The Mental Arithmetic Section

The mental arithmetic section of the professional numeracy skills test is the one which many prospective teachers find most challenging. With the 18 second time limit and the need for quick mental arithmetic, the pressure gets to some individuals and they struggle to get to the right answer in the time limits set. However, there are ways to overcome the mental arithmetic section of the numeracy skills test and turn this into your strength rather than a weakness. The following tips are designed to help you improve your mental arithmetic skills, ultimately becoming numeracy ready!

1. Practise, practise and more practise. This will help you get use to the different question types including percentages, fractions, ratio’s, long multiplication and division which all feature quite commonly in numeracy skills questions. QTS Maths Tutor offer 21 numeracy skills practice tests to help you with this.
2. Identify your weak areas and question types. Whether it is proportion questions or long division, identify your weaker question types and again, you guessed it, more practise! QTS Maths Tutor offer revision topic tests which give you the chance to practise topic specific questions, one after another to help you improve on your weak areas.
3. Correct methods. To overcome the mental arithmetic section of the numeracy skills test, you are going to have to ensure you have the most efficient methods for calculation percentages and converting into fractions etc. If you have always struggled with Maths or are not confident in finding and developing those mathematical methods then a numeracy skills tutor may help. QTS Maths Tutor have specialist numeracy skills tutors to help you learn the most effective techniques to answer the mental arithmetic questions within the 18 second time limits.

QTS Maths Tutor have requests on a daily basis to help with the mental arithmetic section of the numeracy skills test so if you are struggling with this, believe us, you are now alone! If you are looking for help with the mental arithmetic section or just the numeracy skills test in general, then contact QTS Maths Tutor today and we will be happy to help.

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QTS Maths Tutor Team

We help thousands of students each year with revision, courses and online exams.