This page has been put together to help you practise and revisit some of the brilliant skills you’ve learned all through primary school.

It’s a great way to boost your confidence in maths and get you ready for the exciting next step into Year 8.

Time to be a maths detective!

In this guide, you will learn:

• how to break down a complex word problem
• how to spot keywords that tell you which operation to use (eg 'total', 'change', 'left')
• how to identify distractor information (numbers and words put in to trick you!)
• how to use the RUCSAC or CUBES method to build a clear plan

The first step in any problem is to read it carefully and work out what it's really asking you to do.

1. Spot the keywords: These words give you clues about what kind of sum you need to do:

Addition (+): total, altogether, sum, combined, add.

Subtraction (-): change, left, difference, how much more, take away.

Multiplication (x): each, per, groups of, product, times.

Division (÷): equal, share, each, average, split between.

2. Ignore the distractors: A distractor is a piece of information, usually a number, that is included in the question to see if you are reading carefully. It is not needed to solve the problem.

Example: ‘A farmer has 45 cows and 150 sheep. He wants to put his sheep into 3 equal fields. How many sheep will be in each field?’

The question is about: sheep

The distractor is: 45 cows (you don't need this number at all!)

The keyword is: equal fields (this tells you to divide.)

The sum: 150 ÷ 3 = 50 sheep in each field.

The best way to tackle a big problem is to have a plan. RUCSAC is a method that gives you 6 steps to follow for every problem.

Top tip: the golden rule (RUCSAC)

Don't rush! To solve a problem, you must first understand it. Follow these steps:

Read the question carefully (at least twice).

Understand the question. What are you being asked to find?

Choose the correct operation(s) to use (+, -, x, ÷).

Solve the calculation(s) one by one.

Answer the question. Make sure you have answered what it asked for.

Check your answer. Does it make sense?

You can also use the ‘CUBES’ strategy.

C – Circle the numbers

U – Underline the questions

B – Box off the operation

E – Eliminate unnecessary information

S – Solve the sum

Let's use RUCSAC to solve a typical two-step problem.

Example Problem:

‘At a funfair, 250 adults and 120 children are watching a show. An adult ticket costs £8 and a child ticket costs £5. What is the total amount of money made from all ticket sales?’

Solution using RUCSAC:

Read: I've read the problem. It's about ticket sales for adults and children.

Understand: I need to find the total money from all tickets (adults AND children).

Choose: This is a multi-step problem.

First, I need to find the adult total: 250 x £8. (multiplication)

Second, I need to find the child total: 120 x £5. (multiplication)

Finally, I need to find the grand total: adult total + child total (addition)

Solve:

Step 1 (adults): 250 x 8 = 2,000. (So, £2000)

Step 2 (children): 120 x 5 = 600. (So, £600)

Step 3 (total): £2,000 + £600 = £2600

Answer: The total amount of money made was £2600.

Check: The answer seems reasonable. £2000 for adults and £600 for children adds up to £2600. The steps were logical.

Problem solved! You now know how to tackle multi-step word problems like a detective.

The keys are to break the problem down using a method like RUCSAC, spot the keywords, ignore the distractors and do the sums one step at a time.

Remember to always check your answer at the end to make sure it makes sense.

Think about these questions to stretch your thinking and sharpen your skills!

• What does each letter in RUCSAC stand for, and which step do you think is the most important for avoiding mistakes?

• Do you prefer the RUCSAC or CUBES method?

• Why do you think distractor information is included in some maths questions?

Have a chat about your answers with a parent, teacher or your class.