematics test explained
How can you support your child?
Revision Methods
Useful websites resources you can purchase
Level 4 objectives checklist
Level 5 objectives checklist
Level 6 objectives checklist
Level 7 objectives checklist
Level 8 objectives checklist
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Mathematics Key stage 3
Hints, tips and revision checklist
Why are KS3 Tests important?
Mathematics is important because it gives students the skills to make informed decisions
based on facts or information. It enables students to make predictions about real life
situations based on what they see around them. It will enable students to manage time
and money effectively as they grow up and be able to explain in a logical way why they
have made a particular decision.
KS3 tests in mathematics very important because they are used to predict how well you
will do in your GCSE. Nationally 100% of students achieving a level 7 at KS3 go on to
achieve a grade C or above. Between 73 – 96% of pupils achieving level 6 go on to get a
Grade C or above and at level 5, 14 – 46% of students go on to achieve a GCSE grade C
or above. In year 10 the mathematics classes will be determined by your child’s KS3 test
result.
Find out from your teacher at your appointment your exact target level and your predicted
level.
My current level is __________
Mymaths login _______________
But my target level is _________
Mymaths password ____________
The Mathematics Test explained
The National Curriculum test consists of 3 papers:
 Mental Mathematics test (30 marks)
 Paper 1 – Non-Calculator test (60 marks)
 Paper 2 – Calculator paper (60 marks)
The test may also require use of a ruler, rubber, protractor and compass in addition to a
Scientific calculator and a pen and pencil.
How can you support your child?
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Ensure they have all of the correct equipment for the test
Ensure they have a quiet place that they can use to revise
Be positive about mathematics and point out it’s importance
Look at their exercise book and what they have learnt in school and ask questions
about it
Ask your child to work out calculations mentally or using pencil and paper methods
and check they are correct
Help them to make a revision plan
Praise their hard work!
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Mathematics Key stage 3
Hints, tips and revision checklist
Revision Methods:
1) Read through your revision guide, text books and exercise books, this is the easiest and
quickest way to revise but it is not very effective.
2) Write a list of the key words, then close the book and try to remember what these
words mean. Then close the book and write down the meanings of these words
3) Make up your own questions on a topic you have decided to revise and then try to
solve them. Get someone to check your work
4) Cut up A6 sized cards (or you can buy them ready made) and write examples of
questions and solutions on them
5) Take a topic and draw a mind map of all the things you need to be able to do
6) Writing in colourful pens on colourful paper is not only more fun but it helps to trigger
your brain.
7) Practice by doing past papers. You teacher will be giving questions to do at home but
you can also buy additional past paper packs high street shops
Useful websites and Resources
www.mymaths.co.uk – Login: TCS Password: ruler
Your child can log onto this website and complete lessons or revision worksheets using the
“booster packs”. They must sign in using their own personal login and password and then
their work will be marked and sent to their teacher
www.emaths.co.uk/KS3SAT.htm -Past papers
Past papers along with their answers can be downloaded from this site
www.netagency.co.uk/keyedin2/satsprep.html - Interactive Practice papers
On this site your child can complete a past paper that will be instantly marked to give
feedback on the questions that were done correctly or incorrectly
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/maths/ - Revision materials
A good set of revision exercises and tests which show the level of each topic and give
instant feedback
CGP KS3 Revision Guides (Level 3-6 or 5-8)
Revision Guides showing notes and procedures with a few questions to test
understanding. Available from Maths Department £2.50
Bookworth Past paper Practice (Level 3-5, 4-6, 5-7 or 6-8)
Packs containing 2 complete past papers including mental tests. Available from the Maths
Department £2.25
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Mathematics Key stage 3
Hints, tips and revision checklist
Revision ‘learning objectives’ checklist
Use these checklists in addition to your revision guide to make sure you have covered
everything.
Level 4 Check point objectives
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Describe number patterns
Find multiples and factors and work out the square numbers
Use word formulae
Use co-ordinates in the first quadrant
Multiply and divide whole numbers by 10 and 100
Add and subtract numbers like 13.64 and 48.95
Write decimal numbers in the correct order
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Make 3D models and draw 2D shapes
Find perimeters of shapes and areas by counting squares
Know faces, edges and vertices
Draw reflections of a shape in a mirror
Measure lengths and angles using correct equipment
 Draw line graphs and read simple pie charts
 Draw frequency tables
 Find the mode and range
Level 5 Check point objectives
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Multiply and divide whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000
Add and subtract negative numbers
Put numbers in order including negative numbers
Add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers like 19.75 and 34.21
Simplify a fraction
Work out a fraction or percentage of a number
Multiply or divide a three digit number by a two digit number
Use inverse operations of approximation to check my answers
Use simple formulae like C=2n+4
Use co-ordinates in all four quadrants
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Measure and draw angles to the nearest degree
Remember the metric to imperial conversions
Use and understand the formula for the area of a rectangle
Know symmetries of 2-D shapes
Know sum of angles in a triangle and at a point
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Mathematics Key stage 3
Hints, tips and revision checklist
 Convert one metric unit to another
 Estimate lengths
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Find the mean of discrete data
Use the range and one of the averages to compare two sets of data
Say what diagrams and graphs show
Use the probability scale from 0 to 1
Understand that experiments don’t always have the same outcome
Level 6 Check point objectives
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 Use trial and improvement to sole things like x3+5x=38
 Work out one number as a fraction or percentage of another
 Understand that fractions, decimals and percentages can be equivalent
to each other (like 0.5=50%)
 Calculate using ratio
 Add and subtract fractions with common denominators
 Find and describe in words the rule for the next term in a sequence
(Linear)
 Find and describe in words the rule for the nth term in a sequence
 Solve linear equations with integer coefficients
 Plot the graph of y=mx+c
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Recognise 2D representations of 3D objects
Classify quadrilaterals by knowing their properties
Find the missing angles when two parallel lines are intersected
Solve angle problems in polygons
Write instructions to make a computer draw a shape
Find the area and circumference of a circle
Find the volume of cuboids
Enlarge a shape by a positive scale factor
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Work with continuous data
Construct pie charts
Say what a scatter diagram tells us
Understand correlation
Find all the possible outcomes of two experiments
Use the fact that the probability of mutually exclusive events add up to 1
Level 7 Check point objectives
 Round to one significant figure
 Understand what happens when we multiply or divide by numbers
between 0 and 1
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Mathematics Key stage 3
Hints, tips and revision checklist
 Multiply and divide numbers of any size
 Understand proportional change
 Describe in symbols the rule for the next term or nth term in a sequence
(Quadratic)
 Multiply things like (a+b)(c+d)
 Simplify quadratic expressions
 Solve simultaneous, linear equations (Using graphs or algebra)
 Solve inequalities like 62n+1] >18
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Understand and use Pythagoras’ Theorem in 2D
Calculate lengths, areas and volumes in right prisms
Enlarge a shape by a fractional scale factor
Understand similarity
Draw the locus of a moving object
Find and understand upper and lowers bounds
Use compound measures like speed, distance, time
 Find the modal class and an estimate to the mean, median and range
when using grouped data
 Compare distributions using frequency polygons
 Draw a line of best fit on a scatter diagram
 Understand relative frequency
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Level 8 Check point objectives
 Solve problems involving powers, roots and standard form
 Solve problems involving repeated proportional change
 Substitute fractions and decimals into equations and expressions and
find the answers
 Calculate one variable in a formula when I know the others
 Understand that a2+b2=(a+b)(a-b)
 Solve inequalities in two variables
 Sketch and interpret graphs of quadratic, cubic and reciprocal functions
 Interpret graphs that model real life situations
 Use congruence and mathematical similarity
 Use sine, cosine and tangent in right angled triangles in 2D
 Distinguish between formulae for perimeter, area and volume by
considering dimensions
 Interpret and construct cumulative frequency diagrams
 Estimate the median and inter-quartile range
 Calculate the probability of a compound event
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