PAss Functional Skills

Venn diagrams and sets

Venn diagrams and sets for A Level Computer Science Edexcel Higher: what it means, how to set the working out, and the questions it is asked in.
  • A Level
  • Edexcel
  • Computer Science
  • Higher
  • Spec A2 · A3
  • 7 min read
  • 6 revision boxes

Introduction

2 boxes
2 min read

What is venn diagrams and sets?

Listen to this box

Transcript

A short spoken summary of venn diagrams and sets and where it is used.

A spoken walk-through of venn diagrams and sets before you read the notes.
Work through the method one line at a time and write down what changes at each step.
6 rows

The venn diagrams and sets reference table

Check the answer against an estimate before you move on, so a place-value slip is caught here.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing venn diagrams and sets laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Term
Meaning
Example
Common slip
Marks
Row 1 column 1
Row 1 column 2
≈160\approx 160
Row 1 column 4
Row 1 column 5
Row 2 column 1
Row 2 column 2
≈160\approx 160
Row 2 column 4
Row 2 column 5
Row 3 column 1
Row 3 column 2
49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
Row 3 column 4
Row 3 column 5
Row 4 column 1
Row 4 column 2
a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Row 4 column 4
Row 4 column 5

Learning

2 boxes
3 steps

How to work with venn diagrams and sets

Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for venn diagrams and sets in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
  4. Check the answer against an estimate before writing it down.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0.
Answer: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2
2 rules

Key facts: Venn diagrams and sets

The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.

  • Rule 1

    How venn diagrams and sets behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    49=7\sqrt{49} = 7

  • Rule 2

    How venn diagrams and sets behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    49=7\sqrt{49} = 7

  • Rule 3

    How venn diagrams and sets behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left

20 minutes

Get your predicted grade

Twenty questions gives you a predicted grade, your target, and the gap between them — plus the topics that close it fastest.
Get my predicted grade

Examples

2 boxes
4 marks · worked

Worked example: venn diagrams and sets

Sketch the shape even when the question does not ask for one — it makes the next step obvious.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing venn diagrams and sets laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Worth knowing: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0.
1 marks · worked

Practice question 6: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2

The examiner marks the working, so a correct answer with no method still drops marks.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing venn diagrams and sets laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.

Practice bank

Thousands of revision questions

Every topic is backed by graded practice with instant marking and full solutions.
Try it now
Practice questions
6,000+
Topics
10
Marking and solutions
Instant

Common questions

How many marks is venn diagrams and sets usually worth?
Between one and four, depending on how many steps the question asks for.
Is this on the A Level Computer Science Edexcel Higher paper?
Yes — it sits in the Finance and accounts strand.