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Junior Cycle · Junior Cycle Maths

Junior Cycle Maths: Patterns & sequences

How often Patterns & sequences comes up on the Maths papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 4 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

OL Asked on 3 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Patterns & sequences, Higher Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Patterns & sequences.

(a)General term of the pattern 5, 8, 11, 14, …?
  1. 3n + 5
  2. 3n + 2
  3. n + 3
(b)Pattern n uses 3n + 1 matchsticks. Which pattern uses 61 matchsticks?
  1. Pattern 184
  2. Pattern 21
  3. Pattern 20
(c)The pattern 2, 6, 18, 54, … is…
  1. exponential (tripling)
  2. quadratic
  3. linear (add 4 each time)
Show the answers

(a) 3n + 2

(b) Pattern 20

(c) exponential (tripling)

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Patterns & sequences.

Higher Level

Asked on 4 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q8
2025Q2
2024Q12
2023Not asked
2022Q4

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 3 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q6
2025Q8
2024Not asked
2023Not asked
2022Q12

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Patterns & sequences questions

Patterns & sequences, 2 marks

What is the next term: 7, 11, 15, 19, …?

  1. 22
  2. 24
  3. 23
Show the answer

23

The terms go up by 4 each time, so the next term is 19 + 4 = 23.

Patterns & sequences, 3 marks

Find the general term (nth term) of 5, 8, 11, 14, …

  1. 5n + 3
  2. 3n + 2
  3. n + 3
Show the answer

3n + 2

The terms go up by 3, so the rule starts with 3n. When n = 1, 3n = 3 but the term is 5, so add 2: 3n + 2. Check: n = 2 gives 8.

Patterns & sequences, 3 marks

Is the pattern 2, 4, 8, 16, … linear or non-linear?

  1. Non-linear: gaps are not equal
  2. Linear: it goes up each and every time
  3. Linear: every gap is 2
Show the answer

Non-linear: gaps are not equal

A linear pattern has the same gap (first difference) each time. Here the gaps are 2, 4, 8 … so it is non-linear. Each term doubles.

Other Maths topics

All of Junior Cycle Maths