Long division practice: the bus stop method

Long division, or the bus stop method, divides large numbers one digit at a time from left to right, carrying any remainder to the next digit. For example, 837 divided by 3 is 279. Exams award method marks, so the working matters as much as the final answer.

Long division is the written method for dividing when the numbers are too big to do in your head. It appears throughout Key Stage 3 and stays useful all the way to GCSE, where marks are awarded for the working, not just the answer.

The method, step by step

1. Set it out. Write the number being divided inside the bus stop, and the divider outside it.
2. Work left to right. Take the first digit. How many times does the divider go into it?
3. Carry the remainder. Whatever is left over gets carried to the next digit, written small in front of it.
4. Repeat to the end. Continue until every digit has been used.
5. Check. Multiply your answer by the divider. You should get back to the original number.

Worked example

Common mistakes

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