Four Operations of Whole Numbers
Work out which quantity has to be found first, then set the calculation out in the order the marking scheme reads.
Your child multiplies and divides by 10, 100, 1000 and their multiples without a calculator, and works out expressions with brackets one line at a time. The word problems then ask which amount to find first: the total or difference that stays the same, the value of one group, a supposed total, or the number before a wrong step. Read the study guide →
About this chapter
These Primary 5 whole numbers questions start with multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000, the order of operations and brackets, all without a calculator. They then use the four operations in word problems: grouping, supposition and working backwards.
Practise by question type: p5 order of operations questions, p5 grouping method word problems, p5 supposition method questions, p5 work backwards word problems, p5 total unchanged questions, p5 difference unchanged questions and p5 multiplying and dividing by 10, 100, 1000.
The order to learn them
The calculation rules
2.1 and 2.2
Work with tens, hundreds and thousands, then apply brackets and the order of operations one line at a time.
Before and after
2.3 and 2.4
Decide whether the total or the difference stays unchanged before writing the unit lines.
Word problems with more than one step
2.5 to 2.7
Find the useful group, comparison or earlier value before calculating what the question asks for.
The number tells you where a question type sits in this chapter, not what your child needs to learn first. A child who has already met a type in school can practise it without working through the ones above it.
How the end-of-year papers set these questions
The chapter is checked against Primary 5 end-of-year papers.
Mathweave is modelled against top school papers. The 2025 Primary 5 end-of-year papers show the question forms and the written working; the MOE syllabus remains the first source for terms and outcomes.
Short calculations lead into higher-mark word problems.
Every 2025 paper includes this chapter. Multiplying, dividing and brackets appear in short questions. The larger questions use the same operations across several lines of working.
Every practice question is original.
The source papers guide the form and level of the practice. No school question is copied or renamed.
Everything here is modelled against top school papers. Those papers are never reproduced, and every question on this site is original.
How to set out the working clearly
These examples show Mathweave's clear, consistent layout for each method. The layout is informed by the answer keys we reviewed.
- Split a multiple into a small factor and a power of ten For multiplication, work with the non-zero factor before scaling by 10, 100 or 1000. For division, divide by the power of ten and the remaining factor on separate lines.
- Keep brackets until the expression inside them is resolved Write one operation per line. After the brackets, apply multiplication and division before addition and subtraction.
- Name the unchanged quantity in a before-and-after problem A transfer keeps the total unchanged. Equal changes keep the difference unchanged. Write the matching unit values before finding the requested amount.
- Name and value one repeating group before dividing Write what one group contains, find its value, divide the total by that value, then convert the number of groups to the quantity asked for.
- State the supposition before calculating Write which kind every item is being treated as. Compare that total with the given total, find the effect of one swap, then calculate how many swaps are needed.
- Undo a wrong operation with inverse steps Start from the stated wrong result. Recover the value before the wrong step, then apply the operation that was intended.
Questions parents ask
Is every type a named MOE outcome?
Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100, 1000 and their multiples, order of operations and brackets are named MOE outcomes. The remaining question types apply the four operations to problem-solving forms found in Primary 5 papers.
Why do two lessons also appear under Primary 6?
The two before-and-after types are used in both years. Each has one lesson page, with the level line Primary 5 and Primary 6.
Are the questions from past papers?
We write the questions ourselves rather than copy them from papers. Each chapter is modelled on the types of question that top school papers set. A question may look like one your child has met before because it is the same type.
Which practice is available now?
All seven question types have original practice.
Primary 5 whole number word problems by question type
Primary 5 Four Operations of Whole Numbers Study Guide
Calculation rules first, then the word-problem methods of Primary 5. Six steps your child can tap through, five worked questions to reveal line by line, and a short check at the end.
Start hereTens and hundredsBracketsBefore and afterGroupsSuppositionWork backwardsOpen the study guide →