KS1 Maths Arithmetic and Reasoning (SATs Practice)
The KS1 maths papers come in two parts. The arithmetic paper is pure calculation: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts, and simple fractions of amounts, with no words to unpick. The reasoning paper puts the same maths inside short problems and pictures, and asks a child to work out which calculation is needed before doing it. In England these tests are now optional rather than statutory, but the content is the Year 2 curriculum: number bonds to 20 and within 100, the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, place value to 100, measures, shape, and simple fractions such as a half and a quarter. Many marks are lost not to the arithmetic but to reading the question, so both papers reward careful reading as much as accuracy.
Before you start
No specific prerequisites - this is a good place to start.
Method
- For arithmetic questions, work down the paper without stopping to worry: do the ones you know quickly, and put a small mark next to any you skip so you can come back.
- Know the number bonds to 10 and to 20 by heart, because almost every other calculation leans on them. If 7 + 3 = 10 is instant, then 27 + 3 and 70 + 30 are instant too.
- For adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, partition into tens and ones, add the tens, add the ones, then put them back together, and use the column method when the numbers are trickier.
- For reasoning questions, read the question twice, underline the numbers and the important words, and decide what the question is actually asking before writing anything.
- Show your working even when the answer feels obvious, because a method mark can still be given when the final number is wrong.
- Check the answer makes sense at the end: an answer bigger than the total in the question, or an answer of 3 legs for 4 sheep, means something has gone wrong.
Worked example
There are 24 children in a class. 8 children go to football club. The rest go to art club. How many children go to art club?
- Read the question twice and find the numbers: 24 children altogether, and 8 at football.
- Decide what is being asked: the rest means everybody who is not at football, so this is a subtraction.
- Write the calculation: 24 - 8.
- Work it out by partitioning: 24 - 4 = 20, and then 20 - 4 = 16, because 8 splits into 4 and 4.
- Write the answer with what it means: 16 children go to art club.
- Check by adding back: 16 + 8 = 24, which matches the number in the class, so the answer is right.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1What is 30 + 45?Show answer
Answer: 75.
Q2What is 62 - 9?Show answer
Answer: 53. Take away 2 to reach 60, then take away 7 more.
Q3What is 5 x 4?Show answer
Answer: 20.
Q4What is half of 18?Show answer
Answer: 9.
Q5What is a quarter of 20?Show answer
Answer: 5, because a quarter means splitting into 4 equal parts.
Q6A book costs 35p. Sam pays with a 50p coin. How much change does he get?Show answer
Answer: 15p, because 50 - 35 = 15.
Q7Why is it worth writing the calculation down even for an easy word problem?Show answer
Answer: It shows the method, so a mark can still be given if the arithmetic slips, and it makes it much easier to check the answer afterwards.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a KS1 and KS2 SATs exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A shop has 45 apples. In the morning it sells 17 apples. In the afternoon it sells 12 more. How many apples are left at the end of the day? Show your working.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 3 available
Ella has 4 bags. Each bag holds 5 marbles. She then finds 7 more marbles. How many marbles does she have in total?
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 ks1 maths arithmetic and reasoning (sats practice) worksheet pack - 16 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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