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KS2 Arithmetic (SATs) textbook

Chapter 7: Mental arithmetic

  • Strand Number (mental)
  • Level Year 6
  • Practice 109 questions with step-by-step solutions

KS2 SATs practice for arithmetic (Year 6). Original questions in the style of the national tests. Content: Perform mental calculations, including with mixed operations and large numbers (Year 6), Add and subtract mentally with increasingly large numbers (Year 5), Multiply and divide mentally, drawing on known facts, including times tables to 12 × 12 and doubling and halving (Year 5), Mental calculation with decimals and fractions (Year 6), Use estimation to check mental answers (Year 5-6).

Open Year 6 chapter

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Add and subtract large numbers in your head, by splitting or rounding
  • Recall times tables to 12 × 12 and use them to work out other facts
  • Double and halve numbers and multiply by 10 and 100
  • Add, subtract, multiply and divide simple decimals and fractions in your head
  • Use an estimate to check that a mental answer is sensible

You should already know

  • Place value and the four operations (Chapter 1 of this book)
  • Multiplication and division facts (Chapter 2 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Measures and conversions, using mental facts (Chapter 8 of this book)

Lessons in this chapter

  1. 7.1 Adding and subtracting large numbers mentally
  2. 7.2 Times tables to 12 × 12
  3. 7.3 Doubling, halving and multiplying by 10 and 100
  4. 7.4 Mental calculation with decimals and fractions
  5. 7.5 Timed set: mixed mental questions
  6. Summary and key words
  7. Check-up and practice test questions

Read the whole chapter on one page (good for printing).

Practise with real exam questions

The DfE publishes every past KS2 test, with mark schemes, for free.

KS2 Arithmetic (SATs) past papers