What do you do when a subtraction digit is too small?

Borrow 1 from the next place as 10, for example 6 000 − 2 375 borrows from the thousands.

Any trick for making the largest and smallest numbers from four digits?

For the largest arrange the digits in descending order; for the smallest put the smallest non-zero digit first.

P3 maths numbers to 10 000 paper 2 (intermediate): adding, subtracting, comparing and ordering

2026-11-10

Tutor Prep Guide · P3 Maths Numbers to 10 000

Ten items on adding, subtracting, comparing and rearranging four-digit numbers, including carrying and borrowing.

Direct answers　Estimate before you check: 6 000 − 2 375 is about 3 600, then read section 03.

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: P3 Maths Numbers to 10 000
Level	P3

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationWhat is 4 999 plus 1?
FoundationWhat is the hundreds digit of 3 050?
FoundationArrange 4 080, 4 800 and 4 008 from largest to smallest.
IntermediateWork out 2 480 + 1 520.
IntermediateWork out 6 000 − 2 375.
IntermediateCompare 5 099 and 5 100 with less-than or greater-than.
ChallengeWhat is the difference between the largest and the smallest four-digit number?
ChallengeUse 3, 0, 8 and 5 once each to make the largest and the smallest four-digit numbers (no leading zero), then find the difference.
ChallengeA book has 248 pages and Ming has read 96. How many pages are left?
Error redoA pupil claims that 9 099 is greater than 9 100. What is wrong?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	5 000	Adding 1 to the 9 in the ones place carries all the way to the thousands.
2	0	The hundreds place is the third digit from the right, and in 3 050 it is 0.
3	4 800, 4 080, 4 008	All start with 4 thousands; 8 hundreds beats 0, and 4 008 has the smallest tens digit.
4	4 000	480 plus 520 makes 1 000, which carries one thousand across.
5	3 625	Borrow from the thousands: 6 000 − 2 375 = 3 625.
6	5 099 is less than 5 100	They differ by 1, because 5 099 is the number just before 5 100.
7	8 999	The largest is 9 999 and the smallest is 1 000, so the gap is 8 999.
8	Largest 8 530, smallest 3 058, difference 5 472.	Descending order gives 8 530; the smallest needs 3 in the thousands place, then 0, 5 and 8.
9	152 pages	248 − 96 = 152, so 152 pages remain.
10	With the same number of digits you compare from the left; 9 100 is greater.	Both have 9 thousands, and then 0 hundreds is less than 1 hundred.

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.

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