Free Maths Practice Questions for Teacher Training (UK)

Quick myth-bust first: the professional skills tests were scrapped in 2020. There’s no standardised numeracy test to sit any more. Instead, your ITT provider must assure that you have the fundamental maths expected of a teacher — at least the GCSE grade-4 standard — often through their own equivalence check. So the goal isn’t passing one national test; it’s being genuinely confident with everyday maths.

Below are 8 practice questions at that standard, each with a full worked solution that shows the method. Then sit the complete, full-length maths mock — free for instant marking and a worked explanation on every question.

Try each question first, then read the solution — understanding the method is what makes it stick.

The questions

1. A discount

A coat costs £64 and is reduced by 25%. What’s the sale price?

Worked solution. 25% is a quarter, so 25% of 64 = 64 ÷ 4 = £16. Sale price = 64 − 16 = £48.

2. A fraction of an amount

What is two-thirds of 45?

Worked solution. One-third = 45 ÷ 3 = 15. Two-thirds = 2 × 15 = 30.

3. Sharing in a ratio

35 books are shared between two classes in the ratio 3 : 4. How many does each class get?

Worked solution. 3 + 4 = 7 parts; 35 ÷ 7 = 5 books per part. So 15 (3 × 5) and 20 (4 × 5).

4. Reading data — median

Find the median of: 7, 3, 9, 5, 7.

Worked solution. Put them in order: 3, 5, 7, 7, 9. The middle value is the median: 7.

5. Average speed

A journey of 90 miles takes 1 hour 30 minutes. What is the average speed?

Worked solution. 1 hour 30 minutes = 1.5 hours. Speed = distance ÷ time = 90 ÷ 1.5 = 60 mph.

6. Solve a linear equation

Solve for x: 5x − 3 = 22.

Worked solution. Add 3: 5x = 25. Divide by 5: x = 5. (Check: 5 × 5 − 3 = 22 ✓.)

7. Geometry — area

A rectangular hall is 8 m by 6 m. What is its area?

Worked solution. Area = length × width = 8 × 6 = 48 m².

8. Percentage of a quantity

What is 30% of 250?

Worked solution. 10% of 250 = 25, so 30% = 3 × 25 = 75.

What “ready” actually looks like

Providers want to see secure, reliable maths — not tricks. Lock in a few dependable methods (percentages from 10%, ratios by parts, “of means multiply”, isolating the variable, area formulas) and you’ll handle whatever an equivalence check throws at you. For each question you miss, note the single step that tripped you and redo a similar one a day later.

New to this? Read do UK trainee teachers still sit a skills test? and the maths checklist for trainee teachers.

Ready for the real thing?

Sit the full-length maths mock — free, no card — instant marking and a worked solution for every question, so you know exactly where you stand before any provider check.

FAQ

Do I still have to sit a skills test? No — the professional skills tests ended in 2020. See the full explanation.

What standard do I need? Generally the GCSE grade-4 standard in maths (and English). See how to prepare for a maths equivalence test.

What if I don’t have a GCSE grade 4? There are routes — see your routes into teacher training in England.

How long is the mock? The free mock mirrors a realistic length so you can practise pacing, not just the maths.