Speed Drills: Mixed Mental Methods
The Mixed Mental Methods speed drill, the last in this set, mixes short questions from across every mental maths area covered elsewhere, the four operations, fractions and percentages of amounts, ratio, and number facts, in a single rapid-fire set with no pattern to which skill comes next. 11+ papers, particularly GL and CEM mental maths or speed sections, deliberately mix topics this way so a child cannot predict the next question type, so practising an unpredictable mix builds the flexibility real papers demand.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Before you start, briefly review the fastest method for each skill area, mental addition and subtraction, times tables and division facts, percentage building blocks, and the ratio 'one part' method, so you can switch between them instantly.
- Read each question fully before starting to calculate, since with mixed topics it is easy to apply the wrong method out of habit from the previous question.
- Identify which skill area the question belongs to first, a single word like 'ratio', 'percent' or 'left' is often the clue, then apply that skill's fastest mental method.
- Do not slow down to write full working, jot only the numbers essential to reach the answer.
- Keep a steady pace across the whole set rather than rushing the easy questions and running out of time on the harder ones. Spend roughly the same number of seconds on each.
- If you finish early, use any spare time to recheck the questions you were least confident about, not the ones you already found easy.
Worked example
In one mixed drill: 'What is 15% of 60?' followed immediately by 'Share 28 in the ratio 3:4.'
- For the first question, find 10% of 60, which is 6, and 5% of 60, which is 3, then add: 6 + 3 = 9. So 15% of 60 is 9.
- For the second question, add the ratio parts: 3 + 4 = 7.
- Divide the amount by the total parts: 28 / 7 = 4.
- Multiply by each ratio number: 3 x 4 = 12 and 4 x 4 = 16.
- The ratio 28 shared as 3:4 gives 12 and 16.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1What is 9 x 7?Show answer
Answer: 63
Q2Find 25% of 84.Show answer
Answer: 21
Q3Share 40 in the ratio 1:4.Show answer
Answer: 8 and 32
Q4What is 144 / 12?Show answer
Answer: 12
Q5Find 2/3 of 27.Show answer
Answer: 18
Q6What is 56 + 37?Show answer
Answer: 93
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A mixed drill question: 'What is 40% of 120, and what is 7 x 6?' Give both answers.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 2 available
A mixed drill question: 'Share 54 in the ratio 2:7, then find the difference between the two shares.'
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 3 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the speed drills: mixed mental methods worksheet pack - 17 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.
This topic is chapter 6 of 11+ Maths Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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