Year 10 · Maths
WA Year 10 Maths: what your child covers this year
Year 10 Maths in Western Australia is the year that functions as an entrance exam for senior mathematics, even though no single exam is labelled that way. Quadratics are solved by every available method, simultaneous equations and exponential functions extend the algebra, and trigonometry moves from finding a side length to full triangle problems involving bearings and elevation. Schools use performance across this year — not one test — to advise whether a student is ready for Mathematics Methods or Specialist, or better suited to Mathematics Applications, so a shaky Year 10 is worth addressing before Year 11 starts, not during it.
Number and algebra
Quadratics dominate the year, alongside the graphing skills that extend straight into Methods.
Indices and surds
Applying the index laws to algebraic expressions and simplifying expressions involving surds.
Expanding and factorising
Expanding and factorising algebraic expressions, extending the techniques introduced in Year 8 and 9.
Factorising quadratics
Factorising quadratic expressions using common techniques, including trinomials and the difference of two squares.
Where students get stuck: Trying to factorise every quadratic the same way. Recognising which technique a particular expression calls for — rather than forcing one method on all of them — is the actual skill, and it only comes from seeing enough varied examples.
Solving quadratic equations
Solving quadratic equations by factorising, completing the square, or using the quadratic formula.
The quadratic formula
Using the quadratic formula to solve equations that don't factorise neatly, and using the discriminant to determine how many solutions exist.
Simultaneous equations
Solving two linear equations at once, algebraically and graphically, to find where two lines intersect.
Linear inequalities
Solving linear inequalities arising from real-world problems and representing the solution correctly.
Graphing parabolas
Sketching a parabola from its equation, identifying the turning point, axis of symmetry and intercepts.
Where students get stuck: Reading the turning point coordinates straight off the equation in the wrong order, or with the wrong sign, particularly from turning-point form. A small transcription error with an outsized effect on the final mark.
Graphing exponential functions
Graphing exponential relationships and using them to model growth and decay.
Circles and non-linear graphs
Graphing the equation of a circle and recognising other common non-linear relationships.
Measurement and geometry
Trigonometry becomes a complete toolkit, and similarity gets formal proof.
Surface area of 3D shapes
Calculating the surface area of prisms, cylinders and composite solids.
Volume of 3D shapes
Calculating the volume of prisms, cylinders and composite solids, extending Year 9's formulas.
Right-angled triangle trigonometry and exact values
Using the trigonometric ratios to solve right-angled triangle problems, including angles with known exact trigonometric values.
Bearings, elevation and depression
Applying trigonometry to real-world problems described using compass bearings and angles of elevation or depression.
Where students get stuck: Drawing the diagram incorrectly before any calculation starts — particularly angles of depression, which students often draw measured from the wrong line. Almost every error in this topic traces back to the diagram, not the trigonometry.
Similar triangles
Establishing that two triangles are similar using the similarity tests, and using the scale factor to find unknown lengths.
Congruent triangles and geometric proof
Using formal geometric reasoning, including congruence tests, to prove properties of shapes rather than just measuring them.
Probability and statistics
Statistics becomes genuinely about relationships between two variables, and probability handles conditional events.
Scatterplots and bivariate data
Displaying the relationship between two numerical variables on a scatterplot and describing the association.
Line of best fit and correlation
Fitting a line to bivariate data and using it to make predictions, while understanding the limits of those predictions.
Where students get stuck: Treating a strong correlation as proof of cause and effect. This is exactly what exam questions probe, and it's also a genuinely useful thing for a student to internalise well beyond the maths classroom.
Comparing data sets
Comparing the shape, centre and spread of two or more data sets using parallel boxplots or back-to-back stem plots.
Venn diagrams, two-way tables and conditional probability
Using Venn diagrams and two-way tables to solve problems involving conditional probability — the probability of one event given that another has happened.
Where students get stuck: Confusing P(A given B) with P(B given A). They're usually different numbers, and mixing them up is one of the most common errors in senior-level probability, so it's worth being precise about the distinction from the first time it appears.
How it is assessed
- School-based assessment. There is no external Maths exam in Year 10, though OLNA numeracy sits alongside the course for students who haven't yet met the standard through NAPLAN.
- Year 10 results — across topics, not just a final grade — are what schools use to advise on Mathematics Applications, Methods or Specialist for Year 11.
- Reporting is against the WA achievement standard for Year 10, the last year before Maths splits into separate senior courses.
Common questions
- Has WA Year 10 Maths changed recently?
- WA schools moved to the revised Western Australian Curriculum for Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences and Technologies in 2026. If you are looking at an older topic list, or a resource written for another state, some of it no longer matches what is taught here.
- How does Year 10 Maths performance affect Year 11 subject selection?
- Directly, and more than most families expect. Schools generally look at how a student handled quadratics, graphing and trigonometry specifically — not just an overall grade — when advising between Mathematics Applications, Methods and Specialist. A student who is fluent with algebraic manipulation and comfortable graphing functions is a stronger Methods candidate than one who reaches the same final grade through careful, slower work.
- My child is fine with the algebra but struggles with the trigonometry word problems. Is that a Year 11 red flag?
- Not necessarily — it's a very common and specific gap, usually caused by the diagram-drawing step rather than the trigonometry itself. It's worth isolating and fixing directly rather than treating it as a sign the whole strand is shaky, since the algebra is what carries the most weight into Year 11 Methods.
Related year levels
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Start learning for freeWritten from the current Western Australian Curriculum. Requirements change — check SCSA for the official syllabus.