Pie Charts GCSE Questions, Worked Examples and Answers
A pie chart represents one complete data set with a 360° circle. A category’s sector angle is its fraction of the total multiplied by 360°, so angles and frequencies stay in the same proportion.
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One circle represents one whole
What you need to know about pie charts
A pie chart is a circle divided into sectors. The complete circle stands for every item in the data set. A larger category must therefore occupy a larger angle. Because one turn is 360°, half the data uses 180°, one quarter uses 90°, and so on.
Frequency share → angle share
Keep the same share of the whole
If 15 of 60 responses belong to one category, that category is one quarter of the data and receives one quarter of 360°.
Category15 responsesthe part→
Data set60 responsesthe whole→
Sector15/60 × 360° = 90°same fraction of the circle
The full circle represents the full data set. Each sector receives the same fraction of 360° as its category has of the total frequency.
From problem to method
Typical problems you need to be able to solve
These are the main kinds of question in this topic. Each card first states the problem, then explains how to solve it.
Read a category from a sector
What the problem asks: Find a fraction, percentage or frequency represented by a labelled sector.
How to solve it: Compare the sector angle with 360°. If a total frequency is given, multiply that total by angle ÷ 360.
Calculate a sector angle
What the problem asks: A frequency table is given and a pie chart must be completed or drawn.
How to solve it: Find the total frequency, then calculate frequency ÷ total × 360° for each category.
Find a missing angle
What the problem asks: All but one sector angle are known.
How to solve it: Add the known angles and subtract their sum from 360°.
Find the total or a missing frequency
What the problem asks: One sector links a known angle to a known count, and another value is missing.
How to solve it: Use angle ÷ 360 = frequency ÷ total, or first find the number represented by 1°.
Compare two pie charts
What the problem asks: Two charts summarise data sets of different sizes.
How to solve it: Use each chart’s total as well as its sector angle. The same angle means the same proportion, not necessarily the same number.
A reliable routine
Method for converting frequency to angle
Use this method when a category frequency and the total frequency are known. It works because both frequency ÷ total and angle ÷ 360 describe the same share.
Add every category to find the total frequency.
Write the category as frequency ÷ total.
Multiply that fraction by 360°.
Repeat for the remaining sectors.
Check that all sector angles total 360°.
Check: Use a protractor from the same centre point when drawing. A correct calculation with an inaccurate centre can still produce a misleading chart.
Fully worked
Pie charts GCSE worked examples
Each solution explains the clue, why the method fits and how to check the result.
Example 1
Read a simple fraction
2 marks
Question
Sector A in the diagram is 90∘. What fraction of the data is in A?
The full circle represents the full data set. Each sector receives the same fraction of 360° as its category has of the total frequency.
Compare the sector with the full 360∘.
36090=41
41
Example 2
Find an angle from a frequency
3 marks
Question
In a survey of 80 people, 20 choose cycling. Find the cycling sector angle.
Cycling is 20 out of 80.
8020×360∘
=41×360∘
90∘
Example 3
Find a frequency from an angle
3 marks
Question
A 72∘ sector represents red cars in a sample of 150 cars. How many cars are red?
The sector is 72/360 of the circle.
36072×150
=51×150
30 cars
Example 4
Find the total frequency
3 marks
Question
A 126∘ sector represents 35 students. Find the total number of students.
The same proportion links angle and frequency.
360126=T35
T=35×126360
T=100
Example 5
Compare equal sectors
3 marks
Question
Two pie charts both have a 72∘ music sector. Chart P represents 180 people and chart Q represents 300 people. Which chart represents more people choosing music?
In chart P:
36072×180=36
In chart Q:
36072×300=60
Although the proportions match, the totals differ.
Chart Q, with 60 people
10 original questions · total 30 marks
Pie charts GCSE exam-style questions
Try each question before opening its fully worked answer. The difficulty rises through the set.
Before you startAllow about 35 minutes · Show the fraction of 360°, give angles in degrees and check that a complete set of sectors totals 360°. · answers start collapsed
1
Use a quarter-circle sector
2 marks
A 90∘ sector represents a category in a survey of 80 people. Find the frequency.
Show worked answer
36090×80=41×80=20
2
Convert frequency to angle
3 marks
A club has 60 members and 18 play tennis. Find the tennis sector angle.
Show worked answer
6018×360∘
=0.3×360∘
108∘
3
Convert angle to frequency
3 marks
An 84∘ sector represents one category in a data set of 120. Find its frequency.
Show worked answer
36084×120
=307×120
28
4
Find a missing sector
2 marks
Four sector angles are 115∘, 95∘, 60∘ and x∘. Find x.
Show worked answer
115+95+60=270
x=360−270
x=90∘
5
Find a percentage
2 marks
What percentage of a pie chart is a 144∘ sector?
Show worked answer
360144×100%
=40%
6
Compare different totals
3 marks
A 60∘ sector in chart A represents 120 people. The same-sized sector in chart B represents 240 people. How many people does the sector represent in each chart?
Show worked answer
A 60∘ sector is one sixth of a circle.
120÷6=20
240÷6=40
20 in A and 40 in B
7
Calculate every drawing angle
4 marks
A survey records A: 12, B: 18, C: 30. Calculate the three sector angles.
Show worked answer
The total is
12+18+30=60
A:6012×360∘=72∘
B:6018×360∘=108∘
C:6030×360∘=180∘
Check: 72+108+180=360.
72∘,108∘,180∘
8
Recover the total
3 marks
A sector of 45∘ represents 15 books. Find the total number of books.
Show worked answer
45∘ is one eighth of 360∘.
If one eighth is 15, the whole is
15×8=120
9
Use a ratio of sectors
4 marks
Red, blue and green are in the ratio 2:3:5. Find each sector angle and the number choosing blue if the total frequency is 250.
Show worked answer
There are 2+3+5=10 ratio parts.
Each angle part is
360∘÷10=36∘
So the angles are
72∘,108∘,180∘
Blue is 3/10 of 250.
103×250=75
10
Complete a two-stage comparison
4 marks
In a pie chart of 240 journeys, walking has angle 54∘ and cycling has angle 81∘. How many more journeys are cycling than walking?
Show worked answer
Walking:
36054×240=36
Cycling:
36081×240=54
Difference:
54−36=18 journeys
Examiner-style feedback
Common pie charts mistakes
Dividing by a category instead of the total
The denominator of the data fraction must be the total frequency.
Treating angle as frequency
An angle is a share of 360°. Convert it using the total number represented by that chart.
Comparing counts from angle alone
Equal sector angles show equal proportions; the counts can differ when chart totals differ.
Drawing from different centres
Every radius must begin at the exact centre, or the sector angles will not represent the calculated shares.
30-second recap
Choose, carry out, check
Translate the wording before you reach for a rule.
The full circle is 360°.
Frequency ÷ total equals angle ÷ 360.
Check all angles total 360°.
Use each chart’s total when comparing counts.
Quick answers
Pie charts FAQ
How do I calculate a pie-chart angle?
Use frequency ÷ total × 360°.
How do I find frequency from an angle?
Use angle ÷ 360 × total frequency.
Do pie-chart angles always total 360°?
Yes, because the complete circle represents the complete data set.
Can two equal sectors represent different frequencies?
Yes, if the two pie charts represent different totals.
Build connected skills
What to revise next
Compare distributions
Box plots
Compare centre and spread using five-number summaries.
Reviewed 5 September 2026 against DfE content S2 and current Pearson Edexcel, AQA and OCR GCSE Mathematics specifications. All questions and diagrams are original.