This exam tips covers Common Mistakes to Avoid within Solving Quadratics for GCSE Mathematics. Revise Solving Quadratics in Algebra for GCSE Mathematics with 15 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 7 of 7 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 7
Practice
15 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- WRONG: x² + 5x + 6 = 0 → x = 2 or x = 3 (Forgot the NEGATIVE signs!)
- WRONG: Only writing one answer (Quadratics usually have TWO solutions)
- WRONG: Solving x² + 5x + 6 = 12 by factorising directly (Must rearrange to = 0 first!)
- RIGHT: Always check by substituting BOTH answers back into the original