Example 1 · level 1 — a gentle start
What fraction of the bar is shaded?
2 equal parts
- 1/3
- 2/2
- 1/2
- 2/1
Answer: 1/2 — 1 of the 2 equal parts are shaded, so 1/2.
11+ fractions questions
Fractions comes up in the maths paper of every major 11+ format. Here is what the questions look like, the method that works under time pressure, and five worked examples with the full reasoning, from a gentle start to a hard paper.
Maths · examined by GL and CEM · 5 worked examples
What your child needs to know
- A fraction shows part of a whole. First, count the EQUAL parts.
- The bottom number (denominator) is how many equal parts there are.
Where marks get lost: The top number (numerator) is how many are shaded. Here: 3 out of 4 = 3/4.
Worked examples
Every question below is generated by the same engine your child practises on, and every answer is derived by our checker rather than written by hand — which is why we can put them on a public page at all.
Example 2 · level 2 — typical of early practice
What fraction of the bar is NOT shaded?
8 equal parts
- 5/8
- 5/9
- 8/5
- 6/8
Answer: 5/8 — 5 of the 8 equal parts are left unshaded, so 5/8.
Example 3 · level 3 — standard paper difficulty
What fraction of the bar is shaded?
8 equal parts
- 8/5
- 5/9
- 6/8
- 5/8
Answer: 5/8 — 5 of the 8 equal parts are shaded, so 5/8.
Example 4 · level 4 — a harder paper
What fraction of the bar is shaded?
14 equal parts
- 14/13
- 14/14
- 13/15
- 13/14
Answer: 13/14 — 13 of the 14 equal parts are shaded, so 13/14.
Example 5 · level 5 — the level that separates candidates
What fraction of the bar is NOT shaded?
7 equal parts
- 4/7
- 4/8
- 5/7
- 7/4
Answer: 4/7 — 4 of the 7 equal parts are left unshaded, so 4/7.
How to practise this at home
- Work in short, frequent sessions. Ten minutes daily beats an hour at the weekend, because the recall gap is what builds memory.
- Insist on written working, even for questions your child can do in their head — under exam pressure the method is what survives.
- When an answer is wrong, ask them to explain their reasoning before you correct it. The error is almost always in one step, not the whole approach.
Practise fractions with a tutor that explains
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