Number
42 free practice questions with explanations
PassNova has 42 free GCSE Maths Foundation practice questions on Number, each with a clear explanation. Practise them in the browser with instant feedback — 100% free, no sign-up, on any device. Updated for 2026.
Number: example questions & answers
12 worked examples with answers and explanations below. Practise all 42 Number questions free in the browser, with instant feedback on every answer.
What is the place value of the digit 7 in the number 27,543?
- A7,000✓
- B700
- C70
- D7
Answer: In 27,543, the digit 7 is in the thousands place. Reading from right to left: units, tens, hundreds, thousands. The 7 is worth 7 × 1,000 = 7,000.
Which of these numbers is closest to 5,000?
- A4,299
- B5,502
- C4,998✓
- D5,251
Answer: Distance from 5,000: A) 701 away, B) 502 away, C) 2 away, D) 251 away. 4,998 is only 2 away from 5,000, making it the closest.
Round 3,847 to the nearest 100.
- A3,800✓
- B3,850
- C3,900
- D4,000
Answer: To round 3,847 to the nearest 100, look at the tens digit (4). As 4 is less than 5, round down to 3,800.
Which of these is a prime number?
- A15
- B17✓
- C21
- D25
Answer: A prime number has exactly two factors: 1 and itself. 15 = 3 × 5, 21 = 3 × 7, 25 = 5 × 5. Only 17 has no factors other than 1 and 17, making it prime.
What are the factors of 12?
- A1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12✓
- B1, 2, 3, 12
- C2, 3, 4, 6
- D1, 12
Answer: Factors of 12 are numbers that divide evenly into 12: 1 × 12, 2 × 6, 3 × 4. So the factors are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12.
Write 0.0057 in standard form.
- A5.7 × 10²
- B5.7 × 10⁻³
- C5.7 × 10⁻⁴✓
- D57 × 10⁻⁴
Answer: Standard form is A × 10ⁿ where 1 ≤ A < 10. Move the decimal point 4 places right: 0.0057 = 5.7 × 10⁻⁴. The negative exponent shows we moved right (small number).
What is the highest common factor (HCF) of 18 and 24?
- A2
- B3
- C6✓
- D12
Answer: Factors of 18: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18. Factors of 24: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24. Common factors: 1, 2, 3, 6. The highest is 6.
What is the lowest common multiple (LCM) of 4 and 6?
- A12✓
- B24
- C10
- D2
Answer: Multiples of 4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20... Multiples of 6: 6, 12, 18, 24... The smallest common multiple is 12.
Calculate 2³ × 3².
- A36
- B72✓
- C108
- D216
Answer: 2³ = 8 and 3² = 9. So 2³ × 3² = 8 × 9 = 72.
Simplify 5⁴ ÷ 5².
- A5
- B5²✓
- C5⁶
- D25
Answer: Using the rule aᵐ ÷ aⁿ = aᵐ⁻ⁿ: 5⁴ ÷ 5² = 5⁴⁻² = 5² which equals 25.
Order these numbers from smallest to largest: -3, 0, -7, 2, -1
- A-7, -3, -1, 0, 2✓
- B0, -1, -3, -7, 2
- C-1, -3, -7, 0, 2
- D2, 0, -1, -3, -7
Answer: On a number line, negative numbers are smaller than zero. -7 is furthest left, then -3, -1, then 0, then 2. Correct order: -7, -3, -1, 0, 2.
What is (-2) × (-3)?
- A-6
- B6✓
- C-5
- D5
Answer: Negative × negative = positive. (-2) × (-3) = 6.