11+ Maths
Recognising even and odd numbers and using parity in simple 11+ number problems.
Even and Odd Numbers appears in 17 of our 571 ready papers (20 tagged questions). It averages 1.2 questions a paper worth about 1.25 marks each. The typical question allows around 44 sec.
Even/odd questions look trivial and still appear as quick marks or as part of larger logic problems. Papers ask which numbers are even, what happens to parity after an operation, or which option must be odd. Children who check only the last digit do fine until negatives or large numbers unsettle them — the last-digit rule still holds. Teach parity outcomes for add/multiply briefly so logic questions do not stall. These tags are fewer than fractions, so use the papers table to practise the exact stems we hold. Link factors and sequences when even/odd rules appear inside patterns. Under timed conditions, treat parity as a one-second check: glance at the units digit, then move on unless the question asks how parity changes after an operation. Odd + odd is even; odd × odd is odd; even × anything is even — drill those three outcomes until they are automatic. Zero is even, and that fact turns up in “which statement must be true” stems more often than parents expect. When a sequence or logic puzzle constrains answers by parity, write E/O above each option before calculating fully. That habit saves time on multi-step papers where even/odd is only the first filter, not the whole question. Parents often overlook this strand until a report flags it after a timed paper. Treat a short weekly drill as insurance: five focused questions, mark immediately, and log any stem wording that caused hesitation so the next paper feels familiar rather than novel. If a word problem hides parity inside ages, house numbers or ticket codes, underline the even/odd requirement before any arithmetic. Use the densest papers below for timed reps, then return here only if the topic report still lights up.
A real tagged question from our catalogue — method included, not paywalled.
Ranked from our tagged catalogue — open a paper to practise the questions that actually test this topic.
Not sure whether even and odd numbers is the problem? Mark any past paper on 11plusSolved and the report tells you which topics are costing marks — and how many.
