Multi-step word problems carry the heaviest marks in any 11+ maths paper, and they also hide the most traps. A child who can happily long-multiply on a bare sum can still lose the mark when the same calculation is buried inside three sentences about buses, buns or bags of marbles. The maths is rarely the problem; the reading, planning and checking are. This guide sets out a reliable 5-step method that turns a wall of text into a clear, ordered calculation, with worked examples at Year 4/5 level and full 11+ exam level so you can see exactly how the skill grows.
Why word problems decide the maths score
In the GL Assessment maths paper - the format most UK regions now use since the standalone CEM paper was discontinued around 2022-2023 - pupils face roughly 50 multiple-choice questions in about 50 minutes, answered A-E on a separate OMR sheet with no calculator. That leaves close to one minute per question. Word problems eat time because the child has to decode the wording before any arithmetic starts. Get the method wrong and they either freeze or, worse, confidently work out the wrong thing. A dependable routine protects both the mark and the clock.
The raw number of correct answers is later converted into a Standard Age Score (SAS), age-standardised so younger pupils in the year are not penalised, running roughly 69-141 with 100 as the average and many selective schools looking for about 111 or above. Because word problems appear across every topic - money, ratio, measures, fractions, averages - mastering the method lifts the whole score, not just one section.
The reliable 5-step method
Teach this as a fixed sequence. Under pressure, children default to habits, so the habit itself must be sound.
- Read to the full stop, then find the actual question. Underline the final sentence. Word problems love to switch the target at the end - giving you the total, then asking for the change, or giving speed, then asking for time.
- List what you are given. Jot the numbers and their units in the margin. Writing "3 bags, 250 g each" stops the child from grabbing the first number they see.
- Choose the operation(s) and the order. Decide whether it is one step or several. "How many altogether" suggests adding or multiplying; "how many left" or "how much more" suggests subtracting; "shared equally" means dividing.
- Calculate neatly, keeping units. Lay out column methods properly. A tidy calculation is a checkable calculation.
- Check the question and the units. Reread the underlined sentence. Did you answer what was asked, in the right unit? Does the size look sensible? Then match to the closest A-E option.
A full worked example, exam level
"A shop sells pencils in packs of 12 for 90p and single pencils for 9p each. Mia needs 40 pencils. What is the cheapest amount she can pay?"
- Question: the cheapest total cost for exactly 40 pencils.
- Given: pack = 12 pencils, 90p; single = 9p; need 40.
- Plan: use as many packs as possible, then singles. 40 divided by 12 = 3 packs (36 pencils) remainder 4.
- Calculate: 3 packs = 3 x 90p = 270p. 4 singles = 4 x 9p = 36p. Total = 270 + 36 = 306p = £3.06.
- Check: 4 packs would be 48 pencils for £3.60 - more pencils, more money, so 3 packs plus singles is genuinely cheaper. Answer £3.06.
The trap here is stopping at 3 packs and forgetting the remaining four pencils, or buying a fourth whole pack. Step 5 catches both. A gentler Year 4/5 version of the same skill would simply be "4 packs of 12 pens - how many pens?" (a single multiplication), showing how the exam layers a remainder and a cost comparison on top of one familiar operation.
Choosing the right operation from the wording
Certain phrases reliably signal an operation. This is not a substitute for thinking, but it speeds up step 3.
| Wording | Usually means |
|---|---|
| altogether, in total, sum of | add (or multiply if repeated equal groups) |
| how many more, difference, left, change | subtract |
| each, per, groups of, times as many | multiply |
| shared equally, split between, how many fit | divide |
| of an amount (e.g. 3/4 of, 20% of) | multiply by the fraction/percentage |
Warn children that "times as many" needs care: "Tom has 3 times as many as Sam, who has 12" means multiply, but "Tom has 36, which is 3 times Sam's" means divide.
Multi-step problems with ratio, fractions and percentages
The hardest word problems combine topics. Take a ratio example: "A sum of £60 is shared between Amir and Bea in the ratio 2:3. How much more does Bea get than Amir?" Find the total parts (2 + 3 = 5), the value of one part (£60 divided by 5 = £12), then Amir = 2 x £12 = £24 and Bea = 3 x £12 = £36. The question asks for the difference: £36 - £24 = £12. The trap is answering £36 (Bea's share) instead of the difference - exactly why step 1 underlines the real question.
For fraction and percentage problems, the "of an amount" method is your anchor: to find a fraction of a quantity, divide by the denominator and multiply by the numerator; to find a percentage, convert to a fraction or use 10% as a stepping stone. Knowing the common equivalences by heart removes a whole layer of calculation.
| Fraction | Decimal | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 0.5 | 50% |
| 1/4 | 0.25 | 25% |
| 3/4 | 0.75 | 75% |
| 1/5 | 0.2 | 20% |
| 1/10 | 0.1 | 10% |
| 1/3 | 0.333... | 33.3% |
Our word-problems worksheets and the full 11+ maths guide drill these mixed-topic questions until the method becomes automatic.
A quick-reference formula box
Many word problems hinge on one formula the child must supply from memory. Keep these on a revision card.
- Area of rectangle = length x width; perimeter = 2 x (length + width)
- Area of triangle = (base x height) divided by 2
- Volume of cuboid = length x width x height
- Speed = distance divided by time (and distance = speed x time)
- Mean = total of values divided by the number of values
Compound-shape questions are a notorious mark-loser: for an L-shape, split it into two rectangles, find each area and add, or box in the whole rectangle and subtract the missing corner. Our post on compound shapes works this through step by step, and the formula sheet collects every formula in one place.
BIDMAS and averages inside word problems
When a problem produces one long calculation, order of operations decides the answer. For 6 + 4 x 5, a child who works left to right gets 50; the correct BIDMAS order does 4 x 5 = 20 first, then 6 + 20 = 26. Brackets and division must be handled before addition. Averages also hide in wording: from the set 3, 7, 7, 9, 14 the mean is 40 divided by 5 = 8, the median (middle of five ordered values) is 7, the mode is 7, and the range is 14 - 3 = 11. With an even count, the median is the mean of the two middle numbers. Sharpen the underlying speed with our mental-maths techniques.
Common exam traps to rehearse
- Answering the intermediate value (Bea's share) instead of the final question (the difference).
- Mixing up area and perimeter, or forgetting to halve for a triangle's area.
- Ignoring units - adding grams to kilograms, or leaving pence when the answer wanted pounds.
- Forgetting the remainder in "how many fit / how many needed" problems.
- Not simplifying a ratio or fraction, so the tidy answer never matches an A-E option.
Practise the method against the clock with our timed mini-mocks and free worksheets, then track wider syllabus coverage through the revision hub and GL paper guides.
Frequently asked questions
Is a calculator allowed in the 11+ maths paper?
No. GL Assessment maths papers are non-calculator throughout, which is why secure mental methods and neat column working matter so much. Every worked answer above is designed to be done by hand within the roughly one-minute-per-question pace.
How long should my child spend on a single word problem?
Aim for about a minute on average, but that is a budget across the paper, not a rule per question. Multi-step problems may take ninety seconds; quicker questions balance them out. Teach children to flag a stubborn question, move on, and return if time allows rather than stalling.
What year should we start practising word problems?
Begin single-step problems in Year 4, layer in two-step questions and ratio/percentage contexts across Year 5, and rehearse full exam-level, multi-topic problems from the autumn of Year 5 into Year 6. Building the 5-step habit early means it is automatic by test day.