Numeracy: Number, Measurement, Space and Data
What the task asks for
Numeracy questions cover number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability. Some are routine calculations; others are short word problems requiring you to choose the right operation.
Concepts to master
Be fluent with place value, fractions, decimals and percentages, and converting between them. Know order of operations. Handle ratio and rate problems, including unit pricing and scaling recipes. For measurement, convert units confidently and calculate perimeter, area and volume. In geometry, know angle facts: angles on a line sum to 180 degrees, angles at a point to 360 degrees, and angles in a triangle to 180 degrees. For data, read tables and graphs, calculate mean, median, mode and range, and describe probability on a scale from 0 to 1.
Traps
- Mixing units, such as centimetres with metres, before calculating.
- Finding the mean when the median is asked for.
- Assuming a shape's dimensions scale with area: doubling sides quadruples area.
- Misreading a graph axis that does not start at zero.
- Rounding too early in a multi-step problem.
Worked example
A rectangle is 4 m by 250 cm. Find its area. Convert first: 250 cm equals 2.5 m. Then multiply: 4 times 2.5 equals 10 square metres. Converting before multiplying avoids the common error of answering 1000.
Rule of thumb
Write down the units, convert to one unit, estimate the answer first, then calculate and check against your estimate.