Sheet № 62 · Foundation + Higher · AQA · Edexcel · OCR
Plans and Elevations –
Plans and elevations is a Foundation tier topic in GCSE Maths that tests your ability to visualise three-dimensional shapes from different viewpoints. It appears across AQA, Edexcel, and OCR papers and typically involves drawing what a solid looks like from above (the plan), from the front (the front elevation), and from the side (the sid
§Key definitions
Question:
A solid is made from three unit cubes arranged in an L-shape. The two cubes are side by side on the bottom row, and the third cube sits on top of the left cube. Draw the plan, front elevation, and side elevation.
Answer:
Plan = 2 × 1 rectangle. Front elevation = L-shape. Side elevation = 1 × 2 rectangle.
Question 1:
Draw the plan, front elevation, and side elevation of a cylinder with radius 3 cm and height 5 cm.
Question 2:
A triangular prism has a triangular face at the front with base 4 cm and height 3 cm, and the prism is 6 cm long. Draw the front elevation.
Question 3:
Four unit cubes are arranged in a 2 × 2 square on the ground. A fifth cube is placed on top of the front-left cube. Draw the plan view.
§Formulas to memorise
Plan — (or plan view) — the view from directly above, looking straight down.
Front elevation — the view from directly in front.
Side elevation — the view from directly to the side (usually the right-hand side, unless stated otherwise).
Cuboid — all three views are rectangles (of varying dimensions).
Cylinder — plan is a circle; front and side elevations are rectangles.
Triangular prism — plan is a rectangle; front or side elevation is a triangle (depending on orientation).
Cone — plan is a circle; front and side elevations are triangles (isosceles).
Sphere — all three views are circles.
Identify the direction — of the view (above for plan, front for front elevation, side for side elevation).
Imagine looking at the shape — from that direction — what 2D outline would you see?
Worked example
A solid is made from three unit cubes arranged in an L-shape. The two cubes are side by side on the bottom row, and the third cube sits on top of the left cube. Draw the plan, front elevation, and side elevation.
Working:
⚠ Common mistakes
- ✗Drawing in 3D instead of 2D. Plans and elevations are flat 2D shapes — no perspective, no depth lines.
- ✗Confusing the plan with the front elevation. The plan is from above; the front elevation is from the front. Label each view clearly.
- ✗Ignoring hidden parts. If one block is behind another, the front elevation should only show the outline you can see from the front, not every individual block.
- ✗Getting the side elevation direction wrong. Unless the question specifies, the side elevation is usually from the right. Check the question or diagram.
- ✗Drawing the wrong dimensions. If a shape is 3 cm wide and 2 cm tall, the front elevation must reflect these measurements accurately. Use a ruler.
✦ Exam tips
- →Use squared paper (or the grid provided) to draw your views accurately. Freehand drawings are harder to get right.
- →Label each view clearly: "Plan", "Front elevation", "Side elevation".
- →Count cubes carefully for compound shapes. Trace each column from the relevant direction.
- →Practise with real objects. Look at a mug, a book, or a box from different angles to build your spatial reasoning.
- →For isometric drawings, always start from a front corner and work outwards. Draw vertical lines for height, and follow the isometric grid lines for width and depth.