3 Helpful Tricks To Do Quick Maths When Taking Exams

Written by
Timothy Gan

Everyone knows that taking a math exam puts plenty of pressure on the students. The fact that they must complete all their questions within a set amount of time just adds to the pressure they must face while answering the test.

Given this time pressure, doing quick maths is something that students must hone to ensure they can answer all the problems provided and secure as many points as possible before the allotted time ends.

To help you get started, we’ve collated three helpful tricks to do fast maths that you can use to save time on exams and any other situation.

Quickly multiply numbers in your mind

Whether it’s in your supplementary h2 math tuition or maths exams, multiplication is something that will always remain relevant no matter what the topic may be. Below are several tricks to do quick multiplication without the need for a calculator:

  • If you ever need to multiply something by the power of 5, remember this handy method: ‘5 = 10 / 2’. An example of this method in action is by solving 48 * 5. To get the product more quickly, multiply the first factor 48 by 10 (48 * 10), which will then equal 480. Lastly, divide the product by 2 to achieve the answer 240.
  • If you ever struggle to remember products from the multiplication table quickly, switching the two factors may make things easier. For instance, 4 * 7 can be converted into 7 * 4, which may be easier to remember.
  • If you’re multiplying anything by the power of 9, it’s easier to multiply by 10 first and then subtract the first factor from the product. For example, 23 * 9 becomes 23 * 10, resulting in 230. Next, subtracting 23 from 230 results in 207, which is the answer to 23 * 9.

Calculating percentages instantly

The key to calculating percentages fast lies in memorising the following percentages: 5%, 10%, 25%, and 50%. Knowing these will enable you to swiftly calculate any percentage that is a multiple of 5 and net you a close estimate of those that aren’t. Take 15% of 430 as an example. Another way to simplify this is by taking 10% of 430 first, which equals 43. 5% of 430 is simply 43 divided by two, which equals 21.5. Add them together, and you get 64.5%, which is 15% of 430.

For percentages above 100%, moving the decimal of the per cent towards the left by two spaces and multiplying it with the number in question can make the equation much easier to solve. For example, take 270% of 30. Following the tip mentioned, the equation becomes 2.7, which gets multiplied by 30 and results in 81, the final answer of 270% of 30.

Faster addition method

This method will come in handy when you need to quickly add two or more large numbers. The first step requires you to round up all the addends to make them much easier to calculate. Remember to note down the numbers used to round them up since they will be used later. The next step entails summing both the rounded addends and the numbers used to achieve the former. Lastly, subtract the sum of the former and the latter to reach the answer.

To show this method in action, we’ll use 734 + 328 as an example. Rounding both numbers results in 740 + 330, while the numbers used to reach them are 6 and 2, respectively. Summing both results in 1070 and 8, with the final answer being 1062.

Conclusion

Due to time limits, being efficient in answering the problems in math questions is crucial to securing a perfect score, or at least a passing grade. Not all tests will allow you to use calculators, so learning how to do maths quickly the old-fashioned way will always come in handy.

Apart from knowing how to do quick maths, fully understanding the subject matter of your maths exams by learning key math concepts and principles by heart is also crucial in figuring out the right solutions. If you’re determined to improve your grades and excel further, taking additional maths tuition in Singapore is undoubtedly the best way to make it happen.

H2 Math Tuition
Published: 25th March 2022
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