11+ · Topic guide

Mental Arithmetic Paper 10

Mental Arithmetic Paper 10 is the tenth in this series of full timed mental arithmetic papers, built from the same core skills, the four operations, fractions, percentages, and time or money conversions, that the mental maths sections of GL Assessment and CEM/CSSE 11+ tests test throughout, with fresh numbers so pupils keep practising recall rather than remembering earlier answers.

Year 5-6 (11+)Maths and Numerical ReasoningGL AssessmentCEM

Before you start

Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:

Method

  1. Treat this paper the same as earlier ones in the series, refreshing key number facts, times tables and simple fraction-percentage links before you begin.
  2. Read or listen to each question fully before starting to calculate, so you answer the question that was actually asked.
  3. Use the fastest mental method for the numbers in front of you, rather than a single fixed method for every question.
  4. Keep a steady, even pace through the whole paper, since spending too long on one question is what most often costs marks on questions later on.
  5. Write down only the minimum working needed to carry a result from one step of a question to the next.
  6. If you finish with time to spare, use it to revisit only the questions you were least sure of, not the ones you already answered confidently.

Worked example

A mental arithmetic question, read aloud once: 'Multiply 9 by 6, then add 15. What is your final answer?'

  1. Start with the multiplication: 9 x 6.
  2. Recall the times-table fact: 9 x 6 = 54.
  3. Now add 15 to the result: 54 + 15.
  4. 54 + 15 = 69.
  5. The final answer is 69.

Practice questions

Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.

Q1What is 11 more than 78?Show answer

Answer: 89

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Q2Multiply 8 by 12.Show answer

Answer: 96

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Q3What is three-quarters of 32?Show answer

Answer: 24

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Q4Take 29 away from 83.Show answer

Answer: 54

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Q5What is 7 times 8, minus 9?Show answer

Answer: 47

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Q6Divide 144 by 12.Show answer

Answer: 12

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Exam-style questions

Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.

Q1[1 mark]

This is question 3 of a mental arithmetic paper, read aloud once: 'Add 14 to 8, then multiply your answer by 3. What is your answer?'

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Q2[2 marks]

This is question 10 of a mental arithmetic paper, read aloud once: 'I have 90 pencils. I share them equally between 6 classrooms, then 8 pencils are taken from one classroom to replace broken ones elsewhere. How many pencils are left in that classroom?'

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Q3[2 marks]

This is question 16 of a mental arithmetic paper, read aloud once: 'Find 20% of 65, then subtract 4 from your answer. What is your answer?'

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Free printable worksheet

Want more practice on paper? Download the mental arithmetic paper 10 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 20 of 11+ Maths Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.

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