Try these Commonly-Tested PSLE Maths Problem Sums
8 real PSLE-style problem sums to try.
Hey all!
Below are 8 real PSLE-style problem sums (download PDF worksheet here) that are commonly tested. Try them, and find the step-by-step solutions & problem-solving approach below.
These are also the types of questions we focus on during our PSLE Power Up Bootcamp (Maths) – where students to tackle all types of common PSLE questions, apply the right problem-solving strategies and avoid common mistakes under exam pressure.
Solve these 8 Problem Sums
Question 1: Beth has 2/7 as many cookies as Lynn. If Lynn gives 36 cookies to Beth, Beth has twice as many cookies as Lynn. How many cookies does Lynn have at first?
Mind Stretcher’s Power Code: Unchanged Total
Question 2: Catherine and Mary had some money and wanted to buy a bag that cost $245. If only Catherine paid for the bag, the amount of money Mary had to the amount of money Catherine had left would be 2 : 1. If only Mary paid for the bag, the amount of money Mary had left to the amount of money Catherine had would be 3: 2. How much money did both girls have altogether?
Mind Stretcher’s Power Code: Unchanged Total
Question 3: Jamie and Maggie played 2 rounds of games with some marbles. Jamie lost 45 marbles to Maggie in first round. In the second round, Maggie had to give 3/4 of her marbles to Jamie. In the end, Maggie had 120 marbles and Jamie had 420 marbles. How many marbles did each of them have at first?
Mind Stretcher’s Power Code: Working Backwards
Question 4: Olivia and Sophia bought the same number of sewing kits. Olivia completed 67 kits and Sophia completed 19 kits. In the end, Sophia had 4 times as many sewing kits left as Olivia. How many sewing kits did Sophia buy at first?
Mind Stretcher’s Power Code: Before-Change-After
Question 5: Maggie had 2 sticks. 1/3 of the length of stick A was 35 cm longer than 2/5 of stick B. Given that the total length of the 2 sticks was 237 cm, find the length of the stick B.
Mind Stretcher’s Power Code: Stacked Up Model
Question 6: Trees are planted at regular intervals along an expressway. The distance between the first and fifth tree is 48 m. Find the distance between the 31st and 52nd trees.
Mind Stretcher’s Power Code: Gaps & Intervals
Question 7: The figure below is not drawn to scale. A piece of paper is in the shape of a parallelogram ABCD. The paper was folded along the line EF as shown below. BF = BG. ∠BFG is 0.5 times the size of ∠EFG.
Find
(a) ∠FBG,
(b) ∠CGH.
Question 8: Alvin uses grey and white squares to make the figures below that follow a pattern. The first five figures are shown.
(a) Which figure has 151 white squares?
(b) What percentage of the squares are grey in Figure 40? Round your answer to two decimal places.
Mind Stretcher’s Power Code: Look for a Pattern
These questions are just a glimpse of the common types that appear in the PSLE Maths paper. If your child needs more structured guidance to tackle these with confidence, our PSLE Power Up Bootcamp (Maths) offers targeted practice, clear strategies, and exam-focused coaching — just in time for the final sprint.
There are other PSLE Bootcamps happening this June, from subject-specific Power Up Bootcamps to English & Chinese Oral Bootcamps too. Learn about the full suite of PSLE Bootcamps here: Journey to PSLE Bootcamp Bundles.