Grade 11 Mathematics

Welcome to the Grade 11 Mathematics portal — your complete study guide aligned to the CAPS curriculum. Grade 11 is the critical bridge year: every concept here is either tested directly in matric or forms the foundation for Grade 12 topics. Deep understanding now = easy marks later.

Paper 1 — Algebra, Functions & Finance (150 marks)

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Paper 2 — Geometry, Trigonometry & Statistics (150 marks)

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⚠️ Start Here: Grade 10 Skills You Need

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Grade 11 builds directly on Grade 10. If any of these feel shaky, fix them first — they cause the most lost marks:

• Fractions & Algebraic Fractions Toolkit — one shared fractions reference used across Grade 10, 11 and 12
• Factorisation Toolkit — Common factor, DOTS, trinomials, grouping — used in almost every Grade 11 topic
• Exponent Laws — The 5 core laws, zero/negative/fractional exponents — critical for surds
• Equation Solving — Linear, literal, simultaneous equations, inequalities — the methods Grade 11 extends
• Function & Graph Basics — Domain, range, intercepts, $a$ and $q$ — the language of Grade 11 functions

👉 Go to Fundamentals section for full explanations, worked examples, and common mistakes for each skill.

💡 These Grade 10 skills themselves build on Grades 7–9 foundations. If you need to go further back, see the Grade 10 Fundamentals section.

By Term (CAPS Teaching Order)

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Term 1 — The Algebra Push

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1. Exponents & Surds — Rational exponents, surds, surd equations, rationalising
2. Equations & Inequalities — Quadratic equations & formula, discriminant, quadratic inequalities, simultaneous equations
3. Number Patterns — Quadratic patterns, second differences, general term
4. Finance, Growth & Decay — Compound interest, different compounding periods, depreciation, effective rates

Term 2 — Graphs & Trigonometry

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1. Functions — Parabola ($p$ and $q$ shifts), hyperbola (asymptotes), exponential (growth/decay)
2. Trigonometry — CAST diagram, reduction formulas, identities, equations, general solutions, sine/cosine/area rules

Term 3 — Geometry

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1. Circle Geometry — Circle theorems, cyclic quadrilaterals, tangents, tan-chord theorem
2. Analytical Geometry — Inclination, equation of a circle, tangent to a circle

Term 4

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1. Statistics — Standard deviation, variance, ogives, symmetric/skewed data
2. Probability — Dependent/independent events, tree diagrams, contingency tables
3. Revision & Exam Preparation