Example 1 · level 1 — a gentle start
Complete the sum: 8 + 5 = ?
- 32
- 6
- 20
- 13
Answer: 13 — 8 + 5 = 13.
11+ complete the sum questions
Complete the sum is a staple of the verbal reasoning paper, where speed matters as much as accuracy. Here is how the questions are built, how to spot the pattern quickly, and five worked examples explained step by step, easiest first.
Verbal reasoning · examined by GL · 5 worked examples
What your child needs to know
- Some verbal papers slip in a quick sum.
- Do the multiplying first, then the adding.
Where marks get lost: So the answer is 14.
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
Complete the sum: 8 + 5 = ?
- 13
- 8
- 18
- 34
Answer: 13 — 8 + 5 = 13.
Example 3 · level 3 — standard paper difficulty
Complete the sum: 11 + 9 − 4 = ?
- 24
- 20
- 16
- 12
Answer: 16 — 11 + 9 − 4 = 16.
Example 4 · level 4 — a harder paper
Complete the sum: 7 × 8 − 3 = ?
- 56
- 50
- 53
- 18
Answer: 53 — 7 × 8 − 3 = 53.
Example 5 · level 5 — the level that separates candidates
Complete the sum: 10 × 18 − 7 = ?
- 35
- 173
- 180
- 166
Answer: 173 — 10 × 18 − 7 = 173.
How to practise this at home
- Verbal reasoning rewards pattern recognition, which comes from volume. A few questions of each type, often, beats one long session.
- Time a set once your child is accurate. Speed without accuracy is the usual trap; accuracy without speed loses just as many marks.
- Read widely alongside the practice. Almost every verbal reasoning question rests on vocabulary the child either has or does not.
Practise complete the sum with a tutor that explains
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