IGCSE Maths · Edexcel 4XMA1 · Unit 1 Higher · Algebraic manipulation

Expanding Triple Brackets — Practice Questions

12 exam-style questions (36 marks), building from warm-up to grade 8–9. Show full working: Edexcel gives method marks even when the final answer is wrong.

Section A — Warm-up (grades 4–5)
  1. (2 marks)Expand and simplify (x + 1)(x + 2)(x + 5).
  2. (3 marks)Expand and simplify (x + 4)(x − 2)(x + 1).
  3. (3 marks)Expand and simplify (x − 3)(x − 1)(x + 5).
  4. (3 marks)Expand and simplify (x + 2)³.
Section B — Core (grades 5–7)
  1. (3 marks)Expand and simplify (2x + 3)(x − 1)(x + 4).
  2. (3 marks)Expand and simplify (3x − 2)(2x + 1)(x − 4).
  3. (3 marks)Expand and simplify (2x − 5)³.
  4. (3 marks)Show that (x + 3)(x − 3)(2x + 1) = 2x³ + x² − 18x − 9.
  5. (3 marks)A cuboid has length (x + 1) cm, width (x + 2) cm and height (2x − 3) cm. Show that its volume, in cm³, is 2x³ + 3x² − 5x − 6.
Section C — Stretch (grades 8–9)
  1. (2 marks)Find the coefficient of x² in the expansion of (x + 2)(x − 5)(3x + 1), without expanding fully.
    HintAn x² term comes from choosing x from two brackets and the number from the third.
  2. (4 marks)(x + a)(x − 4)(x + 1) ≡ x³ + bx² − 7x + c, where a, b and c are integers. Find a, b and c.
  3. (4 marks)(a) Show that (n + 1)³ − n³ = 3n² + 3n + 1.
    (b) Hence prove that the difference between the cubes of two consecutive integers is always odd.
When you’re doneRevise the method in the notes, then mark your answers with the worked solutions.
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