maths problem solving games ks3

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National Curriculum In England: Mathematics Programmes Of Study

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• 11-14 Years

Play these fun Maths Games for 11-14 year olds

Choose a category:, number games.

Equivalent Fractions Finder

Experiment visually with the values of equivalent fractions of a square or circle.

Ratio Rumble

The battle is on in this game where you build your own potions to defeat your enemies! The game provides visual representations of ratios and supports learning about equivalent ratios.

Minus Miners

Use your knowledge of negative numbers to mine resources and save your village.

Deep Sea Dual

An addition strategy game which is either for one or two players. It is a game where the first person to choose cards with a specified sum wins.

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Place value, properties of number: factors, multiples, squares and cubes, arithmetic procedures with integers and decimals, expressions and equations, plotting coordinates, perimeter and area, comparing and ordering fractions and decimals (positive and negative), arithmetic procedures with fractions, understanding multiplicative relationships: fractions and ratio, transformations, estimation and rounding, graphical representations of linear equations, solving linear equations, understanding multiplicative relationships: percentages and proportionality, graphical representations of data, numerical summaries of data, perimeter, area and volume, geometrical properties: polygons, constructions.

KS3 Tutoring Programmes

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FREE KS3 maths resources

Here you can find all of our free KS3 resources; explore the collections or navigate to each section to filter resources by topic

Creating Maths Problems At KS3 Doesn’t Have To Be Hard: How To Make Yours Fun, Engaging, And Curriculum-Focused

Andy Brighouse

Here we look at how to plan for successful maths problem solving lessons with a range of tried and tested KS3 maths problem solving questions that are fun, engaging and curriculum-focused.

The notion of creating original problem solving maths questions can strike fear deep into the heart of the uninitiated teacher. For some, simply delivering a lesson featuring untried problems is anxiety invoking.

Lessons based solely around maths problem solving activities need planning, and when doing this for the first time it may seem like you are devising a strategic military operation, with your lesson plan resembling the tactical objectives of a dawn raid. However, it doesn’t have to be like this; maths is FUN (that’s why we teach it).

The art of teaching problem solving at key stage 3, and the associated planning, is to focus it on harnessing a particular mathematical strand. Ultimately, your problem solving lessons need to be targeting the skills that are necessary to make learners successful in the future and bridge the gap from primary school to secondary school. You can refresh your memory of KS2 problem solving here . As the teacher your knowledge of GCSE maths  and the problems to be encountered there will feed back into the planning so that the learning attributes gathered during problem solving can feed forward into exam success for the students.

30 Problem Solving Maths Questions, Solutions & Strategies

Help your students prepare for their maths GCSE with these free problem solving maths questions, solutions and strategies

How to teach problem solving

Understanding how to get students solving problems (especially those unfamiliar, thought provoking and often slightly perplexing word problems) can be usefully reduced to getting students to consider just two questions…

• “ What do I know? ”  
•  “ What do I need? ”

These two questions are useful for us as educators too (think data driven planning), but here we are going to explore how to use them to drive forward our students’ ability and desire to find some solutions.

How to link problem solving to the national curriculum

Your first task is to think carefully about which strand of maths you want the problem to originate from. All strands of maths are intrinsically linked, but if you’ve recently worked through an algebra unit, focus your maths problem there.

Students can call upon skills from other strands but their immediate thinking should be related to recent learnings or you will swiftly trigger their cognitive overload . Always consider cognitive load theory in the classroom when designing activities.

Don’t force a topic or real life context to fit a strand of maths; consider the skills you want students to draw upon, and think about which sorts of numeracy questions would use those skills.

How to structure a problem solving session

Any problem solving session should commence with a hook; this could be a starter related to the problem at hand or a contextual discussion about why the problem is interesting. Once you have devised a problem, attempt it yourself; this will show you what resources you need, and also the general thought processes and pitfalls your students are going to face.

It’s often a good idea to base your activities around topics that you know very well, and ones that you are confident your students have the relevant skills to be successful. Feel free to delay a particular lesson you have an idea for until you are comfortable with the subject matter. Do some research and practise; this should be enjoyable because maths is FUN. You’ll learn lots of new things, and become an even better teacher in the process.

Curriculum maths problems

To get you started there follows some suggestions of the types of maths problems and approaches you can take in each of the main maths curriculum areas. You will clearly need to adjust your approach, and perhaps provide more or less differentiation and support at each stage depending on the age group you are teaching. But with the right support you’ll be amazed how far students will get in trying to answer these maths questions if they feel sufficiently motivated.

Number and place value maths problems

Number theory is exciting. We know that, but our students don’t always, and it’s never too soon to introduce them to it. The plethora of conjectures, although fiendishly difficult to prove, are mostly based on concepts met at Key Stage 3.

Number problem example: Collatz conjecture

One of my “go to” examples of this would be the Collatz Conjecture. If you’re not familiar with this problem, I suggest looking it up; there are numerous great resources available suitable for all levels. The premise is quite simple…

• If the number is even, half it
• If the number is odd, triple it and then add one
• Take your answer, then repeat step 1 (ie either half it or triple it and add one).
• Continue until you think you have seen a pattern

The scope for the directions you can take in a lesson by using this problem and trying it out with smaller and larger numbers is enormous. A well structured discussion with quality targeted questioning will conjure the ideas of mathematical algorithms, sequences and patterns, through to the trickier concept of evidence versus proof.

Students can understand the problem easily, it’s straightforward to differentiate for ability and resource development is relatively minimal.

Watch the look on your students’ faces when you tell them that after so many years since its formulation, the Collatz Conjecture still has unclaimed prize money for a proof. This instills the idea that even professional mathematicians struggle at times, and that problem solving is about investigating and building a toolkit of mathematical problem solving strategies.

Geometry maths problems

Problem solving lessons focussed on geometry and mensuration lend themselves to practical activities; grab the coloured paper, scissors, glue and then construct solutions. This is where maths can meet other disciplines, whether it’s engineering, art, architecture or even sport science. The reasons I do this are multiple:

• It demonstrates how applicable maths is to EVERYTHING.
• It teaches students that maths goes beyond the exercise book. Maths is a way of critical thinking and is not “just about doing sums”.
• It allows students to be creative in maths, which accesses more parts of the brain, and can give many students those magical lightbulb moments.

Geometry problem example: Packing boxes

A great idea for a very practical problem solving lesson would be looking at how objects pack into boxes. This could be done using concrete resources  such as tennis balls in various sized boxes, but with planning could involve also converting the problem to two dimensions, using circles with different shape mats to investigate layout configurations.

Students can then be encouraged to compare how the 2D and 3D are dealt with. For teachers wishing to brush up on the theory behind this type of work, we would need to look at the differences between geometry  and topology .

Data handling and probability maths problems

Data handling and probability are far more contemporary than the other strands we teach in school, so I would let the problem solving reflect this; choose very modern problems to focus on. In terms of the real world aspect, data and probability have huge implications regarding human actions.

This indicates that a good hook for the students is to have them use their knowledge of data and probability to solve a human problem.

Think about issues that are big in the news or that are prevalent in other subjects. There are great activities that can be created from issues involving the climate and environment. A well written brief could not only boost the students’ mathematical problem solving skills, but could also lead to the solution of wider problems with the school or local area.

Data handling problem example: Recycling around the school

Why not get your students to solve the school’s recycling problems using maths? Ask your students to analyse the locations and numbers of waste bins and recycling bins around the school site. Automatically, this allows for rehearsal of the concepts from the data handling cycle, but also provides raw data for other problem solving activities linked to the overarching theme.

Students could be asked to consider the probability that upon leaving a canteen with food, they will pass a bin of the necessary type before arriving at their next lesson (whilst following a direct route). The scope here is huge, as the problem solving process includes use of estimation, modelling and mensuration (of distance and time).

Algebra maths problems

Designing problem solving lessons based around algebra  may seem scary, but we are not setting out to prove Fermat’s Last Theorem. Start with the basics; building and using expressions. You could use shapes made from paper, denoting side lengths with variables; as new shapes are created, students use the variables to determine linear expressions for perimeter and quadratic expressions for area (if they have met those concepts). What we are looking for is any activity that allows students to use algebra to generalise.

We now come back to those important questions I mentioned:

“ What do I know? ”  And   “ What do I need to know? ”

Algebra problem example: Definitions and representations using algebra

When it comes to problem solving with algebra, students should build a “tool kit”. I usually begin by asking how we define an even number, an odd number; how do we represent this using algebra?

Then, move on to a square number, one more than a cube number, etc. Students can record their results and create a dictionary of algebraic phrases. Later on, we can use these to look at whether the square of an odd number is always odd, or why the square of an even number is a multiple of four.

Students can use these terms to create and manipulate a variety of polynomial expressions through addition and subtraction. They can go onto form and solve equations through inverse operations and even explore decimal and fractional terms. 

These investigations can use simple or more complex numbers and be tailored to the abilities of your class.

How to lead a problem solving lesson step by step

For any maths problem, but particularly in your lessons specifically focused on problem solving, students need to be coaxed into realising how much they know about the problem already; combining this with what they need as an outcome should create a journey that contains the steps of a solution.

I’ll use an example to illustrate this.

Problem solving example: Waring’s prime number conjecture

Waring’s prime number conjecture states that every odd number (excluding 1) is a prime or the sum of three primes.

Your students need to know certain things in order to look at this:

• The definition of an odd number
• What a prime number is

Ideally, your starter activity will include some assessment for learning (for more on these see this article on teaching strategies ) and a discussion to bring these ideas to the forefront of your students’ minds.

Save mentioning that this is a named conjecture until the end of the lesson.

A possible line of enquiry could be

 “Which odd numbers less than 50 can be written as the sum of three primes?”

Depending on your class, you may need a more open question, or you may need to scaffold the problem into steps.

Ultimately, as long as students are encouraged to consider what they know about the problem already, and what their objective is, they will be able to actively engage in the problem solving process.

If you’ve taken my advice, you will have already attempted this problem; you know which numbers are tricky and which numbers have several solutions.

 By the way, have you worked out why some numbers have a unique three prime sum and why some don’t? Maybe you should investigate this problem; remember maths is FUN.

If, during an activity, you are asked if/why/how something works and you don’t know; be honest. Students tend to welcome honesty from their teachers. Sit down with the students and try and work it out; this is great for building relationships and encourages a collaborative approach.

It also instills in students that, as mathematicians, we try to solve problems because we don’t yet have all the answers.

Read more: Collaborative Lesson Planning

Reviewing the problem solving process

I now return to my military operation analogy: the mission debrief. Make sure you have plenty of time at the end of problem solving activities for a rich and lively discussion, with all your students involved.

Plan your questions well in advance; I think of my questions when I am having my own attempts at solving the problem. Your questioning strategy should draw out if a solution was found, and how. If a solution eluded everyone, discuss why.

Is a solution possible? Was something else needed? Is an approximate solution the best we could hope for.

It‘s well worth explaining to your students that not all problems have exact solutions; sometimes we have to optimise or estimate as best we can, and that is our solution.

Growing resilience through problem solving

The key thing is to keep reminding your students of the maths skills and strategies they are using. Resilience should build over time as students encounter a wider range of problems and have to deploy their skills in different ways. It is this resilience, and lack of fear, when faced with the unfamiliar that gives students the confidence to pause and think…

• “What do I know?”        
• “What do I need?”

By asking students to consider these two questions, and using your love of maths to inject some fun into the solution process, you can create an environment where students engage with unfamiliar and challenging problems. Your students will become the problem solvers you want them to be.

Students will make mistakes, they will struggle and occasionally they will complain. It is through talking to your students about these difficulties and how to overcome them that they become stronger; this is the idea of a growth mindset .

Discuss what worked, what didn’t, mind-map strategies in groups, incorporate tasks based on collaboration and then next time use competition. As well as improving engagement, your students will adapt to new scenarios with greater ease.

Resources to support problem solving at KS3

If you find that your KS3 students need revision or support in applying any of the topics that your maths problems are investigating, there are free step by step teaching and learning guides available within Third Space Learning’s GCSE maths revision resources as well as other maths resources, such as practice maths questions and downloadable worksheets on topics from factorising to fractions.

Your KS3 students come to you as new recruits; they have a fear of the unknown and may lack confidence. Armed with the ideas in this article, as well as the teaching resources and worksheets available, you will soon find your ability to build them up into problem solving soldiers that can tackle any problem on the mathematical battlefield.

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Key Stage 3 Maths

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The problem with Maths is you only need to miss a few key topics and you’ll be more confused than a donkey in a spelling bee. Keeping on top of everything you learn in class is a must. That way, when you progress to new topics, you’ll have a firm understanding of previous topics to fall back on.

How can you keep on top of the entire Maths syllabus? It’s quite a task, but luckily we have Maths quizzes for topics covered in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9. That means you’re sorted for the whole of KS3! Problem solved.

Listening ears at the ready, future Maths geniuses. Here’s what you’ll be learning...

Subjects You Will Learn About

We’ll give you a comprehensive overview of Algebra, including sequences, powers, factors, expressions and more. Then we’ll look at Data Handling (you know, collecting/recording data and those pesky frequency diagrams). Next up is a thorough look at Numbers - decimals, percentages, rounding, place value, the lot! We’ll also teach you all about shapes, including Pythagoras’ Theorem and other juicy stuff.

We cover all levels. You can progress through our quizzes at your own pace - even if that means going over old topics to refresh them in your memory, or taking a peek at new topics to familiarise yourself before you cover it in class!

Thankfully, we teach you all this stuff without making you sleepy. That’s right, we feed all this Mathematics knowledge into your brain in a way that you’ll really enjoy!

We’ve taken all the core bits from the Mathematics National Curriculum and whizzed them up into engaging and enjoyable quizzes.

Ready to get started? Numbers here we come! 3, 2, 1...

Maths and Science Go Hand in Hand

It really is true that you can't be a good scientist without a thorough understanding of mathematics. So, if ever you feel that maths is a little "dry" just remember that it will do wonders for your work in science and then treat yourself to a few scientific quizzes in our KS3 Science section!

KS3 Maths Need not be a Chore!

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Rich tasks and maths investigations for KS3

Here you'll find a collection of tried and trusted rich maths tasks and investigations to develop your KS3 students' numeracy skills and understanding. The best investigations are those that encourage curiosity and engage students’ problem-solving skills. Choose from activities that include maths problems in a real-life context, word problems and practical maths tasks to add some fun and creativity to your maths lessons on different shapes, fractions, decimals, and more.

Many of the teaching resources in this collection include lesson plans, PowerPoints or student worksheets. There are a number of resources in this collection that are suitable for learners at both key stages 3 and 4, so can also be used for GCSE practice.

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• Homework (4)
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Mr Barton Maths Podcast

Long-form conversations about teaching and learning with craig barton, tes top 10 resources: problem solving and rich tasks.

The following collection of resources have been assembled by the TES Maths Panel . They can be downloaded for free by registering on the TES website.

Here, I have compiled my top 10 problem solving and rich tasks. Enjoy there are some crackers in here.

Carpet your bedroom – functional maths

Age Range:  11-16  Format:  PPT

An activity for students to design a tessellation of carpet tiles for their bedroom. From the design, they need to work out costs from screenshots of carpet tile prices, calculate the cost of the glue. There are three levels to this task, from a basic bronze version to the gold version which includes an algebra extension related to cost of getting a carpet fitted. Very real world focus and some good discussion if you let the students use their own bedroom.

Rich maths tasks to engage KS3

Age Range:  11-16  Format :  Webpage

This website includes many helpful resources relating to the pedagogy associated with Rich Tasks as well as many sources for further tasks. Each Rich Task has been trialled in the classroom and most are accompanied by a detailed task plan which contains an overview and lesson plan.

Maths investigations

Age Range:  11-16  Format:  PDF

Based on science tasks produced in East Sussex, these investigation starter sheets give an introduction to a topic for investigation and progression guide to allow self- and peer-assessment. Targeted at year 7, these may be suitable for several year groups in KS2/3. Please note that the levelling guide is a first draft and may change.

Maths mystery activity: Thinking skills

This is an ideal thinking skills activity for higher KS3 and KS4 students. This is a mystery activity, where learners are presented with a set of cards containing clues to answer a central focus question, in this case: ‘Does Amelie make it to the catwalk?’. Learners will need to work together (in pairs or threes) and use various strands of mathematics to be able to make sense of the clues and come to a conclusion.

My bedroom: Lesson plans and activities 

This is a complete pack of activities, interactive whiteboards and lesson plans for KS3. This activity can be done in pairs or individually. It has lots of differentiation opportunities from the various materials I have created to provide help in groups, individuals or to the whole class, depending on ability. In addition to this, there are also two good extension activities.

Functional maths skills and enterprise task

Age Range:  11-16  Format:  Excel

This is a business game where players compete to make as much money as possible from an initial investment of £200. All pupils need to do is decide how much to spend on making their product, what the sale price should be and the amount to spend on advertising. When every group has entered their decisions into the spreadsheet the figures are compared and sales are decided. Pupils can then predict their available capital for the next round to earn a cash bonus. It was used across the department with all ages and abilities.

Mathematical Rich Tasks

I created this website with a BECTA grant. There are resources (written, interactive, audio and video) to support teachers and students accessing six rich mathematical tasks, that are ripe for creative exploration!

Holiday planning maths investigation

Age Range:  11-16  Format:  Doc & PDF

A structured problem-solving activity based on booking a holiday for a family of four. Includes a resource booklet containing flight, accommodation, car hire and passport prices, and a task sheet setting students task. Suitable for able KS2 pupils. Also includes differentiation by increasing level of difficulty in the tasks set.

Nrich  differentiated mathematical problem solving

Age Range:  11-18  Format:  WEB

Focussed mathematical problem solving on all the required topics of any mathematical syllabus. A good resource to include in the gifted and talented policy and something that allows the children to access mathematics with real-life problem solving, taking them away from the more difficult abstract questions.

Functional mathematics lessons – projects

Age Range:  11-16  Format:  WEB

Maths functional skills classroom projects to use in lessons. Projects designed for one at the end of each half term for years 7, 8 and 9.

Damian Watson,  Maths Secondary Panel

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Most Popular Free Maths Games

The most popular free interactive KS2 maths games in the last week.

Birds v Robots - Maths Battle

Help the birds defend their eggs from the evil robots by answering the maths questions correctly.

• Online in HTML5 format

Answer the maths questions and then help your bird to get home safely.

Tommy's Trek - Times Tables

A fun platform game for children to practise their times tables. This game will work on any device.

Use the arrow keys to move Tommy. The ctrl key makes him jump and the up arrow selects a number.

Having problems controllingTommy on an iPad? Go to your browser's settings and make sure 'Request Desktop Mode' has not been selected.

For more multiplication games click here.

For more Tommy's Trek games click here.

Maths Choppity Chop

Answer the maths questions and then chop the vegetables. Avoid the steel bar and the saw.

Caterpillar Carnage

Angry Andy Must Have Candy

Answer the maths questions and then collect as much candy as you can for Angry Andy.

Stone Age Stu - Addition

Snowball Smash

Answer the maths questions and then see how many opponents you can defeat in a snowball fight.

Maths Climber

Answer the maths questions and then drive your car as quickly (and safely) as you can. Be careful - drive too fast and you might flip it over.

Monkey Maths

Subtraction - Mini Maths Golf

Super Maths Bowling - Multiplication

Answer the multiplication questions quickly and accurately and you will find it much easier to aim your bowling ball at the pins. 

Multiplication Tile Crash

Break into the tomb using your multiplication skills.

Marlon's Magical Maths Mission - Multiplication

Help Marlon defeat the evil beasts with your multiplication knowledge.

Maths Fairground Shoot

Use your maths skills to earn time in the game and see how many ducks you can shoot.

Parachute Number Line

Land on the correct position on the number line. A fun game to develop an understanding of place value.

Multiplication Miner

Find the two numbers that multiply together to make a given product. Choose one or more times tables to play.

Archery Arithmetic - Multiplication

Choose which times tables to practise. Answer questions as quickly as possible and you will get more time to aim your arrow. Play on your own or against a partner. Who can score the most points in your class?

Telling the Time

Read the time on an analogue clock. Lots of choice over levels, including: reading time to the nearest hour, half hour, quarter hour, five minutes or minute. Options include using a 24 hour clock and seeing how many correct answers you can get in a given time.

This new version will work on any tablet or computer.

For more measuring and time resources click here.

KS2 Maths Invaders

** New tablet-friendly version added 14th February 2018. Please let me know if you have any problems - [email protected]

Shoot the spaceship with the correct answer and dodge the incoming fire. A fun game to practise a wide range of key mathematical skills.  

There are over a hundred carefully differentiated levels linked to objectives from the new maths curriculum. The game can be used to teach: Multiplication, Addition, Reading Numbers, Subtraction, Fractions of Numbers, Roman Numerals, Rounding Numbers, Division, Converting Fractions to Decimals, Converting Fractions to Percentages, Telling the Time in Words, Recognising Multiples, Factors, Prime, Square and Cube Numbers, and Simplifying Fractions. A full list of levels is below. This game is also available as an iOS and Android app.

Placing Numbers on a Number Line - Tablet Version

23/11/17 - new version added. This version is tablet friendly and can be played directly on any device.

Drag the flag to the correct position on a number line. Lots of choice over level, including whole numbers, negative number and decimals. Can be used to teach place value, approximation skills, and reading varying scales.

Choose one type of number line or for more of a challenge you can select several. Work quickly to get more time, build your score and climb up the leaderboard.

For more resources involving partitioning and place value click here.

Sorting 2D shapes on a Venn diagram

Updated December 2017 - this is a new version that will work on a tablet or computer.

Sort a variety of 2D shapes on a Venn diagram. Sort by one or two conditions. Sort triangles - scalene, equilateral and isosceles. Sort quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons and octagons, as well as parallelograms, rhombus, kites and trapeziums. Also sort according to a shapes properties such as acute, obtuse, reflex or right angles and symmetry or whether it is a regular shape.

For more resources involving sorting shapes and numbers click here.

For more shape and space resources click here.

Monty's Maths Wall - Tablet Version

Use the arrow keys to guide your brick and destroy the wall or if you are using a tablet, tap either side to direct your brick and both sides to make it fall faster.

A great game for practising a wide range of mathematical skills. Levels are based on objectives from the new maths curriculum from Year 1 to Year 6. Topics include: multiplication, addition, reading numbers, subtraction, fractions of numbers, Roman numerals, division, converting fractions to decimals and percentages and simplifying fractions. 

You can choose to play a single level, a selection of levels, or choose all the objectives from a year group (within the same topic). There is a full list of levels below.

Maths Fishing - Multiplication

Practise your multiplication skills while catching Fish! This game is tablet friendly and will work on any device.

Having problems on an iPad? Go to your browser's settings and make sure 'Request Desktop Mode' has not been selected.

Crystal Crash - Fractions of Numbers

Find fractions of numbers and throw your pickaxe at the correct answer. This game can be played directly on any tablet or computer.

Compare Numbers on a Number Line

Compare the numbers on two different number lines and decide which is bigger. A great game to get children thinking about place value and reading varying scales.

Adding Time Word Problems

Read the time on either an analogue or digital clock and then answer a word problem involving adding a given time. Find the correct time on an anologue or digital clock. Lots of choice of level, including: adding 1 hour, multiples of 5, or 10 minutes or adding multiples of a quarter of an hour.

Sorting 3D Shapes on a Venn Diagram

Use a Venn diagram to sort a variety of 3D shapes according to their properties, including: whether they are pyramids or prisms, the number of faces, edges and vertices and whether they have a curved surface.

Coordinates - reasoning about position and shapes

Find the missing coordinates on a given shape, reflected in a mirror line, or the midpoints of straight lines. Choose to find coordinates in the first quadrant, or all four quadrants. Provides lots of opportunity to reason about shape and position.

Sorting 2D shapes on a Carroll diagram

Sort a variety of 2d shapes on a Carroll diagram. Sort by one or two conditions. Sort triangles - scalene, equilateral and isosceles. Sort quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons and octagons, as well as parallelograms, rhombus, kites and trapeziums. Also sort according to a shapes properties such as acute, obtuse, reflex or right angles and symmetry or whether it is a regular shape.

Telling the Time in Words

Tell the time in words. Use language such as 'o'clock', 'half past' and 'quarter to'.

Hundred Square

An incredibly versatlie teaching tool. Can be used to explore number patterns, multiples, prime numbers and lots more.

Using a Calendar

Answer word problems using a calendar. This new version will work on any tablet or computer.

Find the Start Time

Find the start time for a given time interval.

Find the correct time on an analogue or digital clock. Lots of choice of level, including: subtracting 1 hour, multiples of 5, or 10 minutes or subtracting multiples of a quarter of an hour.

Angles Alien Attack

Defend the Earth from an alien invasion using your knowledge of angles. Choose to read them from the protractor or estimate them without a protractor. 

Multiplication Tables Check

This activity exactly mirrors the 'Multiplication Tables Check' that will be given to children at the end of Year 4. They are tested on their multiplication tables up to 12 x 12. There are twenty-five questions and children have six seconds to answer each question and three seconds between questions. The questions are generated randomly using the same rules as the 'Multiplication Tables Check' (see below).

Results can be downloaded and printed at the end of the test.

A similar activity which tests recall of number bonds can be found here.

Dienes - Identify and Represent Numbers

Choose to either identify the number shown by dienes or represent a given number using dienes. Choose 'Game Mode' and you will be rewarded for correct answers in a penalty shoot out.

Y6 Arithmetic Practice

This activity provides practice of the types of questions that appear in the Y6 Arithmetic test.

All questions are based on those that have appeared in the Year 6 Arithmetic tests from 2016-2018. We have not included questions that require a written method of calculation. There are hundreds of potential questions. Ideal for assessing gaps and progress.

Results can be saved and printed at the end of the test.

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• Teaching Resources
• Problem Solving Question Of The Day Compilation Worksheets For Ks3 Maths

KS3 maths worksheets – 100+ problem-solving questions

PDF question and answer booklets

This KS3 maths worksheets booklet from White Rose Maths contains over 100 problem-solving questions. There’s also an answer booklet.

You can also use these questions with GCSE pupils. Some problems are suitable for foundation and higher. Others are suitable for higher tier only.

Example KS3 maths worksheets questions

Max is saving to buy a computer game that costs £26. He saves 5p, 10p and 50p coins in a jar. The ratio of 5p to 10p to 50p coins is 2 : 5 : 1. There are 120 coins in the jar. How much more does he need to save?

You want to cover the floor in carpet titles. The tiles measure 40cm by 40cm. The floor is 3.2m by 2m. Tiles are sold in boxes of 12. How many boxes of tiles will you need to cover the floor?

Richard is doing a survey. He asks people to choose their favourite biscuits. THere are four biscuits: A, B, C or D. Here are the results: A (?); B (20%), C (15%), D (30%). 160 people chose B. How many people chose A?

White Rose Maths provides high-quality, research-driven KS3 and GCSE maths resources to support teaching and learning. Follow on Twitter at  @whiteroseed .

More maths resources

• Maths worksheet packs for Years  7 ,  8  and  9
• GCSE maths games
• KS3 maths questions mega revision PowerPoint

Similar resources

• Index notation KS3 – Maths exercises to develop fluency
• Fractions revision – 100+ slide maths PowerPoint for KS3 / GCSE
• Maths quiz – 300+ slides of KS3 / GCSE questions with answers
• KS3 probability – Year 8 lesson plan and resources
• KS3 maths questions – Mega revision PowerPoint with answers

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Maths Problem Solving Booklets

Subject: Mathematics

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

23 August 2022

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Maths problem solving booklets covering a wide range of mathematical problems designed to improve problem solving strategies as well as numeracy and mathematical ability.

Designed to be printed as A5 booklets.

Disclaimer: These are free because the problems are from a wide variety of sources, most of which I have forgotten. I am a maths problem magpie and collect maths problems wherever I find them. All I have done is bundled these ones up to make it convienent.

If you find a problem that is yours and you don’t want it used please comment and I’ll remove it - cheers.

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ardglassie1

Very impresses. Ta.

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

Excellent resource

Great resource to use at KS3

mummygoth23

Just what I have been looking for. Thanks so much!

Good resources. Thanks you!

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For younger learners

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KS3 and 4 resources to develop good mathematical habits of mind

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Being Resilient - Secondary Students

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Being Resourceful - Secondary Students

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Being Collaborative - Secondary Students

Here are some problems that are ideal for working on with others. Find a friend, share ideas, and see if two heads really are better than one!