Area of Compound Shapes: Step-by-Step Example
23 October 2026
Understanding the area of compound shapes is an important skill for 11+ maths. When your child sees a shape made up of more than one rectangle, it can seem tricky at first. By breaking it down into smaller, familiar shapes, the problem becomes much easier to solve.
Worked example
Find the total area of an L-shape made from a 10 cm by 4 cm rectangle and a 6 cm by 3 cm rectangle.
First, find the area of the 10 cm by 4 cm rectangle.
10 × 4 = 40 cm²
Next, find the area of the 6 cm by 3 cm rectangle.
6 × 3 = 18 cm²
Add both areas together.
40 cm² + 18 cm² = 58 cm²
Key insight: To find the area of a compound shape, split it into simple shapes, find each area, then add them together.
The correct answer is 58 cm².
After working through this example, your child will be able to spot compound shapes and know how to split them up. The next step is to practise similar questions, so they can feel confident when these appear in maths.com uk style tests.
