Ratio and Proportion
25 free practice questions with explanations
PassNova has 25 free Functional Skills Maths L2 practice questions on Ratio and Proportion, each with a clear explanation. Practise them in the browser with instant feedback — 100% free, no sign-up, on any device. Updated for 2026.
Ratio and Proportion: example questions & answers
12 worked examples with answers and explanations below. Practise all 25 Ratio and Proportion questions free in the browser, with instant feedback on every answer.
Simplify the ratio 10:20 to its simplest form.
- A1:2✓
- B2:4
- C5:10
- D20:40
Answer: Divide both sides by 10: 10÷10=1, 20÷10=2. So the simplest form is 1:2.
In a class, the ratio of boys to girls is 3:2. If there are 9 boys, how many girls are there?
- A3
- B6✓
- C12
- D15
Answer: If boys are 3 and there are 9, then 9 ÷ 3 = 3 (scale factor). Girls = 2 × 3 = 6.
The ratio of red to blue marbles is 2:5. If there are 10 red marbles, how many blue marbles are there?
- A5
- B15
- C20✓
- D25
Answer: Scale factor = 10 ÷ 2 = 5. Blue marbles = 5 × 5 = 25.
A recipe uses flour and sugar in the ratio 3:1. If you use 300g of flour, how much sugar is needed?
- A50g
- B100g✓
- C150g
- D200g
Answer: Scale factor = 300 ÷ 3 = 100. Sugar = 1 × 100 = 100g.
Simplify the ratio 6:9 to its simplest form.
- A1:1.5
- B2:3✓
- C3:4.5
- D12:18
Answer: Divide both sides by 3: 6÷3=2, 9÷3=3. So the simplest form is 2:3.
A car travels 100 km on 10 litres of fuel. How far can it travel on 25 litres?
- A125 km
- B200 km
- C250 km✓
- D300 km
Answer: Fuel efficiency = 100 ÷ 10 = 10 km/litre. Distance on 25 litres = 10 × 25 = 250 km.
In a school, the ratio of teachers to students is 1:25. If there are 4 teachers, how many students are there?
- A25
- B50
- C75
- D100✓
Answer: Scale factor = 4 ÷ 1 = 4. Students = 25 × 4 = 100.
A paint mixture uses red and white in the ratio 2:3. If you have 6 litres of red paint, how much white paint is needed?
- A6 litres
- B9 litres✓
- C12 litres
- D15 litres
Answer: Scale factor = 6 ÷ 2 = 3. White paint = 3 × 3 = 9 litres.
Simplify 15:20 to its simplest form.
- A3:4✓
- B5:7
- C7:8
- D15:20
Answer: Divide both sides by 5: 15÷5=3, 20÷5=4. So the simplest form is 3:4.
A builder mixes concrete in the ratio cement:sand:gravel = 1:2:3. If they use 5 kg of cement, how much sand is needed?
- A5 kg
- B10 kg✓
- C15 kg
- D20 kg
Answer: Scale factor = 5 ÷ 1 = 5. Sand = 2 × 5 = 10 kg.
A map has a scale of 1:100,000. If a road is 2 cm on the map, what is the actual distance in km?
- A2 km✓
- B20 km
- C200 km
- D2,000 km
Answer: Scale 1:100,000 means 1 cm on map = 100,000 cm actual = 1 km. So 2 cm on map = 2 km actual.
The ratio of apples to oranges is 5:3. If there are 15 apples, how many oranges are there?
- A3
- B5
- C9✓
- D12
Answer: Scale factor = 15 ÷ 5 = 3. Oranges = 3 × 3 = 9.