11+ Maths Test Questions and Answers: How to Pass

What to Expect in the 11+ Maths Paper

The 11+ Maths paper tests whether your child can apply core primary-school maths quickly, accurately, and under pressure. It is not designed to catch children out with obscure topics — instead, it rewards those who have practised the common question types enough to recognise them instantly.

The topics most children find challenging are:

• Number sequences (“I think of a number…”)
• Fractions, decimals, and percentages
• Area and perimeter of compound shapes
• Angles in triangles and ratios
• Reading and interpreting graphs and charts

This guide walks through each of these with worked examples, so your child can see exactly how to approach them on exam day.

Did you know? Most 11+ Maths papers give pupils roughly one minute per question. Speed comes from recognising the question type, not from rushing — which is why practice and pattern recognition matter so much.

Maths Question Types at a Glance

1. Number Sequences: Working Backwards

Example: I think of a number. I double it. I add four. The answer is 22. What number did I start with?

The trick is to work backwards and reverse every operation:

1. Start with the final answer: 22
2. The last step was “add four” — reverse it by subtracting: 22 - 4 = 18
3. Before that was “double it” — reverse it by halving: 18 ÷ 2 = 9

So the starting number is 9. Always check by running it forwards: 9 doubled is 18, plus 4 is 22. Correct.

Tip: Teach your child to write down each reversed step clearly on the exam paper. Rushing these in their head is where most errors creep in.

A slightly harder version might chain more operations together — for example, “I multiply by 5, add 3, subtract 8, answer is 95.” The method is identical: start from 95 and reverse each step (+8, -3, ÷5) to arrive at 20.

2. Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

These three are best learned together, because 11+ questions often ask your child to convert between them.

Fractions of a number

To find 3/4 of 180:

• Divide by the bottom number: 180 ÷ 4 = 45
• Multiply by the top number: 45 × 3 = 135

Fraction to percentage

To convert 5/8 to a percentage:

• Divide top by bottom: 5 ÷ 8 = 0.625
• Multiply by 100: 62.5%

Decimal to percentage

To convert 0.8 to a percentage, simply multiply by 100 (move the decimal point two places to the right): 80%.

Our 11+ Maths Learn & Test app has a dedicated topic on fractions, decimals, and percentages, with study lessons that explain each conversion step by step before testing recall.

3. Area and Perimeter

A simple square

For a square with sides of 8 cm:

• Area = base × height = 8 × 8 = 64 cm²
• Perimeter = sum of all sides = 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 32 cm

Compound shapes

When a shape combines a square and a triangle, break it down into the two shapes and calculate each area separately.

For example, a shape made of a 5 × 5 square attached to a triangle of base 9 cm and height 5 cm:

• Square: 5 × 5 = 25 cm²
• Triangle: (9 × 5) ÷ 2 = 22.5 cm²
• Total area: 25 + 22.5 = 47.5 cm²

Tip: Always check which dimensions the question has given you versus which ones you need to work out. Many compound shape questions hide one dimension that you must deduce by subtraction.

4. Angles: Triangles and Ratios

A triangle’s angles always add up to 180°. That single fact solves most 11+ angle questions.

Finding a missing angle

If two angles are 78° and 36°:

• Add them: 78 + 36 = 114
• Subtract from 180: 180 - 114 = 66°

Angles in a ratio

Example: A triangle has angles in the ratio 2 : 3 : 4. What is the smallest angle?

1. Add the ratio parts: 2 + 3 + 4 = 9
2. Divide 180 by 9: 180 ÷ 9 = 20
3. Multiply each part: 2 × 20 = 40°, 3 × 20 = 60°, 4 × 20 = 80°

The smallest angle is 40°. A quick check: 40 + 60 + 80 = 180.

5. Graphs, Charts, and Averages

Example: What is the average of History grades C or above from 2004 to 2009 (to the nearest whole number), given values of 56, 64, 72, 78, 84, and 58?

1. Add all values: 56 + 64 + 72 + 78 + 84 + 58 = 412
2. Count the items: 6 years
3. Divide: 412 ÷ 6 = 68.67 (recurring)
4. Round to the nearest whole number: 69

Remember the rounding rule: if the digit after the decimal is 5 or above, round up; below 5, round down.

A Weekly Maths Practice Routine

Consistent, varied practice beats occasional marathon sessions. Here is a simple weekly plan parents can use with our apps.

For a broader study plan that balances maths with the other 11+ subjects, see our Complete Guide to 11+ Exam Preparation in 2026 and our dedicated guide on how to improve your child’s 11+ maths score.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the check. Always run your answer back through the question if time allows.
• Misreading units. Area is in cm², perimeter is in cm — a careless unit costs easy marks.
• Rushing mental arithmetic. Jotting the working on the paper takes five seconds and prevents silly errors.
• Ignoring the ratio total. For ratio questions, always add the parts first before dividing.

Practise with the 11+ Apps

Knowing the methods is only half the battle — your child needs repeated exposure to build the speed and confidence the exam demands. Our maths apps are designed to do exactly that.

• 11+ Maths Learn & Test — 1,280 questions across 32 topics, including shapes, algebra, fractions, data handling, and study lessons. Ideal for topic-by-topic learning and targeting weak areas.
• 11+ Maths Practice Papers — 1,200 questions across 24 timed practice papers that mirror real 11+ exam conditions, perfect for building exam stamina in the final months.

Used together, these two apps take your child from first-principles learning through to full exam-style practice. They are part of our complete suite of 7 specialist apps with over 8,190 questions, covering every area of the 11+ — so your child has one trusted place to prepare, whatever the test throws at them.

Start early, practise a little every day, and trust the process. Maths is the subject where consistent effort pays off most reliably — and that payoff arrives on exam day.