AlgebraExam Tips

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Part of nth Term · GCSE GCSE Mathematics revision

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.

Topic position

Section 7 of 8

Practice

11 questions

Recall

4 flashcards

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ 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

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in nth Term. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Worked Example 3: Decreasing Sequence Knowledge Organiser: nth Term of Linear Sequences The Formula for Any Term Key Vocabulary

Practice Questions for nth Term

The nth term of a sequence is 3n + 2. What is the 5th term?

A. 17
B. 15
C. 13
D. 20

1 markfoundation

A student claims that 50 is a term in the sequence with nth term 3n + 1. Show whether this claim is correct.

2 markshigher

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.)

11 questions on nth Term — practise free

Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 4 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.

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Worked Example 3: Decreasing Sequence

Knowledge Organiser: nth Term of Linear Sequences