top of page
This topic transforms 2D shapes by translation, reflection, rotation and enlargement, describing each fully — including the centre and scale factor of an enlargement — and combining transformations. It's a core topic in GCSE and iGCSE Maths with Edexcel and the other major boards. This free interactive course teaches the method with worked examples and gives instant-feedback practice questions to lock it in.
How you do it
For a translation use the column vector. For a reflection, find the mirror line and measure equal perpendicular distances. For a rotation, state the centre, angle and direction. For an enlargement, give the centre and scale factor, and note that a negative factor puts the image on the other side.
Before you start
Check coordinates and shape properties first if this feels hard. It appears at Foundation and Higher tier. It sets up vectors and A-Level graph transformations. The topic sits within Geometry.
What you learn
A transformation moves or resizes a shape. The first shape is the object; the result is the image. A translation slides a shape without turning or resizing it. A reflection flips a shape across a mirror line. A rotation turns a shape about a fixed centre by an angle, clockwise or anticlockwise. The course works through translations, reflections and rotations and enlargements. Every section has instant-feedback practice questions matched to Edexcel iGCSE 4MA1 and the other major GCSE boards, and the course finishes with full exam-style questions you mark yourself.
Related Topics
Transformations is part of the Geometry strand of our free GCSE maths courses, studied in Foundation tier. You work through 3 concepts and 2 worked examples, testing yourself at 3 points. Nearby topics in the same strand are Trigonometry, Vectors, Volume & Surface Area and Angles. You can drill this strand further on the Geometry revision engine, with your accuracy saved to your skill tree.
Still need help with a topic?
bottom of page