Ratio and proportion questions are where Level 2 candidates lose marks through method rather than arithmetic – dividing by the wrong number of parts, or treating inverse proportion as direct. This free worksheet works through sharing in a ratio, scaling recipes, direct and inverse proportion, best value, map scale and exchange rates in twelve exam-style questions with worked answers.
Free to download, print and share for personal or classroom use. Answers included.
What’s in this worksheet
- Remember box: sharing in a ratio, unitary method, inverse proportion, map scale
- Section A – sharing a bill, mixing squash, charity donations, a concrete-mix ‘what runs out first’ question (9 marks)
- Section B – scaling a recipe, printer speed, how many tins of paint (7 marks)
- Section C – inverse proportion: cleaners and hours, speed and journey time (5 marks)
- Section D – best value across three pack sizes, map scale, currency exchange both ways (9 marks)
- Worked answers for every question
Common mistakes on this topic
From our tutors’ marking and the most recent examiner reports – check your work against these:
- Dividing the total by the wrong number (e.g. by 2 instead of by the total number of parts).
- Treating an inverse-proportion problem as direct (getting 4.5 hours instead of 8 hours in Q8).
- In “how many tins/boxes/coaches” questions, not rounding up to a whole number.
How to use it
- Print the worksheet (or work on screen) and attempt every question without looking at the answers. Give yourself a rough time limit – Level 2 exams are tight.
- Mark your work against the answer page. For maths, check the method as well as the final number; method marks are where most of the marks are.
- Read the ‘common mistakes’ notes below and check whether any of them happened to you. Then redo the questions you got wrong a day later.
Related free resources
- Functional Skills Maths Level 2 Percentages Worksheet
- Functional Skills Maths Level 2: Mean, Median, Mode and Range Worksheet
- All free Functional Skills Maths Level 2 resources
Frequently asked questions
How do you share an amount in a ratio?
Add the parts, divide the total by that number to find one part, then multiply. £180 shared 2:3:4 is 9 parts, so one part is £20, giving £40, £60 and £80.
What is inverse proportion?
When one quantity goes up, the other goes down at the same rate – more cleaners means fewer hours. Multiply to find the total ‘work’ (4 cleaners × 6 hours = 24 cleaner-hours), then divide by the new number (24 ÷ 3 = 8 hours).
How do best-buy questions work in Functional Skills?
Work out the price per unit (per kg, per litre, per item) for each option, compare, and – this is the mark most people miss – write a sentence stating which is best value and why.
Want a tutor to mark your work? Not sure where you stand? Take the free 15-minute mini mock test. Ready to get qualified? Our live 10-week Functional Skills Level 2 Maths course runs in small groups with a mock exam included, and the 5-day revision course is there if your exam is close.