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
A lesson starts at 13:10 and lasts 30 minutes. What time does it end?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, 13:40
How to work it out
Count on 30 minutes from 13:10: 13:40.
Why the other options are wrong
B (14:40): This is an hour too late; count on only the minutes.
C (13:50): This is 10 minutes too late; count on exactly 30 minutes.
D (12:40): This is an hour too early.
E (13:30): This is 10 minutes too early; count on the full 30 minutes.
Question 2Aim for about 60 seconds
Which unit is most sensible for measuring the water in a bath?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, litres
How to work it out
The water in a bath is a capacity best given in litres.
Why the other options are wrong
B (metres): Metres measure length, and the water in a bath is a capacity.
C (kilograms): Kilograms measure mass, and the water in a bath is a capacity.
D (grams): Grams measure mass, and the water in a bath is a capacity.
E (millilitres): Millilitres measure capacity too, but the water in a bath would come out as an awkward number in millilitres.
Standard the 11 Plus standard, Year 5
Question 3Aim for about 60 seconds
A floor is 4 m by 5 m. Square tiles are 50 cm along each side. How many tiles cover the floor?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E, 80
How to work it out
4 m is 400 cm, so 400 ÷ 50 = 8 tiles fit across; 500 ÷ 50 = 10 fit down.
8 × 10 = 80.
Why the other options are wrong
A (18): This adds the tiles across and down instead of multiplying.
B (20): 20 is the area in square metres; each square metre takes 4 tiles.
C (160): Double the right count; check the number across and down.
D (40): This counts 2 tiles per square metre, but a square metre takes 2 × 2 = 4.
Question 4Aim for about 60 seconds
If 22 December is a Tuesday, what day of the week is 12 February?
Show the worked answer
Answer: B, Friday
How to work it out
Count the days: 9 more in December, 31 in January and 12 in February, so 52 days.
52 = 7 weeks and 3 days.
Whole weeks bring you back to Tuesday; 3 more days gives Friday.
Why the other options are wrong
A (Saturday): This counts one day too many: the start day itself is not counted.
C (Wednesday): This treats December or January as having 30 days; both have 31.
D (Thursday): This counts one day too few. Count the days after the start date, up to and including the end date.
E (Sunday): Check the number of days left in December again.
Exam standard what the papers ask in Year 6
Question 5Aim for about 60 seconds
A train travels 10 miles in 15 minutes. What is its average speed in miles per hour?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E, 40 mph
How to work it out
Speed is distance per hour.
15 minutes is 15/60 of an hour, so there are 4 lots of 15 minutes in an hour: 10 × 4 = 40 mph.
Why the other options are wrong
A (10 mph): This is the distance, 10 miles, covered in 15 minutes; speed is the distance in one hour.
B (20 mph): This doubles the distance. Scale to 60 minutes with 10 × 60 ÷ 15 instead.
C (41 mph): This is 1 mph more than the correct answer, so the last step of the working is out by one.
D (50 mph): This is 10 mph too fast; check the scaling to one hour.
Question 6Aim for about 60 seconds
A train travels 72 miles in 90 minutes. What is its average speed in miles per hour?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E, 48 mph
How to work it out
Speed is distance per hour.
90 minutes is 90/60 of an hour, so there are 60 minutes in an hour: 72 ÷ 90 × 60 = 48 mph.
Why the other options are wrong
A (144 mph): This doubles the distance. Scale to 60 minutes with 72 × 60 ÷ 90 instead.
B (47 mph): This is 1 mph less than the correct answer, so the last step of the working is out by one.
C (58 mph): This is 10 mph too fast; check the scaling to one hour.
D (72 mph): This is the distance, 72 miles, covered in 90 minutes; speed is the distance in one hour.
The kinds of question in this topic
Each kind asks something different of a child, even when the numbers or shapes look alike.
Which is longest
0.5 km, 450 m or 52,000 cm?
Exam standard
Question 7Aim for about 60 seconds
Which is the heaviest: 1.05 kg, 950 g, 1.2 kg, 1.25 kg, 1,150 g?
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, 1.25 kg
How to work it out
Change them all to the same unit.
1.05 kg = 1,050 g; 950 g = 950 g; 1.2 kg = 1,200 g; 1.25 kg = 1,250 g; 1,150 g = 1,150 g.
The heaviest is 1.25 kg.
Why the other options are wrong
A (950 g): 950 g is less than 1.25 kg, which is 1,250 g.
B (1.05 kg): 1.05 kg is 1,050 g, less than 1.25 kg (1,250 g).
D (1.2 kg): 1.2 kg is 1,200 g, less than 1.25 kg (1,250 g).
E (1,150 g): 1,150 g is less than 1.25 kg, which is 1,250 g.
When to leave
Be there by 10:15, the walk takes 35 minutes, ten minutes spare.
Exam standard
Question 8Aim for about 60 seconds
Dev must be at the dentist by 13:15. The walk takes 45 minutes and Dev wants 10 minutes to spare. What is the latest time to leave?
Show the worked answer
Answer: B, 12:20
How to work it out
Count back from 13:15: 45 minutes plus 10 spare is 55 minutes, which gives 12:20.
Why the other options are wrong
A (12:30): This leaves no spare time; Dev wanted 10 minutes in hand.
C (13:20): An hour too late; counting back past the hour takes the hour down by one.
D (14:10): This adds the times on instead of counting back from the deadline.
E (11:20): An hour too early; check the hours when counting back past the hour.
Tiles on a floor
A 3 m by 4 m floor and 50 cm tiles: how many?
Exam standard
Question 9Aim for about 60 seconds
A floor is 6 m by 2 m. Square tiles are 20 cm along each side. How many tiles cover the floor?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, 300
How to work it out
6 m is 600 cm, so 600 ÷ 20 = 30 tiles fit across; 200 ÷ 20 = 10 fit down.
30 × 10 = 300.
Why the other options are wrong
B (12): 12 is the area in square metres; each square metre takes 25 tiles.
C (40): This adds the tiles across and down instead of multiplying.
D (60): This counts 5 tiles per square metre, but a square metre takes 5 × 5 = 25.
E (600): Double the right count; check the number across and down.
Read the scale
Ten divisions to 500 g; the pointer is on the seventh.
Exam standard
Question 10Aim for about 60 seconds
A dial goes from 0 to 500 km/h with 20 equal divisions. The needle reaches the 15th mark. What does it show?
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, 375 km/h
How to work it out
Each division is 500 ÷ 20 = 25 km/h.
15 marks is 15 × 25 = 375 km/h.
Why the other options are wrong
A (150 km/h): This treats each division as 10 km/h, but 500 ÷ 20 = 25.
B (350 km/h): One division too few.
D (15 km/h): 15 is the mark number, not the reading; each mark is worth 25 km/h.
E (400 km/h): One division too many; the 15th mark is 15 steps from 0.
Which unit
Grams, kilograms or tonnes for the mass of an apple?
Standard
Question 11Aim for about 60 seconds
Which unit is most sensible for measuring the water in a bath?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E, litres
How to work it out
The water in a bath is a capacity best given in litres.
Why the other options are wrong
A (metres): Metres measure length, and the water in a bath is a capacity.
B (kilograms): Kilograms measure mass, and the water in a bath is a capacity.
C (grams): Grams measure mass, and the water in a bath is a capacity.
D (millilitres): Millilitres measure capacity too, but the water in a bath would come out as an awkward number in millilitres.
The due date
Borrowed on 27 March, due in three weeks.
Exam standard
Question 12Aim for about 60 seconds
A library book is borrowed by Aisha on 13 August and is due back in 4 weeks. What is the due date?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, 10 September
How to work it out
4 weeks is 28 days.
13 + 28 = 41, and August has 31 days, so that is 10 September.
Why the other options are wrong
A (3 September): This counts 3 weeks instead of 4.
B (9 September): One day early; 4 weeks is exactly 28 days.
C (10 August): The right day number but the wrong month; August has 31 days.
E (11 September): One day late; 4 weeks is exactly 28 days.
Prism starts with a free assessment across maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, then builds a weekly plan for your target schools. Parents follow progress free.