✗ Forgetting to check your answer
✓ Always substitute n=1, 2, 3 to verify
One mistake can give a wrong formula
✗ Getting the sign wrong for d
✓ Decreasing = negative d
Check: does sequence go up (+d) or down (−d)?
✗ Confusing term number with term value
✓ n is the position, the answer is the value
"5th term" means n=5, not the term = 5
This exam tips covers Common Mistakes to Avoid within nth Term for GCSE Mathematics. Revise nth Term in Algebra for GCSE Mathematics with 11 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 7 of 8 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Practice questions for nth Term
The nth term of a sequence is 3n + 2. What is the 5th term?
A student claims that 50 is a term in the sequence with nth term 3n + 1. Show whether this claim is correct.
Quick recall flashcards
What is the nth term?
A formula that allows you to find any term in a sequence by substituting the position number (n)
What does 'n' represent?
The position number in the sequence (1st term: n=1, 2nd term: n=2, etc.)