Surds revision

Surds can look unfamiliar, but they follow clear rules. The main goal is to keep exact values instead of rounding too early.

Understand what a surd is

A surd is an irrational root left in exact form, such as the square root of 2. Students need to know when an answer should stay exact.

Simplify using square factors

To simplify a surd, look for square factors such as 4, 9, 16, 25 or 36. This helps rewrite the expression in a cleaner form.

Practise operations

Students should practise adding like surds, multiplying surds, expanding brackets and rationalising denominators.

Avoid decimal answers too early

Exam questions often ask for exact form. Rounding early can lose marks even when the method is mostly correct.

FAQs

Are surds only higher tier?

Surds are usually a higher tier GCSE topic, but students should check their exam board specification.

How do I get better at surds?

Learn the core rules, then practise mixed questions that combine simplifying and expanding.