Kangaroo-Style Math Practice, Grades 5-6, Set 1

About this practice set

Six original contest-style math problems for grades 5-6 with answer choices A to E, worth 3, 4 and 5 points, plus an answer key that explains every solution. Topics: 3D shapes, calendar, counting, counting shapes, geometry, working backwards. The problems are written for grades 5 and 6 and need careful reading and a bit of algebra-style thinking. After checking answers, try to explain each solution in your own words.

On this sheet

two are worth 3 points, the next two 4 points and the last two 5 points. I think of a number. I add 2, then multiply the result by 3, and get 30. What was my number? The shape is made of squares with sides of 3 cm. What is its perimeter? (A) 21 cm (B) 36 cm (C) 42 cm (D) 48 cm (E) 84 cm In a chess club, 10 players each play exactly one game against every other player. How many games are played? Today is Wednesday.

Tips for using it

• Give about 3 to 4 minutes per problem, like in a real contest.
• Read every problem twice: contest questions often hide the key detail in one word.
• Draw a picture or a table when a problem has many steps.
• Check the answer choices: sometimes testing them is faster than solving from scratch.

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.