CSCA Mathematics

A Complete Study Guide

Concepts explained in depth · every formula you need · original worked practice problems, organized by official syllabus
topic and exam weighting.

Prepared for Miyoba — an independent study resource. Not affiliated with, and does not reproduce content from, any exam-prep website.
Practice problems are original.
How to use this guide
The CSCA Mathematics exam has 48 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, at the level of final-year Chinese high school
(Grade 12). No calculus is required — the exam tests how deeply you understand school-level material, not how fast you can
compute. This guide is organized by topic, in order of how heavily each is weighted on the real exam, so you can spend your
time where it counts most.
Each topic section has four parts:
• Concept — what the idea actually means, explained from first principles
• Key formulas — everything you should have memorized cold
• Worked examples — original problems in the exam's style, solved step-by-step with the reasoning made explicit
• Common traps — mistakes that cost students marks on this topic
Topic weighting at a glance
Topic Questions/exam Priority
Trigonometry 10–11 Highest
Analytic geometry (lines & coordinates) 7–9 Very high
Functions 6–9 Very high
Sequences 5–8 High
Conic sections 6 High
Inequalities 2–3 Medium
Sets 2 Medium
Logarithmic & exponential functions 2 Medium
Complex numbers 1 Low
Probability 1 Low
Vectors 1 Low
Arithmetic & geometric mean 0–1 Low
1. Trigonometry — 10–11 questions
Highest weight on the exam. Master this topic first.

Concept
Trigonometry describes the relationship between angles and side ratios in right triangles, then extends that idea to all real-
number angles using the unit circle. On the unit circle (radius 1, centered at the origin), for an angle θ measured counter-
clockwise from the positive x-axis, the point where the angle's ray meets the circle has coordinates (cos θ, sin θ). This single
picture explains almost every trig fact you need: sin θ is the y-coordinate, cos θ is the x-coordinate, and tan θ = sin θ / cos θ is
the slope of that ray.
Because the circle has radius 1, Pythagoras' theorem applied to the point (cos θ, sin θ) immediately gives the most important
identity in trigonometry: sin²θ + cos²θ = 1. Every other identity — double angle, half angle, sum formulas — can be derived
from this and from the geometry of rotating one angle by another.

Key formulas
Standard angle values (memorize this table)
θ 0° 30° 45° 60° 90° 180°
sin θ 0 1/2 √2/2 √3/2 1 0
cos θ 1 √3/2 √2/2 1/2 0 -1
tan θ 0 √3/3 1 √3 undefined 0

Core identity
sin²θ + cos²θ = 1 tan θ = sin θ / cos θ

Sum and difference formulas

sin(A ± B) = sin A cos B ± cos A sin B
cos(A ± B) = cos A cos B ∓ sin A sin B

Double-angle formulas
sin(2x) = 2 sin x cos x
cos(2x) = cos²x − sin²x = 2cos²x − 1 = 1 − 2sin²x

Half-angle formulas
sin²(x/2) = (1 − cos x)/2 cos²(x/2) = (1 + cos x)/2

Properties of y = A sin(ωx + φ)
• Period: T = 2π/ω
• Amplitude: |A|
• Range: [−|A|, |A|]

Worked examples
Example 1 — Using the double-angle formula
If sin x = 3/5 and x is in the first quadrant (0 < x < 90°), find cos(2x).
Step 1: Since x is in the first quadrant, cos x is positive. From sin²x + cos²x = 1: cos²x = 1 − 9/25 = 16/25, so cos x = 4/5.
Step 2: Use cos(2x) = 1 − 2sin²x, since we already know sin x directly. cos(2x) = 1 − 2(9/25) = 1 − 18/25 = 7/25.
Answer: cos(2x) = 7/25. Tip: whenever you're given sin x (not cos x), the version of the double-angle formula written purely
in sin x saves a step.

Example 2 — Sum formula

Find the exact value of sin(75°).
Step 1: Write 75° as a sum of standard angles: 75° = 45° + 30°.
Step 2: Apply sin(A+B) = sin A cos B + cos A sin B with A = 45°, B = 30°:
sin 75° = sin45°cos30° + cos45°sin30° = (√2/2)(√3/2) + (√2/2)(1/2) = (√6 + √2)/4.
Answer: sin 75° = (√6 + √2)/4.

Example 3 — Period and range

For y = 3sin(2x − π/3), find the period and range.
Step 1: The coefficient of x inside sin is ω = 2. Period T = 2π/ω = 2π/2 = π.
Step 2: Amplitude A = 3, so range is [−3, 3]. The phase shift (π/3) affects where the graph starts, not the period or range.
Answer: Period = π, Range = [−3, 3].

Common traps
• Mixing up sin(A−B) and cos(A−B) sign patterns — cos flips the sign, sin doesn't.
• Forgetting to check the quadrant when taking a square root (sin/cos can be negative).
• Confusing period formula for tan (T = π/ω) with sin/cos (T = 2π/ω).
2. Analytic geometry (lines & coordinates) — 7–9 questions
Second-highest weight. About half the questions here are just about lines.

Concept
Analytic geometry translates geometric shapes into algebraic equations so that geometric questions (does this point lie on this
line? are these two lines parallel?) become algebra problems. The core object is the line, described by its slope (steepness)
and one point it passes through.
The slope of a line through two points (x1,y1) and (x2,y2) measures how much y changes for each unit of x: k =
(y2−y1)/(x2−x1). Two lines are parallel exactly when they have the same slope (they never converge), and perpendicular
exactly when the product of their slopes is −1 (rotating one direction by 90° flips and inverts the ratio).

Key formulas
Equation of a line
Slope-intercept form: y = kx + b
General form: Ax + By + C = 0, with slope k = −A/B
Point-slope form: y − y1 = k(x − x1)

Slope
k = (y2 − y1) / (x2 − x1) k = tan θ (θ = inclination angle)

Parallel and perpendicular lines

Parallel: k1 = k2 Perpendicular: k1 · k2 = −1

Distance formulas
Between two points: d = √[(x2−x1)² + (y2−y1)²]
Point (x0,y0) to line Ax+By+C=0: d = |Ax0 + By0 + C| / √(A²+B²)

Symmetry
• Reflection of (x,y) about the x-axis: (x, −y)
• Reflection of (x,y) about the y-axis: (−x, y)
• Reflection of (x,y) about the origin: (−x, −y)

Worked examples
Example 1 — Finding a line's equation
Find the equation of the line through A(1, 2) and B(3, 8).
Step 1: Slope k = (8−2)/(3−1) = 6/2 = 3.
Step 2: Use point-slope form with A(1,2): y − 2 = 3(x − 1) → y = 3x − 1.
Answer: y = 3x − 1.

Example 2 — Perpendicular line

Find the equation of the line through (2, −1) that is perpendicular to y = 2x + 5.
Step 1: The given line has slope k1 = 2. For perpendicularity, k1·k2 = −1, so k2 = −1/2.
Step 2: Point-slope form through (2,−1): y − (−1) = −1/2(x − 2) → y = −x/2 + 1 − 1 = −x/2... let's redo cleanly: y + 1 = −(1/2)
(x−2) → y = −(1/2)x + 1 − 1 → y = −(1/2)x.
Answer: y = −(1/2)x, i.e. x + 2y = 0.

Example 3 — Distance from a point to a line

Find the distance from point (3, 4) to the line 3x + 4y − 10 = 0.
Step 1: Identify A=3, B=4, C=−10, and (x0,y0)=(3,4).
Step 2: d = |3(3) + 4(4) − 10| / √(3²+4²) = |9+16−10| / √25 = |15| / 5 = 3.
Answer: d = 3.

Common traps
• Forgetting a vertical line (x = constant) has undefined slope, not slope 0 — it's a separate case.
• Sign errors when converting between Ax+By+C=0 and y=kx+b.
• Confusing which quadrant a point is in when its coordinates are given by inequalities (e.g. x<0, y>0 is Quadrant II).
3. Functions — 6–9 questions
Concept
A function is a rule that assigns exactly one output to each valid input. The set of valid inputs is the domain; the set of outputs
actually produced is the range. Most CSCA function questions are really about properties: does the function repeat itself
when reflected (even/odd), does it always go up or down (monotonic), and can you 'undo' it (invertible)?
A function is even if f(−x) = f(x) — its graph is a mirror image across the y-axis (like x² or cos x). It's odd if f(−x) = −f(x) —
its graph has 180° rotational symmetry about the origin (like x³ or sin x). A function is monotonically increasing on an
interval if larger inputs always give larger outputs there. An inverse function f⁻¹ exists only where f is one-to-one (each
output comes from exactly one input) — graphically, f⁻¹ is the reflection of f across the line y = x.

Key formulas & rules

• Even function: f(−x) = f(x) for all x in the domain
• Odd function: f(−x) = −f(x) for all x in the domain
• Domain restrictions to always check: denominators ≠ 0, expressions under even roots ≥ 0, arguments of logarithms > 0
• To find an inverse: swap x and y in y = f(x), then solve for y
• Composition: (f∘g)(x) = f(g(x)) — apply g first, then f

Worked examples
Example 1 — Domain
Find the domain of f(x) = √(x−1) / (x−3).
Step 1: The square root requires x − 1 ≥ 0, so x ≥ 1.
Step 2: The denominator requires x − 3 ≠ 0, so x ≠ 3.
Answer: Domain is [1, 3) ∪ (3, ∞).

Example 2 — Even or odd

Determine whether f(x) = x³ − 2x is even, odd, or neither.
Step 1: Compute f(−x) = (−x)³ − 2(−x) = −x³ + 2x = −(x³ − 2x) = −f(x).
Answer: f(−x) = −f(x), so f is odd.

Example 3 — Inverse function

Find the inverse of f(x) = (2x + 1)/3.
Step 1: Write y = (2x+1)/3, then swap x and y: x = (2y+1)/3.
Step 2: Solve for y: 3x = 2y + 1 → y = (3x − 1)/2.
Answer: f⁻¹(x) = (3x − 1)/2.

Common traps
• Checking evenness/oddness algebraically instead of just eyeballing the graph — always substitute −x and simplify
fully.
• Forgetting the domain must be symmetric about 0 for even/odd to even apply.
• Mixing up f⁻¹(x) with 1/f(x) — they are completely different objects.
4. Sequences — 5–8 questions
Concept
A sequence is an ordered list of numbers generated by a rule. The two types tested are arithmetic (each term adds a fixed
amount to the previous one) and geometric (each term multiplies the previous one by a fixed ratio). Recognizing which type
you're dealing with — constant difference vs. constant ratio — is the first step in every sequence question.

Key formulas
Arithmetic progression (constant common difference d)
nth term: aₙ = a1 + (n−1)d
Sum of first n terms: Sₙ = n(a1 + aₙ)/2 = na1 + n(n−1)d/2

Geometric progression (constant common ratio r)

nth term: aₙ = a1 · r^(n−1)
Sum of first n terms (r ≠ 1): Sₙ = a1(1 − rⁿ)/(1 − r)

Worked examples
Example 1 — Arithmetic sequence
An arithmetic sequence has a1 = 5 and common difference d = 3. Find a10 and S10.
Step 1: a10 = a1 + 9d = 5 + 27 = 32.
Step 2: S10 = 10(a1 + a10)/2 = 10(5+32)/2 = 10(37)/2 = 185.
Answer: a10 = 32, S10 = 185.

Example 2 — Geometric sequence

A geometric sequence has a1 = 2 and r = 3. Find a5 and S5.
Step 1: a5 = a1 · r⁴ = 2 · 81 = 162.
Step 2: S5 = a1(1−r⁵)/(1−r) = 2(1−243)/(1−3) = 2(−242)/(−2) = 242.
Answer: a5 = 162, S5 = 242.

Example 3 — Finding the common difference

In an arithmetic sequence, a3 = 11 and a7 = 23. Find d and a1.
Step 1: a7 − a3 = 4d (since there are 4 steps from term 3 to term 7). So 23 − 11 = 4d → d = 3.
Step 2: a3 = a1 + 2d → 11 = a1 + 6 → a1 = 5.
Answer: d = 3, a1 = 5.

Common traps
• Off-by-one errors: aₙ uses (n−1), not n, multiples of d or r.
• Applying the geometric sum formula when r = 1 (it's undefined there — sum is just n·a1).
• Assuming a sequence is arithmetic or geometric without checking — verify the difference or ratio is actually constant.
5. Conic sections — 6 questions
Concept
Conic sections — circle, parabola, ellipse, hyperbola — are the curves you get by slicing a cone at different angles. On the
exam, you won't slice cones; you'll recognize these curves from their standard equations and read off key features (center,
radius, foci, asymptotes) directly from the numbers in the equation.

Key formulas
Circle
(x−a)² + (y−b)² = r² — center (a,b), radius r

Parabola
y = ax² + bx + c — vertex at x = −b/(2a)
Standard form y² = 4px — focus at (p,0), directrix x = −p

Ellipse (centered at origin, a > b > 0)

x²/a² + y²/b² = 1 — foci at (±c, 0) where c² = a² − b²

Hyperbola (centered at origin)

x²/a² − y²/b² = 1 — foci at (±c,0) where c² = a² + b², asymptotes y = ±(b/a)x

Worked examples
Example 1 — Circle
Find the center and radius of x² + y² − 4x + 6y − 3 = 0.
Step 1: Complete the square in x and y separately: (x²−4x) + (y²+6y) = 3.
Step 2: (x²−4x+4) + (y²+6y+9) = 3 + 4 + 9 → (x−2)² + (y+3)² = 16.
Answer: Center (2, −3), radius 4.

Example 2 — Ellipse foci

Find the foci of x²/25 + y²/9 = 1.
Step 1: Here a² = 25, b² = 9, and since 25 > 9, the major axis is along the x-axis, so a=5, b=3.
Step 2: c² = a² − b² = 25 − 9 = 16 → c = 4.
Answer: Foci at (4,0) and (−4,0).

Example 3 — Hyperbola asymptotes

Find the asymptotes of x²/16 − y²/9 = 1.
Step 1: a² = 16 so a = 4; b² = 9 so b = 3.
Step 2: Asymptotes for this orientation are y = ±(b/a)x = ±(3/4)x.
Answer: y = (3/4)x and y = −(3/4)x.

Common traps
• Ellipse vs. hyperbola foci formulas look similar but use opposite signs: c²=a²−b² for ellipse, c²=a²+b² for hyperbola.
• Not checking which denominator is larger in the ellipse equation before deciding which axis is the major one.
• Forgetting to complete the square fully (including the constant) when converting a circle's general form to standard
form.
6. Inequalities — 2–3 questions
Concept
Solving an inequality means finding the set of x-values that make it true, not a single value. For quadratic inequalities, the
key insight is that a parabola's sign (positive/negative) only changes at its roots — so once you know the roots and whether
the parabola opens up or down, you know the sign everywhere.

Key rules
• Multiplying or dividing an inequality by a negative number flips the inequality sign
• Quadratic ax²+bx+c > 0 (a>0): true outside the roots; < 0: true between the roots
• Rational inequality f(x)/g(x) > 0: solve by sign chart — same sign both, or different sign both (excluding where g(x)=0)

Worked examples
Example 1 — Quadratic inequality
Solve x² − 5x + 6 < 0.
Step 1: Factor: (x−2)(x−3) < 0.
Step 2: Roots are x=2, x=3. Since the parabola opens upward, it's negative between the roots.
Answer: 2 < x < 3.

Example 2 — Rational inequality

Solve (x−1)/(x+2) ≥ 0.
Step 1: Critical points are x=1 (numerator zero) and x=−2 (denominator zero, excluded).
Step 2: Sign chart: for x<−2, both negative → positive; for −2<x<1, mixed signs → negative; for x>1, both positive →
positive.
Answer: x < −2 or x ≥ 1 (x=1 included since numerator can be zero; x=−2 excluded since denominator can't).

Common traps
• Multiplying both sides by (x+2) without knowing its sign — this is why sign charts, not cross-multiplication, are the
safe method for rational inequalities.
• Forgetting to exclude points where the denominator is zero.
7. Sets — 2 questions
Concept
A set is just a well-defined collection of objects. CSCA set questions test whether you can correctly combine sets using union
(everything in either set) and intersection (only what's in both), often where the sets are described by inequalities.

Key notation
• A ∪ B (union): elements in A or B or both
• A ∩ B (intersection): elements in both A and B
• ∁ᵤA (complement): elements in the universal set U but not in A

Worked example
Example — Union and intersection with inequalities
Let A = {x | −1 < x ≤ 4} and B = {x | 2 ≤ x < 6}. Find A ∩ B and A ∪ B.
Step 1: A ∩ B needs x to satisfy both conditions simultaneously: 2 ≤ x ≤ 4.
Step 2: A ∪ B needs x to satisfy at least one: −1 < x < 6.
Answer: A ∩ B = [2, 4], A ∪ B = (−1, 6).
8. Logarithmic & exponential functions — 2 questions
Concept
A logarithm answers the question: 'to what power must I raise this base to get this number?' It's the inverse operation of
exponentiation. logₐ(x) = y means aʸ = x. Because of this inverse relationship, every log rule mirrors an exponent rule.

Key formulas
logₐ(xy) = logₐx + logₐy
logₐ(x/y) = logₐx − logₐy
logₐ(xⁿ) = n·logₐx
Change of base: logₐx = log_b(x) / log_b(a)

Worked example
Example — Solving a logarithmic equation
Solve log₂(x) + log₂(x−2) = 3.
Step 1: Combine using the product rule: log₂[x(x−2)] = 3.
Step 2: Convert to exponential form: x(x−2) = 2³ = 8 → x² − 2x − 8 = 0 → (x−4)(x+2)=0 → x=4 or x=−2.
Step 3: Check domain: log₂(x) requires x>0, so x=−2 is rejected.
Answer: x = 4.
9. Complex numbers — 1 question
Concept
A complex number a+bi extends the real numbers by introducing i, defined so that i² = −1. This lets every polynomial
equation have a solution, even x²+1=0. Arithmetic with complex numbers works just like with binomials, using i²=−1
whenever it appears.

Key formulas
i² = −1, i³ = −i, i⁴ = 1 (pattern repeats every 4 powers)
Modulus: |a+bi| = √(a²+b²)
Division: multiply numerator and denominator by the conjugate (a−bi)

Worked example
Example — Division of complex numbers
Simplify (3+4i)/(1−2i).
Step 1: Multiply top and bottom by the conjugate of the denominator, (1+2i):
(3+4i)(1+2i) / (1−2i)(1+2i) = (3+6i+4i+8i²) / (1−4i²) = (3+10i−8) / (1+4) = (−5+10i)/5.
Answer: −1 + 2i.
10. Probability — 1 question
Concept
CSCA probability stays at the classical level — no combinatorics or distributions needed. Classical probability just counts
favorable outcomes against total outcomes, assuming every outcome is equally likely.

Key formulas
P(A) = (favorable outcomes) / (total outcomes)
Independent events: P(A ∩ B) = P(A) · P(B)
P(A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A ∩ B)

Worked example
Example — Classical probability
A bag has 3 red balls and 2 blue balls. Two balls are drawn without replacement. Find the probability both are red.
Step 1: P(first red) = 3/5.
Step 2: Given the first was red, 2 red remain out of 4 total: P(second red | first red) = 2/4 = 1/2.
Step 3: P(both red) = 3/5 × 1/2 = 3/10.
Answer: 3/10.
11. Vectors — 1 question
Concept
A vector has both magnitude and direction, unlike a plain number (scalar). In the plane, a vector is written as an ordered pair
(x,y), representing displacement. Vector addition combines displacements tip-to-tail; the dot product measures how much
two vectors point in the same direction.

Key formulas
Addition: (a1,a2) + (b1,b2) = (a1+b1, a2+b2)
Dot product: a·b = a1b1 + a2b2 = |a||b|cos θ
Collinearity: a is parallel to b iff a = λb for some scalar λ

Worked example
Example — Checking collinearity
Are vectors a=(2,4) and b=(3,6) collinear (parallel)?
Step 1: Check if a = λb for some λ: 2=3λ and 4=6λ both give λ=2/3.
Answer: Yes — since the same λ works for both components, a and b are collinear.
12. Arithmetic & geometric mean — 0–1 question
Concept
For two positive numbers, the arithmetic mean (their average) is always at least as large as the geometric mean (the square
root of their product), with equality only when the two numbers are equal. This single inequality is a powerful shortcut for
finding maximum/minimum values without calculus.

Key formula
(a+b)/2 ≥ √(ab) for a,b > 0, equality iff a = b

Worked example
Example — Using AM-GM to find a minimum
For x > 0, find the minimum value of x + 4/x.
Step 1: Apply AM-GM to the two positive terms x and 4/x: (x + 4/x)/2 ≥ √(x · 4/x) = √4 = 2.
Step 2: So x + 4/x ≥ 4, with equality when x = 4/x, i.e. x=2.
Answer: Minimum value is 4, achieved at x=2.

Final exam tips

• Trigonometry and analytic geometry together make up nearly 40% of the exam — drill these until the formulas are
automatic.
• On multiple-choice, plugging the answer choices back into the problem is often faster than solving from scratch.
• Always double-check domain restrictions before finalizing an answer for functions, logs, and rational inequalities.
• With 60 minutes for 48 questions, budget roughly 75 seconds per question — skip and return to anything that's taking
longer.