Mental maths means working out answers in your head, using facts you know by heart and a few reliable strategies instead of a written method. The most useful are number bonds, times tables, partitioning, rounding and adjusting, doubling and halving, and counting on to subtract. For example, 46 + 29 is easier as 46 + 30 − 1 = 75.
Quick, accurate mental calculation underpins everything from the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check to the KS2 SATs arithmetic paper and non-calculator GCSE papers. It improves fastest with a few minutes of practice every day.
| Strategy | Use it when | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Number bonds | Adding to make 10, 20 or 100 | 7 + 3 = 10, so 70 + 30 = 100 |
| Bridging through 10 | Adding or subtracting across a multiple of 10 | 8 + 7 = 8 + 2 + 5 = 15 |
| Partitioning | Adding or multiplying bigger numbers | 34 + 25 = 50 + 9 = 59; 6 × 23 = 120 + 18 = 138 |
| Rounding and adjusting | A number is close to a multiple of 10 | 46 + 29 = 46 + 30 − 1 = 75 |
| Counting on | Subtracting numbers that are close together | 300 − 136: 136 → 140 → 200 → 300 is 4 + 60 + 100 = 164 |
| Doubling and halving | Multiplying by 4, 5, 25 or an even number | 25 × 16 = 50 × 8 = 100 × 4 = 400 |
| Using known facts | Multiplying or dividing by 10, 100 or a related fact | 7 × 8 = 56, so 70 × 8 = 560 and 5.6 ÷ 8 = 0.7 |
| Finding 10% | Percentages of an amount | 15% of 80: 10% = 8, 5% = 4, so 12 |
Each A4 worksheet has 24 questions that move from quick recall to problems in context, with the method for every answer.
| Year | What it covers | Daily practice |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Number bonds within 20, counting, halves, doubles and simple everyday problems. | Year 1 daily practice |
| Year 2 | Bonds to 100, two-digit arithmetic, the 2, 5 and 10 tables, fractions and money. | Year 2 daily practice |
| Year 3 | Three-digit place value, mental adjustments, the 3, 4 and 8 tables, fractions and measures. | Year 3 daily practice |
| Year 4 | Tables to 12, mental compensation, tenths, simple fractions and conversions. | Year 4 daily practice |
| Year 5 | Larger-number mental strategies, decimal arithmetic, square numbers and percentages. | Year 5 daily practice |
| Year 6 | Flexible arithmetic, fractions, percentages, ratio, order of operations and the mean. | Year 6 daily practice |
Adjusting the wrong way after rounding: 46 + 29 = 46 + 30 − 1, not + 1.
Losing track of place value when partitioning, for example writing 6 × 23 as 12 + 18.
Reaching for a written method every time, even for questions like 300 − 136 that are quicker to count on.
Untimed practice with worked answers. Every answer is a whole number. This extra activity does not count towards your daily progress.
MathsDaily gives ten fresh questions a day for every year group from Year 1, with new numbers every morning. Mental strategies, number facts and times tables are part of every primary set, with a tip and a worked solution if you get stuck.
Start Year 5 MathsDaily →Mental maths is working out calculations in your head, using number facts you know by heart and strategies such as partitioning, rounding and adjusting, doubling and halving, and counting on, rather than a written method.
Learn number bonds and times tables until they are instant, then practise a few mixed questions every day and say which strategy you used. Short daily practice works better than occasional long sessions.
By the end of Year 4, children should recall multiplication and division facts up to 12 × 12, which is what the Multiplication Tables Check tests, and add and subtract mentally using strategies such as compensation.
There is no separate mental maths paper now, but the KS2 arithmetic paper rewards quick, accurate calculation, and many of its questions are fastest done mentally. Try the free KS2 SATs arithmetic practice paper.
Yes. All six mental maths worksheets are free A4 PDFs with answer methods, and teachers can print and photocopy them for a class.
Free A4 PDFs with worked answers. See every printable, Year 1 to A-level.