Fundamentals: Grade 10 Skills You Need
The Grade 10 skills that trip Grade 11 students the most — factorisation, exponent laws, equation solving, and graph basics. Fix these gaps before they cost you marks.
Grade 11 Mathematics
Table of Contents
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)#
| Topic | Approx. Marks | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Exponents & Surds | ±15 | Exponents & Surds |
| Equations & Inequalities | ±30 | Equations & Inequalities |
| Number Patterns (Quadratic) | ±15 | Number Patterns |
| Functions & Graphs | ±30 | Functions |
| Finance, Growth & Decay | ±15 | Finance, Growth & Decay |
| Probability | ±15 | Probability |
Paper 2 — Geometry, Trigonometry & Statistics (150 marks)#
| Topic | Approx. Marks | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Trigonometry | ±40 | Trigonometry |
| Euclidean Geometry (Circles) | ±40 | Circle Geometry |
| Analytical Geometry | ±30 | Analytical Geometry |
| Statistics | ±15 | Statistics |
⚠️ Start Here: Grade 10 Skills You Need#
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)#
Term 1 — The Algebra Push#
- Exponents & Surds — Rational exponents, surds, surd equations, rationalising
- Equations & Inequalities — Quadratic equations & formula, discriminant, quadratic inequalities, simultaneous equations
- Number Patterns — Quadratic patterns, second differences, general term
- Finance, Growth & Decay — Compound interest, different compounding periods, depreciation, effective rates
Term 2 — Graphs & Trigonometry#
- Functions — Parabola ($p$ and $q$ shifts), hyperbola (asymptotes), exponential (growth/decay)
- Trigonometry — CAST diagram, reduction formulas, identities, equations, general solutions, sine/cosine/area rules
Term 3 — Geometry#
- Circle Geometry — Circle theorems, cyclic quadrilaterals, tangents, tan-chord theorem
- Analytical Geometry — Inclination, equation of a circle, tangent to a circle
Term 4#
- Statistics — Standard deviation, variance, ogives, symmetric/skewed data
- Probability — Dependent/independent events, tree diagrams, contingency tables
- Revision & Exam Preparation