11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
Fractions, decimals and percentages appear in almost every 11+ maths paper, both as quick recall questions and inside longer word problems. Children are expected to move fluently between the three forms — knowing that 1/2, 0.5 and 50% are the same value — and to use them to solve real situations like sale prices and shares of an amount.
The most reliable way to master this topic is to learn the common equivalents by heart (1/4 = 0.25 = 25%, 1/5 = 0.2 = 20%, and so on) and to practise finding percentages by building them up from 10% and 1%.
What the 11+ tests in fractions, decimals & percentages
- check_circleConverting between fractions, decimals and percentages
- check_circleFinding a fraction or percentage of an amount
- check_circleSimplifying fractions and finding equivalent fractions
- check_circleAdding and subtracting fractions with different denominators
- check_circlePercentage increase and decrease (sale prices, interest)
- check_circleOrdering a mixed set of fractions, decimals and percentages
Worked example
A jumper costs £40. In a sale it is reduced by 15%. What is the sale price?
- Find 10% of £40 by dividing by 10: £4.
- Find 5% by halving 10%: £2.
- Add them to get 15%: £4 + £2 = £6.
- Subtract the discount from the original price: £40 − £6.
checkAnswer: £34
Common mistakes to avoid
- errorFinding the percentage but forgetting to subtract it from (or add it to) the original amount.
- errorConfusing 'per cent' with the number itself — e.g. treating 20% as 20 rather than 0.2.
- errorAdding fractions by adding the denominators instead of finding a common denominator.
Top tips
- lightbulbLearn the 'family' 1/2, 1/4, 1/5, 1/10 and their decimal/percentage forms until they are instant.
- lightbulbBuild any percentage from 10% (÷10) and 1% (÷100) — this handles awkward values like 35% or 3%.
- lightbulbAlways sanity-check: a 15% discount should leave most of the price, so £34 looks right, £6 would not.
Practise fractions, decimals & percentages free
ElevenEdge gives your child adaptive fractions, decimals & percentages questions at just the right level, with a worked solution on every one. No card needed to start.
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