This exam tips covers Common Mistakes to Avoid within Negative Numbers for GCSE Mathematics. Revise Negative Numbers in Number for GCSE Mathematics with 12 exam-style questions and 22 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 12 of 13 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 12 of 13
Practice
12 questions
Recall
22 flashcards
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Wrong: −3 + −5 = 2
✅ Right: −3 + (−5) = −8
Adding negatives makes the result MORE negative
❌ Wrong: 5 − (−3) = 2
✅ Right: 5 − (−3) = 8
Minus minus = plus: subtracting a negative = adding
❌ Wrong: (−3)² = −9
✅ Right: (−3)² = 9
Negative × negative = positive when squaring
❌ Wrong: −8 is bigger than −3
✅ Right: −8 is smaller than −3
On a number line, left = smaller, even with negatives