Draw what a 3D solid looks like from above (plan), from the front and from the side, and rebuild a solid from its views. It is on Foundation and Higher, aimed at grade 4. Free questions with answers are on this page.
A plan is the view from above. The front elevation is the view from the front; the side elevation from the side. Hidden edges are dashed. On isometric paper, a cuboid is a 3D-looking drawing with equal 30∘ axes — count the cubes, do not guess the perspective.
Match lengths across the three views: the width of the plan equals the width of the front elevation. A sloping roof looks like a triangle from the end and a rectangle from the front. Sketch a small 3D reminder if the solid is not drawn.
Plan is the view from above; front and side elevations are the views from those directions. Hidden edges are dashed. Count how many unit squares you actually see, not how many cubes there are.
Objectives
The plan is from above. The front elevation is from the front. The side elevation is from the side.
Draw the outline of the faces you would see from that direction.
The plan uses the length and the width. The front elevation uses the width and the height.
Key points
Know which view is the plan, the front elevation and the side elevation.
Draw each view as a flat 2D shape on squared paper, to the correct size.
Include lines inside a view where there is a change in depth or height.
Work out the number of cubes in a solid from its three views.
The three edges of a cuboid: the plan shows the width and the length, the front elevation the width and the height, the side elevation the length and the height.A triangular prism and a square-based pyramid, with their three views. Letters stand for the edges.
Worked examples
Example 1
A cuboid is 7 cm wide (across the front), 11 cm long (front to back) and 3 cm high. What is the area of the front elevation in cm²?
The solid from the question, with the edges it gives.
2 marks
The front elevation shows the 7 cm width and the 3 cm height.
Area = 7 × 3.
7 × 3 = 21 cm².
Answer: 21
The three views of this cuboid, each edge labelled.Common slips
Slip: The front elevation shows the 9 cm width and the 3 cm height. That changes a number from the question, so it answers a different question.
Slip: Area = 10 × 3. That changes a number in the working, so the step no longer follows from the one before.
Slip: 11 × 3 = 21 cm². That does not match the working above it.
Example 2
A cuboid is 10 cm wide (across the front), 13 cm long (front to back) and 5 cm high. What is the area of the plan in cm²?
The solid from the question, with the edges it gives.
2 marks
The plan shows the 13 cm length and the 10 cm width.
Area = 13 × 10.
13 × 10 = 130 cm².
Answer: 130
The three views of this cuboid, each edge labelled.Common slips
Slip: The plan shows the 15 cm length and the 10 cm width. That changes a number from the question, so it answers a different question.
Slip: Area = 16 × 10. That changes a number in the working, so the step no longer follows from the one before.
Slip: 17 × 10 = 130 cm². That does not match the working above it.
Example 3
A plan of a room is drawn so that 1 cm on the plan represents 8 m in real life. A wall is 4 cm long on the plan. How long is the real wall in metres?
2 marks
1 cm on the plan is 8 m in real life.
Real length = 4 × 8.
4 × 8 = 32 m.
Answer: 32
Common slips
Slip: 3 cm on the plan is 8 m in real life. That changes a number from the question, so it answers a different question.
Slip: Real length = 7 × 8. That changes a number in the working, so the step no longer follows from the one before.
Slip: 8 × 8 = 32 m. That does not match the working above it.
Questions and answers
GCSE Maths plans & elevations questions and answers. Try each one, then open the answer. Easy questions come first.
Question 1 Easy2 marks
A plan of a room is drawn so that 1 cm on the plan represents 3 m in real life. A wall is 9 cm long on the plan. How long is the real wall in metres?
Show answer
Answer: 27
1 cm on the plan is 3 m in real life.
Real length = 9 × 3.
M1 — 1 cm on the plan is 3 m in real life.
A1 — Answer 27
Question 2 Easy2 marks
A cuboid is 7 cm wide (across the front), 13 cm long (front to back) and 6 cm high. What is the area of the front elevation in cm²?
The solid from the question, with the edges it gives.Show answer
Answer: 42
The three views of this cuboid, each edge labelled.
The front elevation shows the 7 cm width and the 6 cm height.
Area = 7 × 6.
M1 — The front elevation shows the 7 cm width and the 6 cm height.
A1 — Answer 42
Question 3 Medium2 marks
A plan of a room is drawn so that 1 cm on the plan represents 7 m in real life. A wall is 11 cm long on the plan. How long is the real wall in metres?
Show answer
Answer: 77
1 cm on the plan is 7 m in real life.
Real length = 11 × 7.
M1 — 1 cm on the plan is 7 m in real life.
A1 — Answer 77
Question 4 Medium2 marks
A cuboid is 7 cm wide (across the front), 12 cm long (front to back) and 4 cm high. What is the area of the front elevation in cm²?
The solid from the question, with the edges it gives.Show answer
Answer: 28
The three views of this cuboid, each edge labelled.
The front elevation shows the 7 cm width and the 4 cm height.
Area = 7 × 4.
M1 — The front elevation shows the 7 cm width and the 4 cm height.
A1 — Answer 28
Question 5 Hard2 marks
A plan of a room is drawn so that 1 cm on the plan represents 3 m in real life. A wall is 4 cm long on the plan. How long is the real wall in metres?
Show answer
Answer: 12
1 cm on the plan is 3 m in real life.
Real length = 4 × 3.
M1 — 1 cm on the plan is 3 m in real life.
A1 — Answer 12
Question 6 Hard2 marks
A cuboid is 7 cm wide (across the front), 11 cm long (front to back) and 2 cm high. What is the area of the front elevation in cm²?
The solid from the question, with the edges it gives.Show answer
Answer: 14
The three views of this cuboid, each edge labelled.
The front elevation shows the 7 cm width and the 2 cm height.
Area = 7 × 2.
M1 — The front elevation shows the 7 cm width and the 2 cm height.
A1 — Answer 14
Question 7 Exam-style2 marks
A cuboid is 8 cm wide (across the front), 11 cm long (front to back) and 3 cm high. What is the area of the side elevation in cm²?
The solid from the question, with the edges it gives.Show answer
Answer: 33
The three views of this cuboid, each edge labelled.
The side elevation shows the 11 cm length and the 3 cm height.
Area = 11 × 3.
11 × 3 = 33 cm².
M1 — The side elevation shows the 11 cm length and the 3 cm height.
A1 — Answer 33
Common mistakes
Most lost marks on this topic are one slip.
Putting the height on the plan.
The plan is the view from above, so it shows the two horizontal lengths.
Drawing a 3D picture when a plan was asked for.
A plan is a flat rectangle or polygon.
Swapping the front and side measurements.
The front uses the width you see from the front.
Spot the slip
The plan of a solid is the view from
above
the front
the side
Show the slip
above The plan looks down on the solid.
Exam tips
Be ready to do this without a calculator. Paper 1 is the non-calculator paper.
If the question says “show that”, the result is given. The marks are for the steps that reach it.
The method is the same on AQA-style and Edexcel-style papers.
Use the squared grid: one square on the grid equals one cube.
Label each drawing 'plan', 'front' and 'side' clearly — unlabelled views can lose marks.
Printable worksheet
The same questions are in a PDF you can print. Answers start on a later page.