Even parents struggle to figure the school question out (Image: Save My Exams)

'Impossible' maths exam question for kids leaves parents stumped too - can you solve it?

A tricky maths question has left both kids and their parents stumped, with almost everyone in the UK failing to get the correct answer - can you crack it?

by · Daily Record

Exams are a notoriously tense time for students, particularly when it comes to subjects like maths. It's a common fear to be confronted with a baffling maths problem during an exam.

Now, education platform Save My Exams has stumbled upon a GCSE maths question that's so challenging, even parents are left scratching their heads. In Scotland, National 5 exams are the usual equivalent for the age group that would typically sit GCSEs, as most Scottish schools do not offer the latter except for some private institutions.

The Mirror has reported on a tricky maths question involving a shape and its measurements in centimetres, where the area of the shape is A cm2, and candidates are asked to demonstrate that A equals 2x2 + 24x + 46.

In a stunning revelation, not one parent could crack this numerical nut – revealing the legitimacy of their offspring’s grievances with the question.

Out of 1,000 parents challenged, a staggering 92 percent couldn't answer, while the remaining eight percent did not reach the correct solution.

Can you solve it? (Image: Save My Exams)

Lucy Kirkham, the maths lead at Save My Exams, has solved the perplexing puzzle and offers sage advice for those befuddled by such algebraic questions, saying: "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."

The below illustration shows the solution to this head-scratching maths problem.

A maths expert was on hand to show the right answer and explain how to work it out (Image: Save My Exams)

Lucy 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!

"Even if you don't get all the way through, marks are awarded for different stages of your working so you can always try to pick up some marks and use our model answers to see how you'd pick up the rest."

Did you get the right answer?

Let us know in the comments below.

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