Sequences in the 11+ — Questions, Worked Answers and Practice Papers

What examiners actually ask

Sequences appears in 214 of our 571 ready papers (740 tagged questions). It averages 3.5 questions a paper worth about 1.57 marks each. The typical question allows around 53 sec. It appears in 3 CSSE papers we hold.

Sequences reward careful pattern-spotting under time pressure. Papers ask for the next term, a missing middle term, or a description of the rule. Linear sequences dominate, but children also meet growing patterns, square numbers and simple two-step rules. Rushing leads to inventing a pattern that fits two terms but not the whole sequence. Good technique: write the differences between consecutive terms, test the proposed rule on every given term, then generate the answer — and check backwards from the final term. Some questions hide sequences inside tables or diagrams rather than a neat list, so teach children to rewrite the pattern in a straight line before deciding. When the common difference itself changes, look for a second-level pattern rather than forcing a single addition rule. A thirty-second check here prevents the most expensive careless marks.

Common mistakes

• Spotting a pattern from the first two terms only and ignoring later terms that break it.
• Mixing term-to-term rules with position-to-term rules when the question asks for the nth term style thinking.
• Arithmetic slips when the common difference is negative or fractional.
• Forgetting to verify the proposed next term against the stated rule.

Papers with the most Sequences questions

Ranked from our tagged catalogue — open a paper to practise the questions that actually test this topic.

Related topics

• Algebra
• Logical Problems
• Fractions
• Word Problems
• Angles
• Decimals