Speed Drills: Mixed Mental Methods Set 2
The second Mixed Mental Methods speed drill continues the pattern of the first, testing the same skills, the four operations, fractions and percentages of amounts, and ratio sharing, but with a different, unpredictable order and a fresh set of numbers, so a pupil cannot simply memorise the sequence from the first set. 11+ mental maths and speed sections, particularly in the GL and CEM traditions, deliberately mix topics like this so a child must recognise which skill a question needs before applying it.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Skim the whole mixed set once mentally and note which skills come up, operations, fractions or percentages, ratio, money or time, since knowing what is coming helps you switch strategy faster.
- Read each question fully before calculating, because starting to work before you have heard the whole question is the commonest cause of wrong answers in a mixed set.
- Spot the key word that names the skill: 'share' or 'ratio' signals the sharing method, 'percent' or '%' signals building from 10%, 'of' after a fraction signals divide then multiply.
- Apply that skill's fastest mental route immediately rather than defaulting to the method you just used for the previous question.
- Write down only the numbers you need to remember between steps, not a full written method, since a mixed drill rewards short-term memory as much as calculation.
- Pace yourself evenly across the set; a mixed drill is designed so no single question type dominates, so do not let one hard-looking question eat the time meant for three easy ones.
Worked example
In one mixed drill: 'What is 30% of 90?' followed immediately by 'Share 45 in the ratio 2:3.'
- For the first question, find 10% of 90, which is 9, then multiply by 3: 9 x 3 = 27. So 30% of 90 is 27.
- For the second question, add the ratio parts: 2 + 3 = 5.
- Divide the amount by the total parts: 45 / 5 = 9.
- Multiply by each ratio number: 2 x 9 = 18 and 3 x 9 = 27.
- The ratio 45 shared as 2:3 gives 18 and 27.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1What is 8 x 9?Show answer
Answer: 72
Q2Find 20% of 150.Show answer
Answer: 30
Q3Share 36 in the ratio 1:3.Show answer
Answer: 9 and 27
Q4What is 132 / 11?Show answer
Answer: 12
Q5Find 3/4 of 48.Show answer
Answer: 36
Q6What is 47 + 68?Show answer
Answer: 115
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A mixed drill question: 'What is 15% of 80, and what is 9 x 8?' Give both answers.
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A mixed drill question: 'Share 63 in the ratio 2:5, then find the difference between the two shares.'
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A mixed drill question: 'A ribbon is 84 cm long. It is cut in the ratio 3:4. Find the length of the longer piece, then convert your answer to metres.'
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the speed drills: mixed mental methods set 2 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 10 of 11+ Maths Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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