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Surface area practice questions with answers

Foundation and Higher · Grade 4

A second set of surface area questions for GCSE Maths. They are different from the ones on the topic page, so work through both. Try each question, then open the answer to check your working.

More questions

Question 1 Easy

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangle for its end. The triangle has sides 6 cm, 8 cm and 10 cm. The prism is 12 cm long. What is its total surface area in cm²?

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Answer: 336

  1. Two triangular ends: 2 × ½ × 6 × 8 = 48 cm².
  2. Three rectangles: (6 + 8 + 10) × 12 = 288 cm².
  • Method (1): Two triangular ends: 2 × ½ × 6 × 8 = 48 cm².
  • Accuracy (1): Answer 336

Question 2 Easy

A cuboid is 6 cm by 6 cm by 5 cm. What is its surface area in cm²?

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Answer: 192

  1. The three different faces are 6 × 6 = 36, 6 × 5 = 30 and 5 × 6 = 30.
  2. Add them: 36 + 30 + 30 = 96.
  • Method (1): The three different faces are 6 × 6 = 36, 6 × 5 = 30 and 5 × 6 = 30.
  • Accuracy (1): Answer 192

Question 3 Medium

A cuboid is 4 cm by 7 cm by 6 cm. What is its surface area in cm²?

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Answer: 188

  1. The three different faces are 4 × 7 = 28, 7 × 6 = 42 and 6 × 4 = 24.
  2. Add them: 28 + 42 + 24 = 94.
  • Method (1): The three different faces are 4 × 7 = 28, 7 × 6 = 42 and 6 × 4 = 24.
  • Accuracy (1): Answer 188

Question 4 Medium

A cube has sides of length 8 cm. What is its total surface area in cm²?

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Answer: 384

  1. One face has area 8 × 8 = 64 cm².
  2. A cube has 6 faces.
  • Method (1): One face has area 8 × 8 = 64 cm².
  • Accuracy (1): Answer 384

Question 5 Hard

A cube has sides of length 12 cm. What is its total surface area in cm²?

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Answer: 864

  1. One face has area 12 × 12 = 144 cm².
  2. A cube has 6 faces.
  • Method (1): One face has area 12 × 12 = 144 cm².
  • Accuracy (1): Answer 864

Question 6 Hard

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangle for its end. The triangle has sides 6 cm, 8 cm and 10 cm. The prism is 4 cm long. What is its total surface area in cm²?

Show answer

Answer: 144

  1. Two triangular ends: 2 × ½ × 6 × 8 = 48 cm².
  2. Three rectangles: (6 + 8 + 10) × 4 = 96 cm².
  • Method (1): Two triangular ends: 2 × ½ × 6 × 8 = 48 cm².
  • Accuracy (1): Answer 144

Exam-style question

A longer question with marks, in the style of a written paper. This is a Yumio practice question, not a past paper question.

Exam-style question 12 marks

A cube has sides of length 5 cm. What is its total surface area in cm²?

Show answer

Answer: 150

  1. One face has area 5 × 5 = 25 cm².
  2. A cube has 6 faces.
  3. 6 × 25 = 150 cm².
  • Method (1): One face has area 5 × 5 = 25 cm².
  • Accuracy (1): Answer 150

Quick checks

Short one-step questions. Pick an option before you open the answer.

Check 1

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangle for its end. The triangle has sides 6 cm, 8 cm and 10 cm. The prism is 5 cm long. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 168
  2. 120
  3. 144
Show answer

168 The result is 168.

Check 2

A cuboid is 4 cm by 5 cm by 10 cm. What is its surface area in cm²?

  1. 220
  2. 110
  3. 200
Show answer

220 The result is 220.

Check 3

A cube has sides of length 2 cm. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 24
  2. 4
  3. 8
Show answer

24 The result is 24.

Check 4

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangle for its end. The triangle has sides 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm. The prism is 5 cm long. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 72
  2. 60
  3. 66
Show answer

72 The result is 72.

Check 5

A cuboid is 5 cm by 6 cm by 7 cm. What is its surface area in cm²?

  1. 214
  2. 107
  3. 210
Show answer

214 The result is 214.

Check 6

A cube has sides of length 6 cm. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 216
  2. 218
  3. 226
Show answer

216 The result is 216.

Check 7

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangle for its end. The triangle has sides 6 cm, 8 cm and 10 cm. The prism is 12 cm long. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 336
  2. 288
  3. 312
Show answer

336 The result is 336.

Check 8

A cuboid is 4 cm by 3 cm by 9 cm. What is its surface area in cm²?

  1. 150
  2. 75
  3. 108
Show answer

150 The result is 150.

Check 9

A cube has sides of length 10 cm. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 600
  2. 100
  3. 1000
Show answer

600 The result is 600.

Check 10

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangle for its end. The triangle has sides 8 cm, 15 cm and 17 cm. The prism is 7 cm long. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 400
  2. 280
  3. 340
Show answer

400 The result is 400.

Check 11

A cuboid is 3 cm by 5 cm by 5 cm. What is its surface area in cm²?

  1. 110
  2. 55
  3. 75
Show answer

110 The result is 110.

Check 12

A cube has sides of length 3 cm. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 54
  2. 9
  3. 27
Show answer

54 The result is 54.

Check 13

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangle for its end. The triangle has sides 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm. The prism is 8 cm long. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 108
  2. 96
  3. 102
Show answer

108 The result is 108.

Check 14

A cuboid is 2 cm by 6 cm by 6 cm. What is its surface area in cm²?

  1. 120
  2. 60
  3. 72
Show answer

120 The result is 120.

Check 15

A cube has sides of length 7 cm. What is its total surface area in cm²?

  1. 294
  2. 49
  3. 343
Show answer

294 The result is 294.

Keep going with Surface area

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