Charts and diagrams

Charts and diagrams for Functional Skills Statistics: what it means, how to set the working out, and the questions it is asked in.
  • Functional Skills
  • Statistics
  • Spec S14 · S18
  • 4 min read
  • 10 revision boxes

Introduction

2 boxes
2 min read

What is charts and diagrams?

Listen to this box

Transcript

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

A spoken walk-through of charts and diagrams before you read the notes.
The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing charts and diagrams laid out step by step

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

The charts and diagrams reference table

Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.
Term
Meaning
Example
Row 1 column 1
Row 1 column 2
160\approx 160
Row 2 column 1
Row 2 column 2
160\approx 160
Row 3 column 1
Row 3 column 2
×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left

Learning

6 boxes
5 steps

How to work with charts and diagrams

Check the answer against an estimate before you move on, so a place-value slip is caught here.
Worth knowing: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for charts and diagrams 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: 160\approx 160.
Answer: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
2 rules

Key facts: Charts and diagrams

Work through the method one line at a time and write down what changes at each step.
  • Rule 1

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0
  • Rule 2

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
  • Rule 3

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0
4 steps

How to work with charts and diagrams

The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for charts and diagrams 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: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left.
Answer: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
3 rules

Key facts: Charts and diagrams

Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.
  • Rule 1

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0
  • Rule 2

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    160\approx 160
  • Rule 3

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
4 steps

How to work with charts and diagrams

Check the answer against an estimate before you move on, so a place-value slip is caught here.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for charts and diagrams 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: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2.
Answer: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
2 rules

Key facts: Charts and diagrams

Work through the method one line at a time and write down what changes at each step.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing charts and diagrams laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Worth knowing: 160\approx 160.
  • Rule 1

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0
  • Rule 2

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
  • Rule 3

    How charts and diagrams behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0

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Examples

2 boxes
2 marks · worked

Worked example: charts and diagrams

The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing charts and diagrams laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
3 marks · worked

Practice question 10: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}

Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.

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Common questions

How many marks is charts and diagrams usually worth?
Between one and four, depending on how many steps the question asks for.
Is this on the Functional Skills Statistics paper?
Yes — it sits in the Systems and hardware strand.