IAL Pure 1 Differentiation exam questions

A differentiation worksheet for Edexcel IAL Pure 1 (WMA11): differentiating from first principles and by rule, tangents, normals and second derivatives, with full solutions.

This worksheet covers the whole of Chapter 8 (Differentiation) of the Pearson Edexcel International A Level Pure Mathematics 1 course, including the fractional and negative index work that reliably appears as question 1 on WMA11.

What’s covered

Gradients of curves and the derivative as a limit
Differentiating x to the power n, including negative and fractional powers
Differentiating functions with two or more terms, after expanding or dividing through
Equations of tangents and normals
Second order derivatives
Applications: rates of change, increasing and decreasing functions

How to use it

Works as homework, as practice across a sequence of lessons, or as revision. A deliberate proportion of the questions require rewriting an expression into index form before differentiating, since that step — not the differentiation itself — is where most marks are lost on this chapter.

What’s included

Question paper (PDF, printable)
Full worked solutions (PDF) — complete method, not just final answers
Questions arranged in increasing difficulty

Specification

Written for Edexcel International A Level Mathematics, Pure Mathematics 1 (WMA11), Chapter 8. Also suitable for Edexcel A Level Mathematics 9MA0 and AS Mathematics 8MA0, and for any A Level course covering introductory differentiation.