Buckinghamshire Style Maths Paper 1
Buckinghamshire's grammar school entrance test, known as the Secondary Transfer Test (SET), is delivered by GL Assessment and includes a maths paper alongside English and verbal reasoning. Like other GL-delivered papers, the maths paper mixes pure calculation questions with questions set inside a short real-life context, and Paper 1 covers the core KS2 maths a pupil needs before tackling the more contextual numerical-reasoning style questions found later in the test.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Identify whether each question is a pure calculation or a worded question with a context before choosing how to set out your working.
- For pure calculation questions, use the most efficient written method you know, such as column addition and subtraction or short or long multiplication and division, rather than counting on.
- For worded questions, extract the numbers needed and decide the operation before calculating, in the same way as for a numerical reasoning question.
- Cover ratio and proportion, fractions, decimals and percentages alongside the four operations, since the paper draws across the full KS2 curriculum rather than testing arithmetic alone.
- Keep a consistent pace through the paper, since every question is worth the same regardless of how quick or slow it feels to answer.
- Double-check any answer that involves converting between units, such as pence to pounds or minutes to hours, since this is a common place to lose an otherwise correct answer.
- Leave no question blank; write your best attempt even for a question you are unsure of.
Worked example
A school stationery order costs 186 pounds for 40 identical rulers. (a) Find the cost of one ruler. (b) Find the cost of 15 rulers at the same price.
- (a) Divide the total cost by the number of rulers: 186 / 40.
- 186 / 40 = 4.65, so one ruler costs 4.65 (4.65 pounds).
- (b) Multiply the cost of one ruler by 15: 4.65 x 15.
- 4.65 x 15 = 4.65 x 10 + 4.65 x 5 = 46.50 + 23.25 = 69.75.
- 15 rulers cost 69.75 (69.75 pounds).
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1Calculate: 27 x 16.Show answer
Answer: 432.
Q2Write 5/8 as a decimal.Show answer
Answer: 0.625.
Q3Share 84 pounds in the ratio 3:4.Show answer
Answer: 36 pounds and 48 pounds.
Q4Find 30% of 250.Show answer
Answer: 75.
Q5Calculate: 504 divided by 8.Show answer
Answer: 63.
Q6Order these decimals from smallest to largest: 0.6, 0.09, 0.45, 0.5.Show answer
Answer: 0.09, 0.45, 0.5, 0.6.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A minibus company charges a fixed fee of 45 pounds plus 2.50 pounds per mile for a school trip. (a) Calculate the total cost for a trip of 18 miles. (b) A second trip costs 100 pounds in total. How many miles was the second trip?
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A tank contains three fifths of its capacity in water, which is 240 litres. (a) Find the full capacity of the tank. (b) Find how many more litres are needed to fill the tank completely.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the buckinghamshire style maths paper 1 worksheet pack - 6 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
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