P1 Comparing Lengths Directly Paper 1 (basics)

2026-11-11

Tutor Prep Guide · P1 comparing lengths, paper 1

Ten basic items on measuring with clips, erasers and squares to judge longer, shorter or equal.

Direct answers　Q1 3 clips longer, Q2 7 squares, Q3 equal, Q4 4 spans, Q5 5, 6 and 8 squares, Q6 5 erasers, Q7 7 squares left, Q8 8 and 20 hands, Q9 2 and 1 spans, Q10 one same object must be used.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: P1 Comparing Lengths Directly
Level	P1

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationPaper clips measure two pencils: red gives 6 clips, blue gives 9 clips. Which is longer and by how many clips?
FoundationThree strings measure 4 squares, 7 squares and 5 squares. How long is the longest?
FoundationTwo strips are both measured with the same counters and each gives 8 counters. How do their lengths compare?
IntermediateA desk is 9 spans long and a chair is 5 spans long. How many spans longer is the desk?
IntermediateThree sticks measure 5, 8 and 6 squares. Arrange them from shortest to longest.
IntermediateA red pen is 7 erasers long. A blue pen is 2 erasers shorter. How long is the blue pen?
ChallengeA ribbon is 10 squares long. After cutting off 3 squares, how long is the rest and how much shorter is it?
ChallengeAn elder brother is 12 hands tall. The younger brother is 4 hands shorter. How tall is the younger one and what is their total?
ChallengeDesks A, B and C are 6, 9 and 7 spans long. How much longer is B than C, and C than A?
Error redoA desk measures 5 big erasers or 9 small erasers. Can we say the desk grew by 4 erasers?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	The blue pencil is longer by 3 clips	Measured with the same clip, more clips means longer: 9 – 6 = 3.
2	7 squares	Comparing the three numbers, 7 is the largest.
3	The two strips are the same length	The same counter gives the same count, so the lengths are equal.
4	4 spans	9 – 5 = 4, so the desk is 4 spans longer.
5	5, 6 and 8 squares	Shortest to longest means smallest to largest: 5, 6, 8.
6	5 erasers	Shorter means fewer: 7 – 2 = 5.
7	7 squares left, 7 squares shorter	10 – 3 = 7; the part cut off is how much shorter it is.
8	8 hands and 20 hands in all	12 – 4 = 8, then 12 + 8 = 20.
9	B is 2 spans longer than C, C is 1 spans longer than A	9 – 7 = 2 and 7 – 6 = 1; always name which object is longer.
10	No. The two erasers differ in size, so one same object must be used for comparison	Key point: lengths can only be compared when one same unit is used.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

Measure two things at home with one object and say which is longer.Tutor Registration →

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