Mathematics
Mathematics carries 30 questions. Content is up to Class V: place value, four operations, fractions, decimals, measurement, time and money, geometry, patterns and data handling. Pedagogy questions ask how children build mathematical meaning, not just whether you can calculate.
Core content rules
- Place value is multiplicative: in 4,507 the 5 means 5 hundreds, or 500.
- Fractions need equal wholes; 1/2 + 1/3 requires a common denominator, not adding numerators and denominators.
- Perimeter is the boundary length; area is the surface covered. Units differ: cm vs cm².
- Word problems need a bar model or statement, operation choice, then a reasonableness check.
Pedagogy principles
NCF 2005 emphasises mathematisation - children’s ability to reason, abstract and solve problems - rather than rote procedures. Concrete → pictorial → abstract is a valid sequence. Errors are diagnostic: they reveal the rule a child is using. Assessment should include oral explanation, not only written answers.
Worked example
A child says 1/2 + 1/3 = 2/5. Reason: the child adds numerators (1+1) and denominators (2+3), treating fractions as two separate whole numbers. The underlying concept - the fraction as a single number and the need for equal-sized parts - is missing. Remedy: fold paper strips into halves and thirds, overlay them, and show that the common unit is sixths: 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6. Then connect to the algorithm. Do not just say “find the LCM”; the child needs to see why.
Traps
Do not convert units by moving the decimal without checking place value. Do not confuse “more” with “larger number” in fractions - 1/8 is smaller than 1/3. Do not ignore the remainder in division word problems. Do not accept an answer without checking the unit.