Sequences (Cambridge O Level Maths)

Exam Questions

3 hours40 questions
1
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1 mark

These are the first five terms in a sequence.
 

8 space space space space space 11 space space space space space 14 space space space space space 17 space space space space space 20


Find the next term.

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2
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2 marks

The n th term of a number sequence is n squared space plus space 1

Write down the first three terms of the sequence.

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3
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2 marks

Write an expression for thespace nth term of the sequence below.

15    12    9    6

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4
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2 marks

A sequence has nth term 2 n squared plus 5 n minus 15.
 
Find the difference between the 4th term and the 5th term of this sequence.

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5a
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1 mark

This is the term‐to‐term rule for a sequence.

Multiply by 2 and add 3

The first three terms in this sequence are 1, 5 and 13.
Write down the next term in this sequence.

5b
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3 marks

This is the term‐to‐term rule for a different sequence.

Square and subtract 5

The second and third terms in this sequence are -1 and -4.

i)
Write down the fourth term in this sequence.

[1]
ii)
Write down the two possible values for the first term in this sequence.
[2]

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1a
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1 mark

In a sequence

T subscript 1 equals space 17 space space space space space space space space space T subscript 2 space space equals space 12 space space space space space space space space space space space T subscript 3 space equals space 7 space space space space space space space space space space space T subscript 4 space equals space 2.

Find

T subscript 5

1b
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2 marks

Find T subscript n.

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2a
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1 mark

The nth term of a sequence is 60 minus 8 n.

Find the largest number in this sequence.

2b
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2 marks

Here are the first five terms of a different sequence.


12          19          26          33          40


Find an expression for the nth term of this sequence.


[2]

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3
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2 marks

Here is a sequence of numbers.

7,   5,   3,   1,   – 1, …

Find an expression for the nth term of this sequence.

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4
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3 marks

These are the first four terms of a sequence.

5 8 11 14

i)
Write down the next term.
 
[1]
ii)
Find an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
 
[2]

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5a
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2 marks
19, 15, 11, 7, ....

Write down the next two terms of the sequence.

5b
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2 marks

Find the nth term of this sequence.
 

[2]

5c
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2 marks

Find the value of n when the nth term is -65.
 

n = .............................................. 

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6
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2 marks

These are the first five terms in a sequence.
 

8 space space space space space 11 space space space space space 14 space space space space space 17 space space space space space 20


Find an expression for the nth term.

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7
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2 marks

These are the first five terms of a sequence.

negative 4 space space space space space space space space space space space 2 space space space space space space space space space space 8 space space space space space space space space space space space 14 space space space space space space space space space space space 20

 
Find an expression for the nth term of this sequence.

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8a
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2 marks

Marco is making patterns with grey and white circular mats.
cie-igcse-2018-may-jun-1-p4-q12
The patterns form a sequence.
Marco makes a table to show some information about the patterns.

Pattern number 1 2 3 4 5
Number of grey mats 6 9 12 15  
Total number of mats 6 10 15 21  

Complete the table for Pattern 5.

8b
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2 marks

Find an expression, in terms of n, for the number of grey mats in Pattern n.

8c
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2 marks

Marco makes a pattern with 24 grey mats.

Find the total number of mats in this pattern.

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9
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2 marks

Find an expression for the nth term of the sequence below.

11 comma space space space space space 7 comma space space space space space 3 comma space space space space minus 1 comma space space space space space...

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1
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2 marks

1 third comma space space space space space 3 over 4 comma space space space space space 4 over 7 comma space space space space space 7 over 11 comma space space space space space 11 over 18 comma space space space space space...

i)begin mathsize 16px style table row blank row blank end table end style
One term of this sequence is p over q.

Find, in terms of p and q, the next term in this sequence.

[1]

ii)
Find the 6th term of this sequence.

[1]

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2
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1 mark

These are the first five terms of a sequence.

 1 half   3 over 4   7 over 6   13 over 8   21 over 10 

Find the next term.

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3
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3 marks

Find the next term and the nth term of this sequence.

3 over 5 comma space space space space space space space space 4 over 7 comma space space space space space space space space 5 over 9 comma space space space space space space space space 6 over 11 comma space space space space space space space space 7 over 13 comma space space space space space space space...

Next term = .................................................  

nth term = ................................................. 

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4a
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4 marks

The nth term of a sequence is given by a n squared space plus space b n where a and b are integers.

The 2nd term of the sequence is —2
The 4th term of the sequence is 12

Find the 6th term of the sequence.

4b
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2 marks

Here are the first five terms of a different quadratic sequence.

0   2   6   12   20

Find an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term of this sequence.

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5a
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1 mark

Find the nth term of each sequence.

4,   8,   12,   16,   20,   .........

5b
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2 marks

11,   20,   35,   56,   83,   ..........

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6a
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1 mark

Here are the first six terms of a Fibonacci sequence.

            1   1   2   3         5    8

The rule to continue a Fibonacci sequence is,

         the next term in the sequence is the sum of the two previous terms.

Find the 9th term of this sequence.

6b
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2 marks

The first three terms of a different Fibonacci sequence are

a space space space space space space space b space space space space space space space a plus b

Show that the 6th term of this sequence is 3 a space plus space 5 b

6c
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3 marks

Given that the 3rd term is 7 and the 6th term is 29,

find the value of a and the value of b.

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7a
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1 mark

Grey squares and white squares are used to make patterns in a sequence.
The first three patterns in the sequence are shown.
Pattern 4 is incomplete.
q11-specimen-paper1-2025-4024-01-cambridge-o-level-maths-dShade squares in Pattern 4 to continue the sequence.

7b
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2 marks

Complete the table for the patterns in the sequence.

Pattern number 1 2 3 4 5
Number of grey squares 4 7 10    
Number of white squares 2 8 18    
7c
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4 marks
i)
Write an expression, in terms of n, for the number of grey squares in Pattern n.
[2]

ii)
Write an expression, in terms of n, for the number of white squares in Pattern n.
[2]
7d
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3 marks

Pattern 10 and Pattern 11 in the sequence are made from grey squares and white squares.

Find the difference between the total number of squares needed to make Pattern 10 and the total number of squares needed to make Pattern 11.

7e
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4 marks

Pattern k in the sequence needs 61 grey squares.
Find the number of white squares needed for Pattern k.

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1a
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10 marks
Sequence 1st term 2nd term 3rd term 4th term 5th term   nth term
A 13 9 5 1      
B 0 7 26 63      
C 7 over 8 8 over 16 9 over 32 10 over 64      

Complete the table for the three sequences.

1b
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2 marks

One term in Sequence C is p over q.
Write down the next term in Sequence C in terms of space p spaceand q.

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2a
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4 marks

cie-igcse-2019-may-jun-p4-tz2-q11a

The sequence of diagrams above is made up of small lines and dots.

Complete the table.

  Diagram 1 Diagram 2 Diagram 3 Diagram 4 Diagram 5 Diagram 6
Number of small lines 4 10 18 28    
Number of dots 4 8 13 19    

2b
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2 marks

For Diagram n find an expression, in terms of n, for the number of small lines. 

2c
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2 marks

Diagram r has 10 300 small lines.
 
Find the value of r.
 

r = .............................................. 

2d
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2 marks

The number of dots in Diagram n is a n squared plus b n plus 1.
 
Find the value of a and the value of b.
 

a = .............................................. 
b = .............................................. 

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3a
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2 marks

The table shows the first five terms of sequence A and sequence B.

Term 1 2 3 4 5 6
Sequence A 7 13 23 37 55  
Sequence B 1 3 9 27 81  

Complete the table for the 6th term of each sequence.

3b
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4 marks
i)
Find the nth term of sequence A.
 
[2]
ii)
Find the nth term of sequence B.
 
[2]

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4a
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1 mark

The first four terms space u subscript bold 1 comma space u subscript bold 2 comma space u subscript bold 3, and u subscript bold 4in a sequence of numbers are given by

u subscript bold 1 space equals space bold 1 space cross times space 2 space plus space 3 squared space equals space 11 space
u subscript bold 2 space equals bold space bold 2 space cross times space 3 space plus space 4 squared space equals space 22 space
u subscript bold 3 space equals bold space bold 3 space cross times space 4 space plus space 5 squared space equals space 37 space
u subscript bold 4 space equals space bold 4 space cross times space 5 space plus space 6 squared space equals space 56.

 Evaluate u subscript bold 5.

4b
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1 mark

The nth term of the sequence is u subscript n.

Write down an expression for u subscript n in terms of n.

4c
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2 marks

 Given that u subscript n space equals space A n squared plus space B n space plus space C, find the values of A comma space B and C.

A space equals................

B space equals.................

C space equals.................

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