Non-Calculator Reasoning Paper B
Non-Calculator Reasoning Paper B is the second of a pair of full timed non-calculator maths papers (Paper A and Paper B), mixing arithmetic, fractions, percentages, ratio, geometry, data and worded problem-solving into a single sitting. It tests not just individual skills but stamina, pacing and accuracy across a full paper of roughly 50 minutes without a calculator, matching the real GL Assessment and CEM-style exam experience.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Scan the whole paper first, or the first page if it is long, to get a sense of the mix of question types and roughly how many marks each is worth.
- Work through the paper steadily in order, spending roughly a minute per mark as a safe average pace, rather than lingering on one hard question.
- Show enough working on multi-mark questions to pick up method marks even if the final answer is wrong.
- Use non-calculator techniques throughout: known times tables, percentage building blocks such as 10%, 5% and 1%, and column methods for larger sums.
- Flag any question you cannot answer immediately and move on, returning to it only after finishing the rest of the paper.
- In the final few minutes, check calculations that involved several steps, since these are where small arithmetic slips most often occur.
- Make sure every answer line is filled in, even with a sensible estimate, since a blank answer scores zero but a reasoned attempt might not.
Worked example
A school photocopier prints 40 pages per minute. It runs for 12 minutes, then a fault causes it to print at half speed for a further 8 minutes. How many pages does it print in total?
- Find the pages printed in the first 12 minutes: 40 x 12 = 480.
- Find the reduced speed: half of 40 is 20 pages per minute.
- Find the pages printed in the next 8 minutes: 20 x 8 = 160.
- Add both amounts together: 480 + 160 = 640.
- State the answer: the photocopier prints 640 pages in total.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1Work out 236 + 458 using a column method.Show answer
Answer: 694
Q2Work out 6.4 x 5.Show answer
Answer: 32
Q3Find 35% of 180.Show answer
Answer: 63 (10% is 18, so 3 x 18 = 54, plus 5% which is 9, giving 63)
Q4Simplify the ratio 12:30.Show answer
Answer: 2:5
Q5A rectangle has an area of 56 cm^2 and a width of 7cm. Find its length.Show answer
Answer: 56 / 7 = 8cm.
Q6Find the mean of 12, 15, 18, 21, 24.Show answer
Answer: Sum = 90. Mean = 90 / 5 = 18.
Q7Work out 504 / 8.Show answer
Answer: 63
Q8Convert 3/8 to a decimal.Show answer
Answer: 0.375
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A school hall has 18 rows of 24 seats. For a concert, 3/4 of the seats are filled. (a) How many seats are in the hall in total? (b) How many seats are filled?
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
Two numbers have a sum of 84 and are in the ratio 3:4. Find the two numbers.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the non-calculator reasoning paper b worksheet pack - 9 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 19 of 11+ Maths Workbook 4, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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