11+ Percentages Practice
(GL Assessment)

In the GL Assessment 11+ maths paper, percentages sit inside the Number section, which is the most heavily weighted part of the whole paper at roughly five times more questions than any other topic area. They rarely stand alone. GL deliberately links percentages with fractions and decimals (the "FDP" cluster), so a child who can calculate 25% of a number but cannot convert fluently between a fraction, a decimal and a percentage will quickly come unstuck.

The paper is 50 multiple-choice questions in 50 minutes (about a minute each), with five answer options (A to E) for every question, and no calculator. GL strongly favours application over procedure, so most percentage marks are won inside word problems about sale prices, savings, votes and measurements, not bare sums.

The reassuring news is that percentages are predictable. The skills are well defined, the traps are well known, and steady practice on the right question types builds genuine confidence before exam day.

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What the GL 11+ Tests on Percentages

Percentage questions are always multiple-choice, five options (A to E), and must be done without a calculator. GL does not publish exact category breakdowns, so the order below is an informed estimate drawn from analysis of practice papers. In rough order of frequency, expect:

  • Finding a percentage of an amount (for example 35% of 500): the single most common type
  • Converting between fractions, decimals and percentages
  • Expressing one quantity as a percentage of another (for example "7 out of 28")
  • Percentage increase and decrease in real contexts (sales, discounts, pay rises)
  • Comparing and reasoning (which is larger, or ordering mixed forms)
  • Reverse percentage, working back to the original amount (harder, fewer in number)

Difficulty spans simple benchmark percentages (50%, 25%, 10%) through to multi-step, work-backwards problems built to separate the top 25% of candidates.

Sample Percentages Questions

Five questions drawn from PrepStep’s percentages 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.

Question 1 Foundation

What is 25% of £200?

  1. £50✓
  2. £40
  3. £60
  4. £75
  5. £25
Show worked explanation

To find 25% of £200, we can calculate 200 ÷ 4 = £50 (because 25% is the same as 1/4). Or multiply: 200 × 0.25 = £50. ✓

Question 2 Intermediate

In a class of 25 children, 15 are girls. What percentage are girls?

  1. 50%
  2. 65%
  3. 60%✓
  4. 70%
  5. 75%
Show worked explanation

To find the percentage: (15 ÷ 25) × 100 = 0.6 × 100 = 60%. So 60% of the class are girls. ✓

Question 3 Intermediate

Which is larger: 40% of 250 or 45% of 200?

  1. Neither
  2. 45% of 200
  3. They are equal
  4. Cannot determine
  5. 40% of 250✓
Show worked explanation

40% of 250 = 100 (because 10% = 25, so 40% = 100). 45% of 200 = 90 (because 10% = 20, so 45% = 90). So 40% of 250 is larger. ✓

Question 4 Intermediate

A shirt costs £40. In a sale, it is reduced by 20%. What is the sale price?

  1. £20
  2. £32✓
  3. £35
  4. £38
  5. £30
Show worked explanation

First find 20% of £40: 40 ÷ 5 = £8 (because 20% = 1/5). Then subtract: £40 - £8 = £32. The sale price is £32. ✓

Question 5 Challenging

A games console costs £240 after a 20% discount. What was the original price?

  1. £300✓
  2. £288
  3. £280
  4. £320
  5. £360
Show worked explanation

If £240 is 80% of the original price (100% - 20% = 80%), then 10% = £30 (240 ÷ 8). So 100% = £30 × 10 = £300. ✓

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common mistake 1 of 4

Giving the discount, not the sale price.

Tip: Children calculate "20% off £45 = £9" and stop. After working out the change, re-read the question and ask "does it want the reduction, or the new price?" Then subtract.

Common mistake 2 of 4

Doing reverse percentages forwards.

Tip: After a 25% reduction a TV costs £270, and children find 25% of £270 instead of seeing £270 as 75% of the original. Label what the final figure represents (here, 75%), find 1%, then scale to 100%.

Common mistake 3 of 4

Falling for the complement trap.

Tip: "60% passed, what percentage failed?" tempts the answer 60%. When a question asks for the rest or remainder, subtract from 100% before choosing.

Common mistake 4 of 4

Assuming an increase then equal decrease cancels out.

Tip: Up 10% then down 10% does not return to the start (100 to 110 to 99). Work each step on the new total, never the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage questions come up in the GL 11+ maths exam?

GL tests finding a percentage of an amount, converting between fractions, decimals and percentages, expressing one quantity as a percentage of another, percentage increase and decrease, comparison, and reverse percentages. They appear as quick calculations and inside word problems, always multiple-choice with five options (A to E) and no calculator.

How do I teach my child percentages for the 11+?

Start with the building-block method: find 10% by dividing by 10, find 1% by dividing by 100, then combine these to make any percentage. Drill the common fraction, decimal and percentage equivalences until recall is instant, then practise word problems where the child must decide which step the question actually asks for.

Are reverse percentage questions in the GL 11+?

Yes, but they are among the least common and most demanding percentage questions, used to stretch the strongest candidates. A typical example gives the price after a discount and asks for the original. They sit beyond the core Year 6 curriculum, so they are worth practising only once the everyday percentage skills are secure.

What year do children learn percentages for the 11+?

The percentage symbol and simple equivalences are introduced in Year 5, with calculating percentages of amounts and using them for comparison in Year 6. As GL exams are usually sat at the start of Year 6, some material may not yet have been taught in school, so a little practice ahead of the curriculum helps.

Why does my child keep getting percentage word problems wrong?

Usually the maths is fine but the reading is not. Children stop one step early (giving the discount instead of the sale price) or pick the wrong number as the "whole". Encourage them to read the question twice, underline exactly what it asks for, and check the answer makes sense before choosing.

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