This exam tips covers Common Mistakes to Avoid within Standard Form for GCSE Mathematics. Revise Standard Form in Number for GCSE Mathematics with 14 exam-style questions and 22 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 13 of 14 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 13 of 14
Practice
14 questions
Recall
22 flashcards
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Wrong: 45 × 10³
✅ Right: 4.5 × 10⁴
The first number must be between 1 and 10
❌ Wrong: 0.5 × 10⁴
✅ Right: 5 × 10³
0.5 is less than 1 - not valid standard form
❌ Wrong: 3.2 × 10⁻³ = 3200
✅ Right: 3.2 × 10⁻³ = 0.0032
Negative power means small number
❌ Wrong: Counting decimal places
✅ Right: Count how far decimal moves
Focus on decimal point movement, not places