Fiducia TogetherExpanding brackets
Multiplying out, including double and triple brackets.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Expanding removes brackets by multiplying every term inside by the term outside; for two brackets, every term in one by every term in the other.
Where it applies
Both tiers; triple brackets are higher.
How it works
It is the reverse of factorising, and checking one by doing the other is the fastest way to catch an error.
How to use it in your work
Multiply systematically and write every term before collecting. Skipping the middle line is where signs go wrong.
Watch negatives: a minus outside a bracket changes the sign of everything inside.
For three brackets, expand two first, then multiply the result by the third.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification and mark scheme.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Maths Song The GCSE maths topics, in order.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.