PSLE Percentage Worked Examples for 2026 (Singapore MOE Syllabus) — Step-by-Step Worked Examples

Quick answer

Seeing a percentage question in the PSLE can feel like facing a tricky puzzle. Often, the question looks different from what you've seen in tutorials. But once you know the steps, you can solve it without freezing. I'll guide you through step-by-step examples to build your confidence.

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What you need to know

A percentage is a way to express a number as a part of 100. It's like cutting a cake into 100 tiny pieces and seeing how many pieces you have. In exams, you'll often need to find percentages, increase or decrease by a percentage, or convert between percentages and fractions.

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Understanding Percentage Problems

Most Primary 5 students struggle with this transition. But, this topic becomes easier when broken into smaller steps. Let's explore some common types of percentage questions you might face.

Basic Percentage Calculation

Step 1: Find the percentage of a number. Example: What is 20% of 150?

Why: This is a basic skill you need to solve most percentage problems. It helps you understand what part of the whole you're dealing with.

Step 2: Convert the percentage to a decimal. 20% becomes 0.2.

Why: Converting percentages to decimals makes calculations easier. You can multiply directly.

Step 3: Multiply the decimal by the total. 0.2 × 150 = 30.

Why: This gives you the actual part or amount that the percentage represents.

Quick Check

1. What is 10% of 200?
2. Convert 25% to a fraction.
3. Find 15% of 80.

(Answers: 20, 1/4, 12)

Common mistakes students make

One common mistake is forgetting to convert the percentage to a decimal before multiplying. This can lead to very wrong answers. Remember, always change the percentage to a decimal first.

Another slip is mixing up "increase by" and "decrease by" questions. If it says "increase by 20%", you add 20% to the original. If it says "decrease by 20%", you subtract 20% from the original.

Exam tip

Always read the question carefully. Look for words like "of," "increase," or "decrease." They tell you what to do. Show your working clearly. Even if you make a small mistake, you might get some marks for the correct method.

Worked examples

Question 1

If a shirt costs $50 and there's a 10% discount, what is the new price?

Solution

Step 1: Find 10% of $50.

Why: We need to know how much the discount is.

Step 2: Convert 10% to 0.1 and multiply by 50. 0.1 × 50 = $5.

Why: This gives the discount amount.

Step 3: Subtract the discount from the original price. $50 - $5 = $45.

Why: Subtracting the discount gives the new price.

Question 2

A bag was sold for $120 after a 20% increase. What was the original price?

Solution

Step 1: Let's call the original price $X. After a 20% increase, the price becomes 1.2 X.

Why: 1.2 represents the original 100% plus the 20% increase.

Step 2: Set up the equation: 1.2 X = $120.

Why: We need to find X, the original price.

Step 3: Divide 120 by 1.2. 120 ÷ 1.2 = $100.

Why: Dividing gives us the original price before the increase.

Question 3

What is 75% of 60?

Solution

Step 1: Convert 75% to a decimal. 75% becomes 0.75.

Why: Converting helps with direct multiplication.

Step 2: Multiply 0.75 by 60. 0.75 × 60 = 45.

Why: This gives the part of 60 that is 75%.

Question 4

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If a student scored 80 marks, and this is 40% of the total marks, what is the total?

Solution

Step 1: Let total marks be Y. 40% of Y is 80.

Why: We need to find Y, the total marks.

Step 2: Set up the equation: 0.4 Y = 80.

Why: This equation lets us solve for Y.

Step 3: Divide 80 by 0.4. 80 ÷ 0.4 = 200.

Why: Dividing gives us the total marks.

Quick summary

• Convert percentages to decimals for calculations.
• Read questions carefully to avoid mixing up operations.
• Always show working for partial credit.
• Practice different types of percentage problems.
• Check your answers to avoid simple mistakes.

FAQ

1. Why do I get different answers when I don't convert percentages?

Without converting, the multiplication doesn't work correctly. Always change percentages to decimals first.

2. How do I know when to add or subtract percentages?

Look for keywords like "increase" (add) or "decrease" (subtract) in the question.

3. What if I forget to show my working?

Showing your steps can earn you partial marks even if the final answer isn't correct.

4. Are percentage questions common in PSLE?

Yes, they appear often. Understanding them well can help boost your overall math score.

5. How can I improve my percentage skills?

Practice daily with short exercises. It helps more than long sessions once in a while.

Practise with free question sets

Work through more exam-style questions with answers and step-by-step solutions:

• [35+ Primary 6 PSLE Percentage Practice Questions for 2026 (based on Singapore MOE Syllabus)](/questions/p 6-percentage-questions)
• Topic study hub

Want unlimited similar questions with AI marking? Practise on Tutorly.sg/app

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