# WMA12 Sequences and series Topic Questions

> Edexcel IAL WMA12: every Sequences and series topic question from 24 papers (2019–2026), grouped by syllabus point. 170 questions, 475 marks, with direct…

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Edexcel IAL · Mathematics · WMA12 · A Level

Every WMA12 Sequences and series topic question from the 2018–current syllabus, drawn from 24 papers (2019–2026) and grouped by syllabus point. Each row opens a page listing the exact question numbers, marks and a direct link into the paper. These are questions by topic, not full papers, so you can revise one topic at a time.

- WMA12
- 5 subtopics
- 170 topic questions
- 24 papers
- 475 tagged marks
- [Back to Sequences and series](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/)
- [All paper codes](https://www.examsci.com/topics/)

Core finding

**4.4 Understand and work with geometric sequences and series… is the most frequently assessed subtopic in Sequences and series, with 54 topic questions and 156 marks across 23 papers.** 4.2 Understand and work with arithmetic sequences and… follows with 48 topic questions and 125 marks. The topic contains 5 subtopics, 170 topic questions and 475 marks in total. Rows count only the parts tagged to that subtopic, keep the same colour in both charts and repeat paper count, tagged marks and year range in the native table.

## Topic question count and mark distribution

Subtopics are on the vertical axis and sorted from highest to lowest. Only the parts whose knowledge graph matches a subtopic are counted for it, and percentages are each row's share of the tagged total in that chart. A part tagged to several subtopics is counted in each bar, so the bars are not a partition of the topic total.

### Questions by subtopic

question items

- [4.4 Understand and work with geometric sequences and series, including the formulae for the th term and the sum of a finite geometric series; the sum to infinity of a convergent geometric series, including the use of $|r|<1$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-4-understand-and-work-with-geometric-sequences-and-series-including-the-formulae/) (23 papers) — 54 · 28.9%
- [4.2 Understand and work with arithmetic sequences and series, including the formula for the th term and the sum of a finite arithmetic series; the sum of the first n natural numbers.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-2-understand-and-work-with-arithmetic-sequences-and-series-including-the-formula/) (22 papers) — 48 · 25.7%
- [4.5 Binomial expansion of $(a+bx)^{n}$ for positive integer n.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-5-binomial-expansion-of-a-bx-n-for-positive-integer-n/) (24 papers) — 45 · 24.1%
- [4.1 Sequences, including those given by a formula for the nth term and those generated by a simple relation of the form $x_{n+1}=f(x_{n})$.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-1-sequences-including-those-given-by-a-formula-for-the-nth-term-and-those-generated/) (14 papers) — 28 · 15.0%
- [4.3 Increasing sequences, decreasing sequences and periodic sequences.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-3-increasing-sequences-decreasing-sequences-and-periodic-sequences/) (7 papers) — 12 · 6.4%

### Marks by subtopic

marks

- [4.4 Understand and work with geometric sequences and series, including the formulae for the th term and the sum of a finite geometric series; the sum to infinity of a convergent geometric series, including the use of $|r|<1$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-4-understand-and-work-with-geometric-sequences-and-series-including-the-formulae/) (23 papers) — 156 · 29.8%
- [4.5 Binomial expansion of $(a+bx)^{n}$ for positive integer n.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-5-binomial-expansion-of-a-bx-n-for-positive-integer-n/) (24 papers) — 148 · 28.3%
- [4.2 Understand and work with arithmetic sequences and series, including the formula for the th term and the sum of a finite arithmetic series; the sum of the first n natural numbers.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-2-understand-and-work-with-arithmetic-sequences-and-series-including-the-formula/) (22 papers) — 125 · 23.9%
- [4.1 Sequences, including those given by a formula for the nth term and those generated by a simple relation of the form $x_{n+1}=f(x_{n})$.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-1-sequences-including-those-given-by-a-formula-for-the-nth-term-and-those-generated/) (14 papers) — 68 · 13.0%
- [4.3 Increasing sequences, decreasing sequences and periodic sequences.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-3-increasing-sequences-decreasing-sequences-and-periodic-sequences/) (7 papers) — 26 · 5.0%

## Subtopic comparison matrix

Curriculum order is by syllabus number, then alphabetically. Every row links to the matching past-paper question list.

| Subtopic | Topic questions | Papers | Marks | Years | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[4.1 Sequences, including those given by a formula for the nth term and those generated by a simple relation of the form $x_{n+1}=f(x_{n})$.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-1-sequences-including-those-given-by-a-formula-for-the-nth-term-and-those-generated/)** | 28 | 14 | 68 | 2019–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-1-sequences-including-those-given-by-a-formula-for-the-nth-term-and-those-generated/) |
| **[4.2 Understand and work with arithmetic sequences and series, including the formula for the th term and the sum of a finite arithmetic series; the sum of the first n natural numbers.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-2-understand-and-work-with-arithmetic-sequences-and-series-including-the-formula/)** | 48 | 22 | 125 | 2019–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-2-understand-and-work-with-arithmetic-sequences-and-series-including-the-formula/) |
| **[4.3 Increasing sequences, decreasing sequences and periodic sequences.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-3-increasing-sequences-decreasing-sequences-and-periodic-sequences/)** | 12 | 7 | 26 | 2019–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-3-increasing-sequences-decreasing-sequences-and-periodic-sequences/) |
| **[4.4 Understand and work with geometric sequences and series, including the formulae for the th term and the sum of a finite geometric series; the sum to infinity of a convergent geometric series, including the use of $\|r\|<1$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-4-understand-and-work-with-geometric-sequences-and-series-including-the-formulae/)** | 54 | 23 | 156 | 2019–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-4-understand-and-work-with-geometric-sequences-and-series-including-the-formulae/) |
| **[4.5 Binomial expansion of $(a+bx)^{n}$ for positive integer n.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-5-binomial-expansion-of-a-bx-n-for-positive-integer-n/)** | 45 | 24 | 148 | 2019–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-5-binomial-expansion-of-a-bx-n-for-positive-integer-n/) |

## Browse every topic question

- [4.1 Sequences, including those given by a formula for the nth term and those generated by a simple relation of the form $x_{n+1}=f(x_{n})$.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-1-sequences-including-those-given-by-a-formula-for-the-nth-term-and-those-generated/) — 28 question items · 14 papers — 68 marks · 2019–2026
- [4.2 Understand and work with arithmetic sequences and series, including the formula for the th term and the sum of a finite arithmetic series; the sum of the first n natural numbers.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-2-understand-and-work-with-arithmetic-sequences-and-series-including-the-formula/) — 48 question items · 22 papers — 125 marks · 2019–2026
- [4.3 Increasing sequences, decreasing sequences and periodic sequences.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-3-increasing-sequences-decreasing-sequences-and-periodic-sequences/) — 12 question items · 7 papers — 26 marks · 2019–2026
- [4.4 Understand and work with geometric sequences and series, including the formulae for the th term and the sum of a finite geometric series; the sum to infinity of a convergent geometric series, including the use of $|r|<1$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-4-understand-and-work-with-geometric-sequences-and-series-including-the-formulae/) — 54 question items · 23 papers — 156 marks · 2019–2026
- [4.5 Binomial expansion of $(a+bx)^{n}$ for positive integer n.](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/sequences-and-series/4-5-binomial-expansion-of-a-bx-n-for-positive-integer-n/) — 45 question items · 24 papers — 148 marks · 2019–2026

## Other topics in WMA12

- [Algebra and functions 75 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/algebra-and-functions/)
- [Coordinate geometry in the (x, y) plane 68 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/coordinate-geometry-in-the-x-y-plane/)
- [Differentiation 66 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/differentiation/)
- [Exponentials and logarithms 74 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/exponentials-and-logarithms/)
- [Integration 84 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/integration/)
- [Proof 36 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/proof/)
- [Trigonometry 61 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/edexcel-ial/mathematics/pure-mathematics-2-wma12/trigonometry/)

## Topic question rules and edge cases

**How many subtopics does Sequences and series contain?**

This page lists 5 subtopics tagged to the current syllabus. They are ordered by syllabus number, then alphabetically, and each row opens a page of matching past-paper questions.

**How are the subtopic question and mark totals calculated?**

A multiple-choice question contributes one item and its marks to every subtopic it is tagged with. A structured question contributes one item per tagged part, and that part’s marks; untagged parts of the same question are not counted here. A part tagged to several subtopics therefore appears under each of them.

**Why do some subtopics have no numbered prefix?**

Practical-skills statements and some syllabus bullets are unnumbered. Numbered statements come first; unnumbered statements and ties are sorted alphabetically.

**Is the LaTeX rendered without JavaScript?**

Yes. Subtopics that contain formulas are converted to static KaTeX HTML during the build, and the KaTeX stylesheet is served from the same site.

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