Use and Apply Mental Arithmetic Skills 3

Super effort! You have decided to spend some very valuable time practising for the SATs arithmetic paper.

Throughout your education, you will have been taught how to complete some maths calculations mentally.

For example, by learning your times tables and related division facts, you will have gained essential mental maths skills that can help you to solve all kinds of maths problems!

In the SATs arithmetic paper, you are allowed to write down your working out but if you can, use mental maths skills to answer some of the questions, it will speed you up and give you a better chance of completing the paper.

The arithmetic paper is only 30 minutes long and there are usually around 36 questions, so efficiency is key!

The more you practise these quick-thinking problem skills, the easier you will find arithmetic.

Example 1:

9² - 21 = ? 

9² = 9 x 9 = 81

81 - 21 = 60

9²  - 21 = 60

Example 2:

93% of 320 = ?

Step 1: Work out 90%

10% = 320 ÷ 10 = 32

90% = 32 x 9 = 288

Step 2: To find 3%, find 1% first

1% = 320 ÷ 100 = 3.2

3% = 3.2 x 3 = 9.6

Step 3: Add 90% + 3% 

288 + 9.6 = 297.6

93% of 320 = 297.6

Over to you now to try a mixture of quick-fire arithmetic questions!