Percentage Practice
Percentage questions test whether you can find part of a whole quickly and accurately. Most of these problems ask for a percentage of a total, so the key is choosing a reliable method and keeping the units clear.
The Rules Every Percentage Question Uses
A percentage is a fraction out of 100. Once you turn the percentage into a multiplier, the calculation becomes a short divide-and-multiply problem.
💯 Rule 1: Percent means out of 100
Write the percentage over 100, then simplify if that helps.
Example: 20% = 20100 = 15.
🧮 Rule 2: Divide first when the fraction is simple
If the percentage simplifies neatly, divide the total by the denominator.
Example: 20% of 150 = 15 of 150 = 30.
🔟 Rule 3: Use 10% as a shortcut
For 10%, divide by 10. For 70%, find 10% and multiply by 7.
Example: 70% of 80: 10% is 8, so 70% is 56.
✅ Rule 4: Check the size of the answer
A percentage of an amount should make sense compared with the original total. Smaller percentages should give smaller answers; larger percentages should give larger answers.
Example: 40% of 210 is 84, which is less than half of 210.
How to Solve Percentage Questions
Three useful moves: convert to a simple fraction, use 10% as a stepping stone, and make sure the answer matches the question.
1. Convert to a Simple Fraction
Question: 20% of school children like chess. If the school has 150 children, how many children like chess?
Worked Method
Step 1: 20% = 20100 = 15.
Step 2: Find 15 of 150: 150 ÷ 5 = 30.
Tip: Simple percentages like 20%, 25%, 50%, and 75% are often fastest as fractions.
2. Scale from 10%
Question: At a quiz competition with 80 participants, 70% scored more than half marks. How many participants scored above half marks?
Worked Method
Step 1: Find 10% of 80: 80 ÷ 10 = 8.
Step 2: 70% is 7 lots of 10%, so 8 × 7 = 56.
Tip: This method works well for percentages like 30%, 40%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%.
3. Check the Answer Against the Total
Question: Out of 210 students, 40% submitted their science homework on time. How many students submitted on time?
Worked Method
Step 1: 40% = 40100 = 25.
Step 2: Find 25 of 210: 210 ÷ 5 × 2 = 84.
The trap: 40% is less than half, so the answer should be less than 105. The numerical answer 84 passes that check.
Before You Buy
Want to check the level and layout first? Download the free 3-question sample. It uses the same question style, printable format, and answer-key approach as the full pack.
Download Free Sample PDFGet the Full Practice Pack
The full Percentages pack contains 75 word problems across 3 printable test sets. Students practise finding percentages of amounts in real-world contexts, with answer keys included.
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