Mental Maths Trainer
Choose the kinds of question and a level, then answer as quickly as you can without a calculator. You see a score for each kind.
Worked examples
A fraction of an amount
3/4 of 28
21
A quarter of 28 is 7, so three quarters is 21.
A percentage of an amount
15% of 200
30
10% is 20 and 5% is 10, so 15% is 30.
About Mental Maths Trainer
Mental maths means working things out in your head, and it rests on a handful of building blocks: pairs of numbers that make 10, 20 or 100, doubling and halving, rounding, finding a half, a quarter or ten per cent of an amount, and knowing the squares. This trainer drills those in short bursts, with three levels from small numbers to harder ones.
You choose which kinds of question to include, so you can work on one weakness at a time, and how many questions to answer. At the end you see your score for each kind of question as well as overall, which makes it clear where the practice is needed. The percentage and fraction questions are chosen so that the answer is always a whole number, so you can do them without a calculator.
How to use Mental Maths Trainer
- Tick the kinds of question you want to practise.
- Choose a level and the number of questions.
- Press Start, work each one out in your head and type the answer.
- Check your score for each kind of question and try again.
Common uses
- Daily five minute warm-up before homework
- Preparing for the arithmetic paper at the end of Year 6
- Building quick recall for GCSE non-calculator papers
- Keeping skills sharp over the holidays
Frequently asked questions
What are number bonds?
Number bonds are pairs of numbers that add up to a target, such as 6 and 4 to make 10, or 35 and 65 to make 100. Knowing them by heart makes adding and taking away much faster.
How is rounding decided when the digit is a 5?
The usual school rule is used: a digit of 5 or more rounds up. So 65 rounds to 70 to the nearest 10 and 350 rounds to 400 to the nearest 100.
Do I need a calculator for the percentage questions?
No. The numbers are picked so the answers are whole numbers. To find 10% divide by 10, to find 25% halve and halve again, and to find 50% halve.
What are the three levels?
Level 1 uses small numbers, Level 2 uses medium numbers, and Level 3 uses larger numbers and harder fractions and percentages. The methods are the same at every level.
Can I get decimals as answers?
Yes, in the questions about multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100 at the higher levels, such as 47 ÷ 10 = 4.7.