A jug holds 8.5 litres of water. After pouring out 3.2 litres, how much is left?
Show worked explanation
Subtract the whole numbers: 8 - 3 = 5. Subtract the decimals: 0.5 - 0.2 = 0.3. So 5 + 0.3 = 5.3. ✓
11+ Decimals Practice
(GL Assessment)
Decimals feature in roughly 10 to 20% of questions on a typical GL Assessment 11+ maths paper, making them one of the highest-yield topics to practise. They belong to the Number section, the dominant part of the paper, and overlap heavily with fractions, percentages, place value and money. A child who is confident with decimals picks up marks well beyond the questions that look obviously "about decimals".
The paper is 50 multiple-choice questions in 50 minutes (about a minute each), with five options (A to E) per question and no calculator. Everyone sits the same paper; it is not adaptive. GL designs decimal questions specifically to catch well-known misconceptions, above all the belief that a longer decimal must be a bigger number.
The good news is that decimal errors are predictable and fixable. Once a child can order, convert, calculate and round decimals fluently, these questions become some of the most reliable marks on the paper.
What the GL 11+ Tests on Decimals
Decimal questions are always multiple-choice, five options (A to E), no calculator. GL does not publish exact weightings, so the estimate below comes from analysis of practice papers, and the categories deliberately overlap (one question can test two skills at once). In rough order of frequency:
- Place value and ordering (identifying a digit's value, comparing and ordering decimals)
- The four operations with decimals (add, subtract, multiply, divide)
- Converting between fractions, decimals and percentages
- Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000
- Rounding (to the nearest whole number, 1dp and 2dp)
- Applied and word problems (money is the most common context)
Difficulty runs from single-step questions using tenths through to multi-step problems mixing thousandths, conversion and interpretation, designed to differentiate the top scorers.
Sample Decimals Questions
Five questions drawn from PrepStep’s decimals bank, spanning Foundation to Challenging. Tap “Show worked explanation” to see the full method after you’ve had a go. The correct answer is highlighted on each question so you can check immediately.
What is the value of the digit 4 in the number 3.45?
| Ones | . | Tenths | Hundredths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | . | 4 | 5 |
Show worked explanation
The 4 is in the tenths column, so its value is 4 tenths = 0.4. ✓
Five pupils measure how far they can throw a beanbag: Ali 3.7 m, Beth 3.07 m, Callum 3.77 m, Dina 3.70 m, Ethan 3.17 m. Who threw the furthest?
Show worked explanation
Compare the digits: 3.77 has 7 tenths and 7 hundredths, making it larger than 3.7 (which is 3.70). 3.77 is the largest. ✓
Two parcels weigh 4.6 kg and 2.8 kg. What is their total weight?
Show worked explanation
Add the whole numbers: 4 + 2 = 6. Add the decimals: 0.6 + 0.8 = 1.4. So 6 + 1.4 = 7.4. ✓
A cake is divided into 8 equal slices. Mia eats 3 slices. What decimal of the whole cake has she eaten? (Which decimal equals 3/8?)
Show worked explanation
3/8 means 3 ÷ 8 = 0.375. Check: 0.375 × 8 = 3. ✓
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Common mistake 1 of 4
Thinking the longer decimal is the bigger one.
Tip: Children read 0.45 as larger than 0.5 because "45 beats 5". Pad every number to the same length (0.45 versus 0.50), then compare digit by digit from the left.
Common mistake 2 of 4
"Add a zero to multiply by 10".
Tip: That rule works for whole numbers but fails for decimals: 2.5 times 10 is 25, not 2.50. The digits move one place left, while the decimal point stays put.
Common mistake 3 of 4
Converting fractions by inspection.
Tip: A child turns 3/8 into 0.38 or 3.8 by reusing the digits. A fraction means divide, so 3/8 is 3 divided by 8, which is 0.375. Memorise the common equivalences.
Common mistake 4 of 4
Misaligning the decimal points when adding.
Tip: Lining digits up from the right (a whole-number habit) gives nonsense. Line up the decimal points first, then fill gaps with zeros so every column matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What decimals topics are in the GL 11+ maths exam?
GL tests decimal place value and ordering, the four operations with decimals, converting between fractions, decimals and percentages, multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000, and rounding. Many appear inside money and measurement word problems. All questions are multiple-choice with five options (A to E) and no calculator.
How many decimal questions are in the 11+ exam?
Based on analysis of GL practice papers, expect roughly 3 to 6 questions that test decimals directly, plus a further 2 to 4 where decimals are involved indirectly through money, measurement or data. That works out at around 10 to 20% of the paper, so decimals are one of the most rewarding topics to drill.
Why does my child think 0.45 is bigger than 0.5?
This is the single most common decimal misconception: applying whole-number logic and seeing "45" as bigger than "5". GL deliberately tests it. The fix is to pad both numbers to the same number of decimal places (0.45 and 0.50) so the comparison becomes obvious, and to use money, since most children grasp that 50p beats 45p.
What year should my child learn decimals for the 11+?
Reading, ordering and rounding decimals to three places is Year 5 content, with identifying digit values and multiplying and dividing by powers of 10 in Year 6. As GL exams are often sat at the start of Year 6, some skills may sit slightly ahead of school teaching, so early practice is worthwhile.
How can my child practise decimals for the GL 11+?
Use timed, five-option questions that mirror the real format, and prioritise ordering and conversion, the highest-frequency skills. Memorise the common fraction, decimal and percentage equivalences, practise multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000, and use estimation to sense-check answers and eliminate wrong options quickly.
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