How to explain reasoning in practice assessment 1 to your student
27 October 2026
Reasoning questions help children learn how to think through a problem step by step. This type of question is common in the 11+ exam and encourages your child to explain their thinking clearly.
A box contains 3 red balls, 5 blue balls, and 2 green balls. If one ball is taken out without looking, what is the chance it is not red?
First, count the total number of balls: 3 + 5 + 2 = 10.
Next, count the number of balls that are not red: 5 + 2 = 7.
Write the chance as a fraction: 7 out of 10, or 7/10.
This means there is a 7 in 10 chance the ball is not red.
The answer is 7/10.
After working through this example, your child will recognise how to break down a reasoning question and express the answer as a fraction. They can now try similar questions to build confidence with this style of reasoning in practice assessment 1.
