You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
One of the most important skills for the SET 11+ is knowing how to show your working clearly. The SET is a two-stage exam. Stage 1 is multiple choice, where only your final answer matters. But on Stage 2, the written paper, marks are awarded for your working as well as your final answer. This means you can still earn marks even if you make a small error at the end — as long as your method is correct and clearly shown.
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Earn method marks | On Stage 2, many questions are worth 2 or 3 marks. You can earn marks for correct steps even if your final answer is wrong. |
| Avoid silly mistakes | Writing each step helps you spot errors before they happen. |
| Organise your thinking | Clear working helps you break a complex problem into manageable steps. |
| Help the examiner | If your working is clear, the examiner can follow your reasoning and award you marks. |
SET Stage 2 Tip: Never do calculations "in your head" and write only the answer. Always write the calculation down, even if it seems simple.
Question: A shop sells 6 rolls for £2.10 and 4 baguettes for £3.40. Find the total cost of 12 rolls and 8 baguettes.
Bad answer: £10.80
This gives the final answer but shows no working. If the answer were wrong, the student would get zero marks.
Question: A shop sells 6 rolls for £2.10 and 4 baguettes for £3.40. Find the total cost of 12 rolls and 8 baguettes.
Good answer:
12 rolls = 2 × 6 rolls = 2 × £2.10 = £4.20
8 baguettes = 2 × 4 baguettes = 2 × £3.40 = £6.80
Total = £4.20 + £6.80 = £10.80 (3 marks)
Even if the student made an arithmetic error in the last step, they would still earn marks for the correct method.
Write one step per line. Do not cram everything into one line.
Label your steps. Write what each calculation represents (e.g. "Cost of rolls = ..." or "Area of triangle = ...").
Show every operation. Even simple multiplications or additions should be written down.
Use equals signs correctly. Start a new line when the value changes.
Circle or underline your final answer. Make it easy for the examiner to find.
Include units. Always write cm, cm², kg, £, etc.
Question: Tom buys 5 notebooks at £2.30 each and 3 folders at £1.85 each. He pays with a £20 note. How much change does he receive?
Good working:
Cost of notebooks = 5 × £2.30 = £11.50
Cost of folders = 3 × £1.85 = £5.55
Total cost = £11.50 + £5.55 = £17.05
Change = £20.00 - £17.05 = £2.95
Question: Find the area of a trapezium with parallel sides 10 cm and 16 cm, and height 7 cm.
Good working:
Area of trapezium = 1/2 × (a + b) × h
Area = 1/2 × (10 + 16) × 7
Area = 1/2 × 26 × 7
Area = 1/2 × 182
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 10 lessons in this course.