Sequences for GCSE Maths: Explanation, Examples and Questions

Sequences are a fundamental topic in GCSE and iGCSE maths, helping students to understand patterns and relationships between numbers.

At GCSE level, you’ll cover finding the next terms, nth terms, and term-to-term rules for a variety of sequences, including linear, quadratic, cubic, and exponential sequences.

These skills are essential for problem-solving and pave the way for more advanced study in mathematics.

Linear Sequences

Linear sequences are the easiest type of sequence at GCSE maths. Every term in the sequence is formed by adding or subtracting a constant term from the previous term.

This video explains how to find the nth term of a linear sequence such as 7, 11, 15, 19, ... in which the term-to-term rule is +3.

Quadratic Sequences

Quadratic sequences are a type of sequence where the difference between terms changes in a regular way. The terms are formed by adding or subtracting a value that increases or decreases by a constant amount each time.

This video explains how to find the nth term of a quadratic sequence, such as 2, 6, 12, 20, ..., where the second difference is constant and the nth term contains a n² term.

The rest of the lesson on sequences is not quite ready, but if you already know what you're doing, we have practice questions linked below.