Word problem: finding a percentage of a quantity
22 October 2026
Word problems with percentages often ask your child to find a part of a group or amount. These questions appear in many 11+ maths papers, so it helps to practise the method step by step.
Worked example
A school has 200 pupils. If 25% of the pupils play football, how many pupils play football?
Step 1: We need to find 25% of 200.
Step 2: Change 25% to a decimal. 25% = 0.25.
Step 3: Multiply 0.25 by 200. 0.25 × 200 = 50.
The correct answer is 50 pupils.
Key insight: Once your child can spot what percentage of a quantity is needed, they can use the same steps each time. Now they know how to break down these questions, they are ready to try similar problems on their own.
