How to handle "Not drawn accurately" warnings in GCSE Maths

What it means

The diagram is a schematic, not a precise drawing. Angles, lengths and proportions on the diagram are deliberately distorted. You must base every calculation purely on the values written on the diagram, never on what you measure with a ruler or protractor.

What examiners want

• Calculations using only the labelled values
• No measurements taken from the diagram with a ruler or protractor
• Working that derives every length and angle from the given values, by formula or theorem

Worked example

A right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse of 13 cm and one shorter side of 5 cm. Find the third side. (Diagram not drawn accurately.)

Use Pythagoras: 5² + b² = 13². So b² = 169 − 25 = 144. b = 12 cm. We did not measure the diagram — we used the labelled values 13 and 5.

Common mistakes

• Measuring the diagram with a ruler when given values exist
• Estimating an angle visually instead of calculating it
• Assuming a shape is regular or symmetric because it "looks" so

Marks tip

Treat "not drawn accurately" as a deliberate trap. The diagram is misleading on purpose to test whether you rely on values or visuals.