KS2 SATs 2019 — Mathematics Papers 2 & 3: Reasoning

The idea

Money problems often need more than one step: find the cost of several identical items, add the different items together, then work out change or what is left. Break the problem into those small steps and write each subtotal down — do not try to hold everything in your head.

Multiplying a price works best in pence or with a clear decimal method. A price like £2.45 multiplied by 3 can be done as 245p × 3 = 735p, which is £7.35. Mixing pounds and pence inside one calculation is where mistakes breed.

For change, subtract the total spent from the money handed over. Finally, sanity-check: change must be less than the note you paid with, and the total spent should look sensible for the items bought.

Worked example

Amir buys 3 notebooks at £2.45 each and a pen costing £1.30. He pays with a £10 note. How much change does he get?

1. Cost of the notebooks: £2.45 × 3 = £7.35.
2. Total spent: £7.35 + £1.30 = £8.65.
3. Change from £10: £10.00 − £8.65 = £1.35.

Answer: £1.35

Watch out

• Forgetting one of the items when adding up the total spent.
• Mixing pence and pounds, such as treating £1.30 as 130 pounds.