Why do percentages and ratio matter in S2?

S2 applies percentages to discounts, profit, growth and interest, and ratio to sharing and map scales; the two often appear in one question and underpin school tests and the DSE.

Why find the value of one part first?

In ratio sharing, find the total number of parts, then the value of one part, then multiply by each share, so every step can be checked.

S2 Maths: Percentages and Ratio (Foundation, 10 Questions)

2026-11-06

Tutor Prep Guide · S2 Mathematics

Ten foundation items on percentages and ratio: a percentage of a quantity, a part as a percentage, percentage increase and decrease, simplifying ratios, sharing in a ratio, discounts and map scales, each with an answer and a one-line note.

Quick answer Answers in order: 45, 15%, 3 : 4, 21, 240 dollars, 175 dollars, 15%, 15%, 95.2 dollars, 0.8 km. Write the formula first, then substitute, and always divide the change by the original value.

01 Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10 questions
Suggested time	about 25 minutes
Difficulty mix	Foundation 10
Chapter	Chapter: S2 Maths: Percentages and Ratio
Level	S2

02 Questions (10 items)

FoundationFind 18% of 250.
Foundation48 is what percentage of 320?
FoundationSimplify the ratio 36 : 48.
FoundationIf 3 : 5 = x : 35, find x.
FoundationShare 560 dollars between A and B in the ratio 3 : 4. How much does A get?
FoundationAn item priced at 250 dollars is sold at a 30% discount. Find the selling price.
FoundationA value rises from 40 to 46. Find the percentage increase.
FoundationA value falls from 80 to 68. Find the percentage decrease.
FoundationAn hourly wage of 85 dollars rises by 12%. Find the new wage.
FoundationA map has a scale of 1 : 20000. What real distance does 4 cm represent?

03 Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	45	250 x 0.18 = 45.
2	15%	48 / 320 = 0.15, which is 15%.
3	3 : 4	Divide both terms by 12 to get 3 : 4.
4	21	The second term grew from 5 to 35 by a factor of 7, so 3 x 7 = 21.
5	240 dollars	There are 7 parts, each worth 80 dollars, so A takes 3 parts equal to 240 dollars.
6	175 dollars	A 30% discount means paying 70%, and 250 x 0.7 = 175 dollars.
7	15%	The rise is 6, and 6 / 40 = 0.15, which is 15%.
8	15%	The fall is 12, and 12 / 80 = 0.15, which is 15%.
9	95.2 dollars	85 x 1.12 = 95.2 dollars.
10	0.8 km	4 x 20000 = 80000 cm, which is 0.8 km.

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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