Example 1 · level 1 — a gentle start
What is the mean of 11, 9, 7?
- 4
- 7
- 9
- 11
Answer: 9 — Add them: 27, then divide by 3 = 9.
11+ averages questions
Averages 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
- The mean is the 'fair share' if everyone had the same.
- Add all the numbers, then divide by how many there are.
Where marks get lost: 12 ÷ 3 = 4, so the mean is 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 is the range of 17, 9, 20, 21?
- 12
- 67
- 21
- 9
Answer: 12 — The largest is 21 and the smallest 9, so the range is 12.
Example 3 · level 3 — standard paper difficulty
What is the median of 24, 31, 9, 12?
- 31
- 18
- 9
- 22
Answer: 18 — In order: 9, 12, 24, 31. The middle is 18.
Example 4 · level 4 — a harder paper
What is the median of 36, 7, 7, 30, 28?
- 7
- 29
- 28
- 36
Answer: 28 — In order: 7, 7, 28, 30, 36. The middle is 28.
Example 5 · level 5 — the level that separates candidates
What is the range of 64, 9, 23, 42, 3?
- 64
- 141
- 61
- 3
Answer: 61 — The largest is 64 and the smallest 3, so the range is 61.
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 averages with a tutor that explains
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