Add & Subtract — Challenge Test
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About this resource
The stretch test for confident children. Fifteen questions that push beyond schoolbook level: two-step word problems, bridging through 10 (e.g. 8 + 5 = 8 + 2 + 3), finding missing numbers in the middle of a sentence, applying addition and subtraction across measures (money, mass, length), and reasoning about what makes a calculation easier.
Pass mark is 60% — this test is harder than the Main test on purpose. Don’t worry about lower scores; this is where deep understanding shows.
What you'll learn
- Adding & subtracting DfE NC Maths KS1 (Y1–Y2)
- Number bonds & related facts DfE NC Maths KS1 (Y1–Y2)
- Solving problems DfE NC Maths KS1 (Y1–Y2)
Inside this resource
- 15 questions
For the student — how to do this
This is the challenge test. The questions are harder than the other two — they ask you to think, not just remember.
You might need to do TWO steps for one question (work out one thing, then use it to work out the next). That's OK! Take your time.
If you score 60% on this one, you're really showing deep understanding. Don't worry if it takes a couple of tries — the explanations will help.
For parents and carers
This is the stretch test for confident Year 2 pupils. It moves beyond standard recall into the kind of problem-solving and reasoning expected of pupils working at "greater depth" in age-related expectations.
What's in it: bridging through 10 (a key Year 2 mental strategy), finding missing numbers in the middle of a sentence (e.g. 7 + ? + 4 = 15), two-step word problems, applying + and − across money/length/volume, and reasoning without calculating.
The pass mark is 60% — deliberately lower because the questions are genuinely harder. Many bright Year 2s will score 40–60% the first time. That's exactly when the learning happens. The Review screen is where the magic is — go through the wrong answers together and watch concepts click.
Not appropriate for children below ARE in core addition/subtraction — they should master the Main Test first.
For teachers and tutors
Stretch assessment for greater-depth pupils in Year 2 (some confident Year 1s may also be ready). Questions target the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy: applying, analysing, evaluating — not just remembering.
Question types:
• Q1–2: Bridging through 10 (mental strategy)
• Q3, Q15: Missing-middle-number problems
• Q4–6: Two-step word problems
• Q7, Q13: Reasoning without calculating
• Q8, Q11: Reverse find-the-difference
• Q9, Q14: ± across measures (length, volume)
• Q10: Linking ± with doubles/halving
• Q12: Inverse identification
Pass mark intentionally lower (60%) because the questions are sub-domain stretch. Use as: enrichment for fast finishers; pre-SATs reasoning prep; greater-depth evidence-gathering for assessment moderation.
How to check the work
Auto-marked with the same Review screen as the other tests. For this test in particular, the explanations are the most valuable part — they show how to think, not just the right answer.
When going through with a child, ask: "Could you solve it a different way?" Greater-depth thinking is about flexibility — knowing two or three routes to the same answer.