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Plans and elevations (3D views)

These questions show a model made of cubes and ask what it looks like from the top (the plan), the front or the side (the elevations). Each view is flat: you only see the squares facing you, not how deep the model goes.

What is tested

  • Matching a cube model to its top, front or side view
  • Counting hidden cubes you cannot see directly
  • Recognising that different models can share one view

Worked example

Three cubes sit in a row on the table, and a fourth cube sits on top of the LEFT cube. What is the front view?

  1. From the front you see the three bottom cubes side by side: a row of 3 squares.
  2. The extra cube is on top of the left cube, so one square sits above the left end.
  3. Depth does not show in a front view, so nothing else appears.

Answer: An L shape: 3 squares along the bottom and 1 square above the left one

Exam-day checklist

  • Decide which direction you are looking from before you start.
  • Plan view = looking straight down: count the columns, not the height.
  • Front view = one square for each column you can see, as tall as its tallest stack.
  • Imagine or build the model with real cubes if you can.

Common mistakes

  • Showing height in a plan view.
  • Mixing up the front and side views.
  • Counting hidden cubes as if you could see them.

Try it yourself

1. A tower of 3 cubes is stacked straight up. What is its plan (top) view?

Show answer

1 square

From above you only see the top of the tower.

2. Two cubes sit side by side and a third sits on top of the RIGHT cube. What is the front view?

Show answer

2 squares along the bottom with 1 above the right one

Each stack shows as tall as it is; the right stack is 2 cubes high.

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