Decimal Calculations and Word Problems Y6

Year 6 maths worksheets on decimal calculations and word problems: 36 questions in three levels (All, Most, Some) with answers. Free PDF.

7-page A4 PDF from the Tiger Shark Education question bank. All: Solve money and measure problems with decimals. Most: Add and subtract decimals with up to 3 places. Some: Multiply decimals, and divide to give decimal answers. Each level is two pages of six questions, each with a squared working area, and the last page has every answer, with short working for multi-step questions. Each level is also available as its own 3-page PDF. Example questions from the Some level: 0.05 × 5 = / Work out 443 ÷ 9. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.

What are decimal calculations and problems? Year 6 pupils add, subtract, multiply and divide with decimals, often in the context of money and measures. Written methods work the same way as for whole numbers, as long as the decimal points are lined up correctly. Multiplying by a single digit and dividing to give a decimal answer are expected skills.

Common mistakes and tips: The main error is misaligning decimal points in column calculations, especially when numbers have different numbers of decimal places (3.5 + 12.25). Adding zeros to fill empty places prevents this. Estimating first (rounding to whole numbers) catches answers that are ten times too large or small.

Questions on this topic appear year after year in the KS2 maths SATs. Because each sheet starts with the core skill and builds to test-style problems, it works both for teaching the topic and for spotting gaps during revision.

Teaching ideas: use the All level to check prerequisite knowledge at the start of a lesson, then move children onto Most or Some when they are ready. Squared working space encourages neat written methods. The answer page includes short working for multi-step questions, so pupils can self-mark and see where they went wrong.

Spotting misconceptions: the mistakes children make on this topic are usually consistent, so look for patterns across their answers rather than marking each question in isolation. A short follow-up on the specific misconception, using concrete resources or diagrams, is often more effective than setting more of the same questions.

Use All for children working towards the expected standard, Most for secure Year 5 skills and Some for SATs-standard practice: three entry points to the same lesson. Suits whole-class differentiation, intervention groups, homework and SATs revision, and upper KS2 generally.

Part of a set of 42 Year 6 maths topics.