Every question here is written by Prism in the style of the tests. None is copied from a real paper, and a fresh one is drawn each time a child practises.
From foundation to exam standard
Two questions at each level. Tap an option to check it.
Foundation where a child in Year 3 or 4 starts
Question 1Aim for about 60 seconds
Gear A has 24 teeth and turns gear B, which has 16 teeth. When gear A turns 4 times, how many times does gear B turn?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, 6
How to work it out
4 turns of A pass 4 × 24 = 96 teeth.
Gear B has 16 teeth, so it turns 96 ÷ 16 = 6 times.
Why the other options are wrong
B (5): If it turned 5 times, 80 teeth would pass, but 96 teeth pass.
C (4): Gears only turn the same number of times when they have the same number of teeth.
D (7): If it turned 7 times, 112 teeth would pass, but 96 teeth pass.
E (96): This is the number of teeth that pass; divide by B's 16 teeth to count B's turns.
Question 2Aim for about 60 seconds
Gear A has 24 teeth and turns gear B, which has 40 teeth. When gear A turns 10 times, how many times does gear B turn?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, 6
How to work it out
10 turns of A pass 10 × 24 = 240 teeth.
Gear B has 40 teeth, so it turns 240 ÷ 40 = 6 times.
Why the other options are wrong
A (10): Gears only turn the same number of times when they have the same number of teeth.
B (7): If it turned 7 times, 280 teeth would pass, but 240 teeth pass.
C (240): This is the number of teeth that pass; divide by B's 40 teeth to count B's turns.
E (5): If it turned 5 times, 200 teeth would pass, but 240 teeth pass.
Standard the 11 Plus standard, Year 5
Question 3Aim for about 60 seconds
What is the smaller angle between the hands of a clock at 8 o'clock?
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, 120°
How to work it out
The hands are 4 numbers apart.
Each number is 360° ÷ 12 = 30°, so the angle is 4 × 30° = 120°.
Why the other options are wrong
A (150°): This counts one number too many; the hands are 4 numbers apart.
B (240°): This is the larger angle, the long way round; the question asks for the smaller one.
D (20°): This counts the minute marks between the hands as degrees; each number is 30°, not 5°.
E (24°): This uses 6° for each number; 6° is one minute mark. Each number is 30°.
Question 4Aim for about 60 seconds
Tariq and Dev live 138 km apart. They set off at the same time towards each other, Tariq at 16 km/h and Dev at 30 km/h. How far from Tariq's home do they meet?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, 48 km
How to work it out
Together they close the gap by 16 + 30 = 46 km every hour, so they meet after 138 ÷ 46 = 3 hours.
In that time Tariq has gone 16 × 3 = 48 km.
Why the other options are wrong
B (90 km): This is how far Dev has gone, so it is the distance from Dev's home.
C (64 km): This is how far Tariq goes in 4 hours; they meet after 3 hours.
D (69 km): This is halfway; they only meet halfway if they go at the same speed, and Dev is faster.
E (122 km): This takes one hour of Tariq's walking from the whole distance.
Exam standard what the papers ask in Year 6
Question 5Aim for about 60 seconds
Grace and Layla live 51 km apart. They set off at the same time towards each other, Grace at 12 km/h and Layla at 22 km/h. They set off at 10:30. At what time do they meet?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, 12:00
How to work it out
Together they close the gap by 12 + 22 = 34 km every hour, so they meet after 51 ÷ 34 = 1.5 hours, which is 1 hour 30 minutes.
10:30 + 1 hour 30 minutes = 12:00.
Why the other options are wrong
B (13:30): This is twice as long as it takes: together they close the gap at the two speeds added.
C (13:00): This is an hour too late.
D (12:20): This reads 1.5 hours as 1 hour 50 minutes; half an hour is 30 minutes.
E (11:15): This is only half the time; check: by then they have covered 25.5 km of the 51 km.
Question 6Aim for about 60 seconds
Fence posts are put along both sides of a straight fence 90 m long, every 6 m, with one at each end of each side. How many fence posts are there altogether?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, 32
How to work it out
One side has 90 ÷ 6 = 15 gaps, so 16 fence posts.
Both sides: 2 × 16 = 32.
Why the other options are wrong
A (34): This adds two extra fence posts to each side; each side has just one more post than gaps.
B (30): This counts the gaps on each side; each side has one more post than gaps.
C (16): This is one side only; there are fence posts on both sides.
E (31): This adds the extra post once; each side needs its own extra post.
Practise straight away at your child’s school year in maths and English, with verbal and non-verbal reasoning for the 11 Plus, and every answer explained. A free check, whenever you like, shows what to practise next and builds a weekly plan, for their year or for your target schools. Parents follow progress free.