Kangaroo-Style Math Practice, Grades 1-2, Set 8

About this practice set

Six original contest-style math problems for grades 1-2 with answer choices A to E, worth 3, 4 and 5 points, plus an answer key that explains every solution. Topics: money, numbers, patterns, time, word problems, working backwards. The problems are written for grades 1 and 2 and lean on pictures and small numbers. Give about 3 to 4 minutes per problem, like in a real contest.

On this sheet

two are worth 3 points, the next two 4 points and the last two 5 points. The clock shows the time a picnic starts. The picnic lasts 4 hours. What time does it end? I think of a number. When I add 7, I get 15. What is my number? How many whole numbers are bigger than 16 and smaller than 21? Jack is 5 years old. Jack's cousin is 4 years older.

Tips for using it

• Underline the question and circle the numbers before solving.
• Draw a quick picture of each story before writing the number sentence.
• Say the number out loud each time you trace it.
• Read every problem twice: contest questions often hide the key detail in one word.

Printing tips

Download the PDF and print at 100% (or “fit to page” on A4). Page 1 is the practice set and page 2 is the answer key with the answers in red; print just page 1 if you want to keep the answers for checking. The PNG shows page 1 only. Free for personal, family and classroom use.