11+ Maths
Questions that combine add, subtract, multiply and divide — often with BIDMAS or multi-step wording.
Mixed Operations appears in 29 of our 338 ready papers (163 tagged questions). It averages 5.6 questions a paper worth about 2.39 marks each. The typical question allows around 24 sec. It appears in 3 CSSE papers we hold.
Mixed-operations questions deliberately combine more than one calculation. Papers may present a single expression with several operations, or a word problem that needs multiply-then-subtract style thinking. Children who grab the first two numbers and add them lose marks before the real work starts. Teach operation spotting first: underline verbs and symbols, decide the order (BIDMAS when needed), then compute. These tags also catch “add and multiply” drills that sit between pure arithmetic and word problems. Practise writing a one-line plan before the working so method marks survive if arithmetic slips. Link this hub to BIDMAS and the four operations pages when a report shows mixed-operation weakness.
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 mixed operations is the problem? Mark any past paper on 11plusSolved and the report tells you which topics are costing marks — and how many.
