Number Sense Questions Practice Test Worksheets
Number sense questions test whether you can read digits by position. The key skill is knowing what each digit is worth, then using that value to choose the correct expanded form, statement, or number.
For students who can calculate, but need practice choosing the quickest number strategy under test conditions.
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What Do Number Sense Questions Look Like?
Number sense questions evaluate your understanding of place value, expanded forms, and how the position of each digit determines its value. Here is a worked example.
Match a Number to Expanded Form
Question: Which expanded form matches 260?
- A. 400 + 30 + 6
- B. 600 + 0 + 2
- C. 300 + 20 + 8
- D. 200 + 60 + 0
- E. 100 + 60 + 9
Worked Method
Step 1: Split 260 into place values: 2 hundreds, 6 tens, and 0 ones.
Step 2: Convert each digit: 2 x 100 = 200, 6 x 10 = 60, and 0 x 1 = 0.
Step 3: The expanded form is 200 + 60 + 0.
Answer: D
Rules to Help You Solve Number Sense Questions
To solve number sense questions like the example above, read place-value positions systematically. Follow these four rules:
🔢 Rule 1: Position gives value
The same digit can mean 2, 20, 200, or 2000 depending on where it sits.
Example from the chart: The 2 in 5284 is worth 200.
The ones place is immediately to the left of the decimal point. To its right are tenths, then hundredths.
Decimal example: In 609.83, the 9 represents 9 ones, the 8 represents 8 tenths (0.8), and the 3 represents 3 hundredths (0.03).
🧩 Rule 2: Expanded form splits the number
Break the number into the value of each digit, then add those values together.
Example: 5284 = 5000 + 200 + 80 + 4.
🔎 Rule 3: Read every option carefully
Multiple-choice answers often swap digits or put a correct digit in the wrong place.
Example: 579 has 7 in the tens place, not 795.
📈 Rule 4: Larger place means larger value
Each place to the left is worth ten times as much. When comparing the same non-zero digit in different numbers, identify its named place rather than its visual position on the page.
Example: The 9 in 92,357 is in the ten-thousands place and is worth 90,000. The 9 in 59,876 is in the thousands place and is worth 9,000: one tenth as much.
Two More Worked Examples
Here are two more examples showing how to deduce numbers from place clues and compare digit values.
Find the Number from Place Clues
Question: Which number has 7 in the tens place and 9 in the ones place?
- A. 759
- B. 579
- C. 957
- D. 975
- E. 795
Worked Method
Step 1: The ones digit must be 9, so the number must end in 9.
Step 2: The tens digit must be 7, so the second digit from the right must be 7.
Step 3: 579 has 7 in the tens place and 9 in the ones place.
Answer: B
Compare the Value of the Same Digit
Question: In which number does the digit 9 have the greatest value?
- A. 92357
- B. 74693
- C. 20913
- D. 38469
- E. 59876
Worked Method
Step 1: Find the place of the 9 in each option.
Step 2: A has 9 in the ten-thousands place, so it is worth 90000.
Step 3: The other 9s are worth 90, 900, 9, and 9000.
Step 4: The greatest value is 90000.
Answer: A.
Tip: A larger whole number does not necessarily give the chosen digit a larger value. For example, 89,123 is larger than 59,876, but the 9 represents 9,000 in both. Compare the digit's place value directly.
