Skip to content

GCSE Maths: Histograms

Draw and interpret histograms using frequency density for grouped data. Practise it with adaptive questions for AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas.

StatisticsFoundation & HigherAQA · Edexcel · OCR · Eduqas

What you need to know

The concepts examiners test on histograms, and what each one is really asking.

Calculate frequency density from a grouped frequency table
Draw histograms with unequal class widths
Read frequency from a histogram using area
Estimate the median from a histogram

Where marks get lost

The exam technique that separates a correct method from a correct answer.

  • Reading the height as the frequency (it's frequency DENSITY)
  • Forgetting to calculate frequency density and just plotting frequency
  • Drawing gaps between bars (histograms have no gaps)
  • Getting the class width wrong (e.g. 10-20 has width 10, not 11)

Histograms questions students ask

Is Histograms on the Foundation paper?

Yes. Histograms appears at both Foundation and Higher tier, though Higher papers take it further.

What should I know before starting Histograms?

It builds on Grouped frequency tables and Division and Reading scales on axes. If those feel shaky, practise them first — Histograms questions assume them.

What is the most common mistake in Histograms?

Reading the height as the frequency (it's frequency DENSITY).

Which exam boards cover Histograms?

All four we support — AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas. GCSE Maths subject content is set by the DfE, so the topic is common to every board; what changes is the paper structure and the grade boundaries.