We have below bronze, silver and gold tutorials for our factorising an expression module in the Expressions & Formulae unit of National 4 Mathematics. Bronze tutorials are typically unit assessment standard with the silver tutorials providing typical "exam type" questions as examples. If you can manage these you should try our more advanced gold tutorials containing the more unpleasant "exam type" questions. Typically as you work through the modules, the difficulty of the skills increase by one step ensuring smooth progression. Simply click on the video to play it and pause it at the relevant points for you to attempt the questions. Each tutorial has a corresponding worksheet for you to download if additional practice is required. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy! Once you've mastered the skills, why not try the Pastpaper questions at the bottom of the page?
This bronze module shows us how to factorise an expression. In these examples, the common factor will be a number.
VIDEO 4: Outcome 1 - Factorising with a numerical common factor. Grab a pen and your Rigour jotter. Make sure you try all the questions!
At silver level we continue to factorise expressions but this time our common factor will be a letter.
VIDEO 5: Outcome 2 - Factorising with the common factor as a letter. Grab a pen and your Rigour jotter. Make sure you try all the questions!
Try some optional extension work at gold level where we discover that the highest common factor can be a number AND a letter.
VIDEO 6: Outcome 3 - Factorising with the common factor as a number and a letter. Grab a pen and your Rigour jotter. Make sure you try all the questions!
Practice makes progress! Download this worksheet for additional questions to try. To view the answers click here.
Test yourself under exam conditions with this short, low stakes assessment. Check your answers here.
Once you have mastered the skills, why not try these past exam questions? Click on each question to play the video. Pause it when prompted to do so and have a go yourself first. When you've finished check the solution.
Intermediate 1 SQA Pastpaper Questions...
Or alternatively click here to view the pastpaper playlist - remember to hit the shuffle button!