Missing Number Puzzles Practice Test Worksheets
Missing number grid puzzles test whether you can spot a repeated number pattern and use it to fill the blank. The grids look visual, but the method is usually a steady addition or subtraction step.
For students who can calculate, but get stuck finding the missing value when the operation pattern is hidden.
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What Do Missing Number Puzzles Questions Look Like?
Missing number puzzles feature grids with arithmetic paths and sequences where you must determine the step size to find the missing corner or middle value. Here is a worked example.
Count Down by a Fixed Amount
Question: What number will complete the grid?
Worked Method
Step 1: Look at the first row: 27 to 20 is -7.
Step 2: Continue the same step: 20 - 7 = 13.
Step 3: Check another line: 13 - 7 = 6, then 6 - 7 = -1.
Answer: Each question mark is 13.
Tip: A good answer fits both across and down the grid.
Rules to Help You Solve Missing Number Puzzles Questions
To solve missing number puzzles like the example above, find the difference between given values to establish the step size. Keep these three rules in mind:
🔁 Rule 1: Look for a constant step
Numbers often increase or decrease by the same amount across each row and down each column.
Example: 27, 20, ? goes down by 7, so the missing number is 13.
➕ Rule 2: Add a constant amount
If the numbers get larger from left to right, add the same amount each time.
Example: 2, 11, ? adds 9, so the missing number is 20.
➖ Rule 3: Subtract a constant amount
If the numbers get smaller, subtract the same amount. Negative numbers can appear at the end.
Example: 33, 24, ?, 6, -3 uses a step of -9, so the missing value is 15.
✅ Rule 4: The same answer must fit every blank
The centre blank, top-right blank, and bottom-left blank should all be consistent with the same pattern.
Example: In a -7 grid, every ? position should resolve to the same number.
Another Worked Example
This example shows how to count up by a fixed amount.
Count Up by a Fixed Amount
Question: What number will complete the grid?
Worked Method
Step 1: The first two numbers are 2 and 11, so the step is +9.
Step 2: Add 9 again: 11 + 9 = 20.
Step 3: Check the rest: 20 + 9 = 29 and 29 + 9 = 38.
Answer: Each question mark is 20.
Tip: Moving one cell right or down adds 9. Moving diagonally down and right combines both moves, so it adds 18: 2, 20, 38. The other diagonal contains three equal values: 20, 20, 20.
