PSLE Mathematics — Fractions, Percentages & Ratio Simplified
If your child finds fractions, percentages, or ratio questions confusing — you’re not alone. These three core PSLE Maths topics are often taught separately, but tested together. It’s one of the biggest pain points for Primary 6 students… and their parents! But here’s the good news: with the right strategies and a few worked examples, any child can tackle these questions confidently.
Why These Topics Matter
Fractions, percentages and ratio are interconnected topics that test a child’s understanding of:
Part-whole relationships
Equivalence
Proportion
Basic arithmetic (multiplication, division, etc.)
These questions frequently appear in Paper 2 (Structured and Long Answer) and often carry 4–5 marks each, making them high-value questions that can make or break your child’s score.
Fractions — Core Concepts & Tricks
Most PSLE fraction questions go beyond basic calculations. Instead, they test concepts like:
Finding a fraction of a quantity
Comparing or adding unlike fractions
Working backwards using “units”
Solving fraction word problems
👨🏫 Exam Coach Top Tip:
Teach your child to always simplify the fraction at the end. Many students lose marks for not writing their final answer in the simplest form, even if their working is correct!
Example:
John spent 3/5 of his money and had $120 left. How much money did he have at first?
Solution:
If 2/5 = 120, then
1/5 = 120/2 = 60
5 units = 5 × 60 = 300
Answer: $300
Percentages — Interpreting & Converting
Percentage problems often trip students up when they don’t fully understand what the % actually refers to.
Common question types:
Finding % of a quantity
Increase/decrease by a %
Comparing % changes
Reverse percentage (working backwards)
👨🏫 Exam Coach Top Tip:
Always convert the percentage to a fraction or decimal if your child gets stuck. Many problems become easier once the % sign is gone!
Example:
A watch costs $80 after a 20% discount. What is its original price?
Solution:
Let original price be x.
x - 20% of x = 80
So 0.8x = 80
So x = 100
Answer: $100
Ratio — Part-Whole vs Total
Ratio questions usually involve:
Comparing parts
Scaling quantities up or down
Working with total amounts
Multi-step problems combining ratio with fraction or percentage
👨🏫 Exam Coach Top Tip:
Help your child label each part clearly — and highlight whether the question asks for a part, whole, or difference.
Example:
The ratio of apples to oranges is 3:5. If there are 120 fruits in total, how many are oranges?
Solution:
3 + 5 = 8 parts
Oranges = 5/8 × 120 = 75
Answer: 75 oranges
Common Mistakes
Here are the most frequent errors we see in mock PSLE mathematics papers:
🚫 Not converting mixed numbers to improper fractions
🚫 Forgetting to simplify final answers
🚫 Misreading the question (e.g. giving "part" instead of "total")
🚫 Not aligning units or quantities when comparing ratio
🚫 Confusing percentage increase with final value
Get your child to underline key numbers and what they represent in every question. This slows them down and improves accuracy.
