At Level 2 nobody asks you to ‘add these numbers’. Addition and subtraction turn up inside invoices, stock counts, mileage logs and journey times, usually with three or four steps and a decision at the end. This free non-calculator worksheet gives you that kind of practice, with a checking method for each answer.
Free to download, print and share for personal or classroom use. Answers included.
What’s in this worksheet
- Section A – Whole numbers (9 marks)
- Section B – Money and decimals (10 marks)
- Section C – Time and measures (9 marks)
- Revise box with the rules and methods for the topic
- 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:
- Adding minutes as if they were decimals (7.30 + 8.15 = 15.45 ‘hours’). Convert to minutes, or carry at 60.
- Mixing units – adding 950 g to 2.35 kg as 950 + 2.35.
- Forgetting the final step: working out the total spent but not the change, or the hours worked but not the overtime.
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
- Place Value and Ordering Numbers Worksheet – Functional Skills Maths Level 2
- Multiplication and Division Worksheet – Functional Skills Maths Level 2
- Level 2 Maths Mini Practice Paper 1 – Functional Skills Maths Level 2
- All free Functional Skills Maths Level 2 resources
Frequently asked questions
Is there a non-calculator section in the Level 2 maths exam?
Yes. Every Level 2 Functional Skills maths paper has a short non-calculator section (typically around a quarter of the marks) followed by a longer calculator section. Written methods for addition and subtraction are tested there.
How do I check an addition without a calculator?
Estimate first: round each number to one significant figure and add in your head – 58,000 − 46,000 = 12,000. Then do the exact calculation. If the two are far apart, something has gone wrong.
How do you add times like 7 h 30 min and 8 h 15 min?
Add the hours and the minutes separately, then convert every 60 minutes into an hour: 15 h 45 min. Never add times as decimals – 7.30 + 8.15 = 15.45 is wrong.
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.