Maths question leaves parents 'stumped' as only 8% attempt GCSE problem

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Exam time is fast approaching and parents will need to be on call to keep the young ones calm through the stressful period. However, 42 percent of pupils believe that neither mum or dad could successfully sit the exams today.

In addition, three out of ten students say parents don't know answers to exam questions when asked for help.That's according to online revision site SaveMyExams, which has shared a baffling algebra question for parents to try ahead of exam season.

The resource platform says the problem has left 92 per cent of them baffled, with just eight percent giving it a go.As reported by the Mirror, the maths question depicts a shape with all measurements set out in centimetres.

Underneath, it says: "The area of the shape is A cm². Show that A=2x²=24x=46.At first, the question may look a little daunting, but maths lead Lucy Kirkham advises those giving it a go to first break down the shape into manageable chunks.Kirkham said: "Seeing questions with loads of algebra can be scary but breaking them down into smaller chunks will help you work through them more easily."Our maths experts at Save My Exams create colour-coded model answers which break down each question into easier steps to carefully guide users to the correct answer." Scroll below to see the full answer, but consider this a spoiler warning.Offering additional advice, Kirkham continued: "This question gives you the answer you're working towards, which can sometimes be off-putting as you wonder 'How am I ever going to get there?"Don't let it worry you, just try to start with the first step and you'll surprise yourself with how far you can get!