Multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals with written methods, and handle remainders sensibly. It is a Foundation topic, aimed at grade 1. Free questions with answers are on this page. Worked examples show each line before you try the questions.
Multiplication splits a hard product into easy ones: 27×40=27×4×10. The grid method and long multiplication are the same sums in different layouts — both need every part added at the end. For decimals, ignore the points, multiply as whole numbers, then count the total number of decimal places in the question and put that many in the answer: 0.3×0.2=0.06.
Division uses the bus stop for a whole-number divisor. If you are dividing by a decimal, multiply both numbers by 10, 100 or 1000 until the divisor is whole: 7.2÷0.4=72÷4=18. Remainders can be written as r, as a fraction, or as a decimal — read which the question wants.
In a worded problem, 'how many boxes are needed' rounds up; 'how many full boxes' rounds down.
Objectives
See multiplication as equal groups.
Divide by sharing or grouping.
Use times tables to undo a division.
Key points
Multiply a 3-digit number by a 1- or 2-digit number using the grid method or long multiplication.
Divide using short division (bus stop) and write remainders as r, as a fraction or as a decimal.
Multiply decimals by counting decimal places.
Divide by a decimal by scaling both numbers up by 10, 100… until the divisor is a whole number.
Worked examples
Example 1
A baker packs muffins in rows of 6. She fills 4 rows. How many muffins?
2 marks
4 groups of 6
6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24
4 × 6 = 24
Answer: 24
Common slips
Slip: 4 + 6 Rows of equal size are multiplication, not one addition of the two numbers.
Slip: 6 + 6 = 24 Four rows means four sixes, not two.
Slip: 4 × 6 = 10 4 × 5 = 20 and one more 4 is 24, not 10.
Example 2
36 stickers are shared equally between 9 pupils. How many does each pupil get?
2 marks
36 ÷ 9
9 × 4 = 36
Each pupil gets 4
Answer: 4
Common slips
Slip: 36 − 9 Sharing equally is division.
Slip: 9 × 3 = 36 9 × 4 is 36. 9 × 3 is 27.
Slip: Each pupil gets 27 27 is 36 − 9, which is not an equal share between 9 people.
Example 3
A box holds 8 pens. A shop has 7 full boxes. It sells 3 of these pens. How many pens are left?
3 marks
7 × 8 = 56
56 − 3 = 53
53 pens
Answer: 53
Common slips
Slip: 7 + 8 = 15 Full boxes are equal groups.
Slip: 56 − 3 = 59 Selling pens takes 3 away.
Slip: 7 × 8 × 3 The 3 is not another box. It is pens removed.
Questions and answers
GCSE Maths multiplication & division questions and answers. Try each one, then open the answer. Easy questions come first.
Question 1 Easy2 marks
Work out 3 × 8.
Show answer
Answer: 24
3 groups of 8.
3 × 8 = 24.
M1 — 3 groups of 8.
A1 — Answer 24
Question 2 Easy2 marks
Work out 40 ÷ 5.
Show answer
Answer: 8
How many 5s in 40?
8 × 5 = 40, so the answer is 8.
M1 — How many 5s in 40?
A1 — Answer 8
Question 3 Medium2 marks
Work out 9 × 6.
Show answer
Answer: 54
10 × 6 = 60.
60 − 6 = 54, so 9 × 6 = 54.
M1 — 10 × 6 = 60.
A1 — Answer 54
Question 4 Medium2 marks
48 sweets are put into bags of 6. How many bags?
Show answer
Answer: 8
48 ÷ 6 = 8.
8 × 6 = 48.
M1 — 48 ÷ 6 = 8.
A1 — Answer 8
Question 5 Hard2 marks
A crate holds 12 bottles. There are 8 crates, and 6 bottles are cracked. How many good bottles are there?
Show answer
Answer: 90
8 × 12 = 96.
96 − 6 = 90.
M1 — 8 × 12 = 96.
A1 — Answer 90
Question 6 Hard2 marks
72 players are split into teams of 8. How many teams?
Show answer
Answer: 9
72 ÷ 8 = 9.
9 × 8 = 72.
M1 — 72 ÷ 8 = 9.
A1 — Answer 9
Question 7 Exam-style3 marks
Tickets cost £7. A group buys 9 tickets and uses a £3 voucher. How much do they pay?
Show answer
Answer: 60
9 × 7 = 63.
63 − 3 = 60.
M1 — Finds the cost of 9 tickets
M1 — Subtracts the voucher
A1 — Answer 60
Common mistakes
Most lost marks on this topic are one slip.
Adding the two numbers instead of multiplying.
4 × 6 is four sixes, which is 24, not 10.
Writing the factors next to each other, such as 4 × 6 = 46.
A product is equal groups, not the digits glued together.
Checking a division by subtracting.
Multiply the answer by the divisor. It should return the number you started with.
Spot the slip
Which story matches 6 × 4?
6 bags with 4 apples in each
6 apples shared by 4 people
the 6th multiple only
Show the slip
6 bags with 4 apples in each The first number can be the number of groups and the second the size of each group.
Exam tips
Be ready to do this without a calculator. Paper 1 is the non-calculator paper.
If the question says “show that”, the result is given. The marks are for the steps that reach it.
The method is the same on AQA-style and Edexcel-style papers.
Show the grid or the column working: method marks are awarded even if one small multiplication slips.
Estimate first: 2.4×1.5 is about 2×2=4, so 3.6 is sensible and 36 is not.
Printable worksheet
The same questions are in a PDF you can print. Answers start on a later page.