Grade: Grade 1 Subject: SAT/ACT Skills Unit: Mental Math Warmups Lesson: 3 of 6 SAT Domain: ProblemSolving+DataAnalysis ACT Section: Math

Question Types

Learn

Mental math questions come in different forms. Learning to recognize question types helps you solve them faster!

Type 1: Fill in the Blank

These questions ask you to find the missing number:

5 + ___ = 8

Think: "What do I add to 5 to make 8?" The answer is 3!

Type 2: True or False

These questions ask if a math sentence is correct:

Is 4 + 3 = 7 true or false?

Count: 4... 5, 6, 7. Yes! It is TRUE.

Type 3: Compare Numbers

These questions ask which answer is bigger or smaller:

Which is more: 6 + 2 or 5 + 1?

6 + 2 = 8 and 5 + 1 = 6. So 6 + 2 is more!

Type 4: Word Problems

These questions tell a story with numbers:

Sam has 3 apples. Mom gives him 4 more. How many apples does Sam have now?

3 + 4 = 7 apples!

Examples

Example 1: Fill in the Blank

7 + ___ = 10

Solution: Start at 7 and count up to 10: 8, 9, 10. That is 3 more. Answer: 3

Example 2: True or False

Is 9 - 4 = 6 true or false?

Solution: 9 - 4 = 5, not 6. Answer: FALSE

Example 3: Compare

Which is less: 8 - 3 or 10 - 6?

Solution: 8 - 3 = 5 and 10 - 6 = 4. Since 4 is less than 5, Answer: 10 - 6

Practice

Try these 10 practice problems. Say the question type first, then solve!

  1. 6 + ___ = 9

    Show Answer

    Type: Fill in the Blank. Answer: 3

  2. Is 5 + 5 = 10 true or false?

    Show Answer

    Type: True or False. Answer: TRUE

  3. Which is more: 7 + 1 or 4 + 3?

    Show Answer

    Type: Compare. 7 + 1 = 8 and 4 + 3 = 7. Answer: 7 + 1

  4. Mia has 5 stickers. She gets 3 more. How many stickers does Mia have?

    Show Answer

    Type: Word Problem. 5 + 3 = 8. Answer: 8 stickers

  5. ___ - 2 = 6

    Show Answer

    Type: Fill in the Blank. Think: what minus 2 equals 6? Answer: 8

  6. Is 12 - 5 = 7 true or false?

    Show Answer

    Type: True or False. 12 - 5 = 7. Answer: TRUE

  7. Which is less: 9 - 2 or 8 - 3?

    Show Answer

    Type: Compare. 9 - 2 = 7 and 8 - 3 = 5. Answer: 8 - 3

  8. Tom has 10 crayons. He gives away 4. How many crayons does Tom have left?

    Show Answer

    Type: Word Problem. 10 - 4 = 6. Answer: 6 crayons

  9. 4 + ___ = 11

    Show Answer

    Type: Fill in the Blank. Answer: 7

  10. Is 6 + 6 = 11 true or false?

    Show Answer

    Type: True or False. 6 + 6 = 12, not 11. Answer: FALSE

Check Your Understanding

Can you answer these questions about what you learned?

  1. What are the four types of mental math questions?
  2. In a "fill in the blank" question, what are you trying to find?
  3. What does it mean when a math sentence is "true"?
Show Answers
  1. Fill in the Blank, True or False, Compare Numbers, and Word Problems
  2. The missing number that makes the equation correct
  3. The numbers on both sides of the equals sign are the same amount

Next Steps

  • Practice identifying question types before solving
  • Try making up your own questions of each type
  • Move on to the Timed Drill lesson to build speed!