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Maths Quiz - Level 7-8 Numbers - Percentages - Increases and Decreases (Questions)

Percentages help compare changes. Learn to increase or decrease amounts, find multipliers, and reverse percent changes in realistic KS3 money and measure problems.

Explore the Topic →
(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Inflation uses percentage increases to show how prices change over time. A 3 percent annual rise adds £3 to every £100 spent.

In KS3 Maths, you’ll calculate percentage increases and decreases using multipliers, compare discounts, and solve reverse-percentage problems. Expect money, measures, and data contexts where clear working and sensible rounding matter.

  • Percentage change: How much a value increases or decreases compared with the original, expressed per 100.
  • Multiplier: A single number to apply a percentage change, e.g., increase by 12% → multiply by 1.12; decrease by 12% → multiply by 0.88.
  • Reverse percentage: Finding the original amount by dividing the final amount by the multiplier used.
How do I increase a number by a percentage?

Use a multiplier of 1 + (percentage/100). Example: increase £240 by 15% → £240 × 1.15 = £276.

How do I decrease a number by a percentage?

Use a multiplier of 1 − (percentage/100). Example: decrease £80 by 25% → £80 × 0.75 = £60.

How do I find the original price before a percentage change?

Divide by the multiplier. Example: £45 after 10% off means original = £45 ÷ 0.90 = £50.

1. A beehive increases by 7% a day. Initially there are 1,250 bees. How many will there be after a week?
[ ] 1,620
[ ] 1,800
[ ] 2,000
[ ] 2,007
2. Barbara bought a box of 35 pens for £40.25. She sold all the pens for £1.70 each. What was her percentage profit?
[ ] 39.4%
[ ] 40.7%
[ ] 45.8%
[ ] 47.8%
3. Due to severe weather, a polar bear colony goes from 328 bears to 246. What percentage decrease is this?
[ ] 20%
[ ] 22%
[ ] 25%
[ ] 26%
4. Michelle bought a caravan for £13,500 and sold it two years later for £11,200. What is the percentage loss?
[ ] 13%
[ ] 14%
[ ] 15%
[ ] 17%
5. What percentage of 68 is 10.2?
[ ] 15
[ ] 17
[ ] 17.5
[ ] 20
6. A burger now costs £3.75 after a 3% reduction in price. What was the original price of the burger?
[ ] £2.88
[ ] £3.17
[ ] £3.87
[ ] £4.44
7. Pete's hourly wage goes up from £7.20 to £7.56. What percentage increase is this?
[ ] 3%
[ ] 4%
[ ] 5%
[ ] 6%
8. The price of a concert ticket is £33 after a 7% increase. What is the original price of the ticket?
[ ] £30.84
[ ] £31.11
[ ] £33.65
[ ] £34.86
9. The Green family bought a house five years ago for £97,000. They sell it for £185,000. What is their percentage profit (to the nearest 1%)?
[ ] 81%
[ ] 85%
[ ] 89%
[ ] 91%
10. What percentage is 8.5 of 68?
[ ] 12
[ ] 12.5
[ ] 13
[ ] 13.5

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Percentages

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Maths Quiz - Level 7-8 Numbers - Percentages - Increases and Decreases (Answers)
1. A beehive increases by 7% a day. Initially there are 1,250 bees. How many will there be after a week?
[ ] 1,620
[ ] 1,800
[ ] 2,000
[x] 2,007
A calculator is helpful for this kind of calculation! This problem is an example of compound increase. Problems like this can be solved using the compound interest formula:

M = P( 1 + i )n

Here, M = the final number of bees; P = the initial number of bees; i = the percentage increase (if it is a decrease, it will be negative; n = the number of days (but it could be weeks/months/years or any time period, depending on the problem) and it is the POWER to which (1 + i) has to be raised. Plug in the numbers and do the calculation
2. Barbara bought a box of 35 pens for £40.25. She sold all the pens for £1.70 each. What was her percentage profit?
[ ] 39.4%
[ ] 40.7%
[ ] 45.8%
[x] 47.8%
Not a bad little earner!
3. Due to severe weather, a polar bear colony goes from 328 bears to 246. What percentage decrease is this?
[ ] 20%
[ ] 22%
[x] 25%
[ ] 26%
Remember, the change is always compared with the original value
4. Michelle bought a caravan for £13,500 and sold it two years later for £11,200. What is the percentage loss?
[ ] 13%
[ ] 14%
[ ] 15%
[x] 17%
13,500 - 11,200 = 2,300
(13,500 ÷ 2,300) x 100 = 17.037....
5. What percentage of 68 is 10.2?
[x] 15
[ ] 17
[ ] 17.5
[ ] 20
68 ÷ 100 = 0.68
10.2 ÷ 0.68 = 14.70588235294118....
6. A burger now costs £3.75 after a 3% reduction in price. What was the original price of the burger?
[ ] £2.88
[ ] £3.17
[x] £3.87
[ ] £4.44
3.75 ÷ 97 = 0.0387
0.0387 x 100 = 3.87
7. Pete's hourly wage goes up from £7.20 to £7.56. What percentage increase is this?
[ ] 3%
[ ] 4%
[x] 5%
[ ] 6%
The increase is 36p. To work out the percentage 0.36 / 7.2 = 0.05 = 5%
8. The price of a concert ticket is £33 after a 7% increase. What is the original price of the ticket?
[x] £30.84
[ ] £31.11
[ ] £33.65
[ ] £34.86
33 ÷ 107 = 0.3084
0.3084 x 100 = 30.84
9. The Green family bought a house five years ago for £97,000. They sell it for £185,000. What is their percentage profit (to the nearest 1%)?
[ ] 81%
[ ] 85%
[ ] 89%
[x] 91%
185,000 - 97,000 = 88,000
97,000 ÷ 100 = 970
88,000 ÷ 970 = 90.722
10. What percentage is 8.5 of 68?
[ ] 12
[x] 12.5
[ ] 13
[ ] 13.5
8.5 ÷ 0.68 = 12.5