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About this video
Grade 8 algebra test questions worked through: collecting like terms, expanding brackets with the distributive property — signs included — and solving equations, including one with fractions.
What it covers
- Like terms: the same letter and the same exponent
- A number outside a bracket multiplies every term — sign included
- A minus in front of a bracket changes every sign inside
- Equations by inverse operations
- Clearing fractions: multiply every term by the LCD
Extra worked examples
✍️ Extra example: simplify 5(2x − 3) − 3(x − 4)
- 110x − 15 − 3x + 12Multiply each number into its bracket — the −3 times −4 is +12.
- 2= 7x − 3Collect the like terms.
✍️ Extra example: solve x/2 + x/3 = 10
- 13x + 2x = 60Multiply EVERY term by 6, the LCD of 2 and 3 — the fractions disappear.
- 25x = 60 → x = 12Divide by 5. Check: 6 + 4 = 10 ✓
Exercises to try
Work each one out, then click to reveal the answer.
- 1Simplify 6a + 4 − 2a + 9.
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4a + 13 - 2Simplify 2(3x − 1) − (x + 5).
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6x − 2 − x − 5 = 5x − 7 - 3Simplify −4(m − 3) + 2(m + 1).
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−4m + 12 + 2m + 2 = −2m + 14 - 4Solve 3x − 7 = 20.
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3x = 27 → x = 9 - 5Solve 2x/3 − 1 = x/2 + 1.
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× 6: 4x − 6 = 3x + 6 → x = 12
Practise this topic
Download matching Grade 8 papers and worksheets.
