About this worksheet

This free Year 8 equations with variables on both sides worksheet is written for the Western Australian curriculum and mapped to SCSA content description WA8MNALE1. It targets one skill so students can practise until it sticks: by the end, students can say “I can collect like terms, expand brackets and solve equations with the variable on both sides, then verify by substitution.”

What’s inside

• Key idea box – a short explanation with worked examples to read before starting.
• A · Fluency (16 questions) – quick practice to build accuracy.
• B · Core (10 questions) – worded problems set in everyday Australian contexts.
• C · Reasoning (4 questions) – explain, justify and spot the error.
• D · Challenge (4 questions) – harder multi-step and problem-solving questions for students ready to stretch.
• Separate marking key – every answer with working, plus mark allocations and marking criteria for reasoning questions.

Skills covered

• Collecting like terms before solving
• Solving equations with the pronumeral on both sides
• Expanding brackets, including −(x − 4), then solving

How to use this worksheet

Start with the Key idea box, then complete Section A (use a calculator only where a question says so). Most students should attempt Sections B and C; Section D suits students aiming for the top of the class or preparing for accelerated or extension maths. The worksheet is marked out of 58, and the score box on the last page helps students see which section needs more practice.

Common mistakes to watch for

• Moving a term across without changing its sign
• Writing −(x − 4) as −x − 4
• Only expanding the first term of a bracket
• Stopping at the value of x without answering the question

Where this fits in the WA Year 8 sequence

Equations with Like Terms on Both Sides sits in the Linear and non-linear equations and inequalities sub-strand of Number and algebra. It is one of a set of short, single-skill EduLift worksheets that split each Year 8 content description into sub-skills. Use the previous and next links to work through the sequence in order.

Common errors we see in tutoring

• Moving a term across without changing its sign
• Writing −(x − 4) as −x − 4
• Only expanding the first term of a bracket
• Stopping at the value of x without answering the question