GCSE Maths 2023 - Difficult final question on Edexcel paper 2 - A-Level difficulty

The final question of the Edexcel Mathematics GCSE paper 2 2023 has caused some difficulties among the students sitting it.
Branded 'sadistic' by some, it's also been pointed out that a very similar question was used as A-level practice.
The question features 8 regular octagons of side length a stuck together to form a star shape in the middle. We need to find the area of the star shape in the form P(2+ root 2)a^2.
In this video we will look at how to solve this question using some basic geometry, algebra and Pythagoras' theorem.
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[midjabalde]

Overall I think I’m gonna get over 70 in this paper inshaaa Allah

[frederickdvorak]

In the early part of the solution, it would be better to determine the angles of the triangle using the universal formula for calculating the interior angles of regular polygons as follows: (n - 2) x 180 / n, where n is the number of sides of the polygon considered. Here, n = 8, and thus the formula becomes (8 - 2) x 180 / 8 = 135. 2 angles of 135 = 270 for the obliques; take that out of 360, and you are left with 90 degrees. This way, you only need to know one formula.

[errolmnz]

I wish this was what a level was like 😪

[parthmarathe]

I did this exam in june and I got it correct. But looking back at it i have no idea how i did it 😭

[CrazyboyYt]

Barely anyone i knew even tried to attempt this question 😢

[midjabalde]

Oh my days, this question really got me

[x-olili-x]

everyone saying this is an Alevel question is in for a shock when they actually see what is required in a level 😂

[Unfound]

1:55 When you factorise a out of the brackets why is it a squared and not just a because surely if you expand it out again it would give 2 a squared which would change the expression

[JujutsuMath]

pretty easy question its just areas of triangles and squares

[kalamazad]

Thank you for this.

Could ypu please do Question 23, the one before this question.

It was the only question I couldn't figure out

[turtleboy]

i used trig to find the hypotenuse as 1.4a which is the same "a√2"

[HoorayKierkegaard]

What does the uppercase P denote? Perimeter? Or is it just a constant? Are we to understand the question as being: "find the answer in the following form, with a certain constant at the front?"

[toxic_gg]

I didn’t expand the brackets correct because I am dumb but I had the right method so hopefully some method marks

[hedaboss]

2:37, how do you do it from here? I don't get how that "last term becomes 2 a squared" like said in the video.

[christabeldalglish]

will this be the 2024 mock exam paper?

[colinjava]

Common sense really, helps to have the octagon so those middle bits are just half squares added on.

[nitronick]

i wrote that answer in the answer box the work is questionable and the answer was half-guessed cant believe it

[uehnnks]

It is not beyond most 16 year olds i gave this to my 15 year old brother and 14 year old cousin sister they did this in under 4 minutes also stop acting like this is a level math difficulty ive never seen an a level maths question as easy as this one

[tTynnwkmn]

I heard some chaos in Daily mail british newspaper, i thought it would be interesting question, what a stupid question. Why people are making so much fuss about it. My dog can do it.