KS2 SATs 2016 — Maths Papers 2 & 3: Reasoning

The idea

Reasoning questions hide maths inside words, and they often include a fact you do not need. Before calculating anything, read the whole question twice. On the second read, underline the numbers and words that matter, and cross out anything that is just decoration.

Then say the real question in your own words. Words like altogether, left, difference and each are clues about which operation to use. The final sentence tells you what your answer must describe — pencils, people, centimetres or pounds — so check your answer measures that thing.

Only then choose your calculation. This order — read, underline, restate, calculate — stops the most common reasoning error: doing a perfect calculation that answers a question nobody asked.

Worked example

Maya buys 4 packs of pencils. Each pack holds 12 pencils. She gives 9 pencils to her brother. She also keeps a red pen in her pencil case. How many pencils does Maya have left?

1. Underline the key facts: 4 packs, 12 pencils in each pack, gives away 9 pencils. The red pen is not a pencil, so ignore it.
2. Find how many pencils she starts with: 4 × 12 = 48.
3. Take away the ones she gives away: 48 − 9 = 39.

Answer: 39 pencils

Watch out

• Using every number in the question, including facts that are only decoration.
• Answering how many pencils Maya bought instead of how many she has left.