This GCSE Maths percentages worksheet with answers is designed for focused GCSE revision. Percentages become much easier when students separate the question type before calculating: percentage of an amount, percentage change, repeated change or reverse percentage.
Use it as a short practice task before moving into mixed exam questions. If you need more structured help, I also offer GCSE Maths tutoring and parent-friendly GCSE revision support.
Before you start
The level for this worksheet is Foundation to Higher. Work through the questions without checking the answers first. The point is not only to get the final answer, but to practise the method clearly enough that you could repeat it in a test.
Keep your working visible. GCSE Maths mark schemes often reward method, so a clear first line can still matter even if the arithmetic goes wrong later.
Skills this worksheet checks
This worksheet checks whether you can recognise common percentages question types, choose a sensible first step, and keep your working organised. Those three habits matter more than racing through the list.
For each question, write one line that explains the method before you calculate. That might be a formula, a common denominator, an equation, a route through a diagram, or the probability operation you are using. This makes the practice closer to the way marks are awarded in GCSE exams.
Worksheet questions
- Find 15% of 80.
- Increase 240 by 12%.
- Decrease 75 by 20%.
- A jumper costs £48 after a 25% reduction. Find the original price.
- Work out the percentage increase from 50 to 62.
- A value increases by 10% then decreases by 10%. Does it return to the original value?
- Write 0.07 as a percentage.
- A phone worth £600 loses 18% of its value. Find the new value.
- Find 3.5% of 200.
- A class has 18 girls and 12 boys. What percentage are boys?
Answers and method checks
| # | Question | Method | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Find 15% of 80. | 10% is 8 and 5% is 4, so 15% is 12. | 12 |
| 2 | Increase 240 by 12%. | Multiply by 1.12, giving 268.8. | 268.8 |
| 3 | Decrease 75 by 20%. | 20% of 75 is 15, so 75 - 15 = 60. | 60 |
| 4 | A jumper costs £48 after a 25% reduction. Find the original price. | The sale price is 75%, so 1% is 48/75 and 100% is 64. | £64 |
| 5 | Work out the percentage increase from 50 to 62. | Increase is 12. 12/50 x 100 = 24%. | 24% |
| 6 | A value increases by 10% then decreases by 10%. Does it return to the original value? | Use multipliers 1.10 x 0.90 = 0.99. | No, it becomes 99% of the original |
| 7 | Write 0.07 as a percentage. | Multiply the decimal by 100. | 7% |
| 8 | A phone worth £600 loses 18% of its value. Find the new value. | Use multiplier 0.82: 600 x 0.82 = 492. | £492 |
| 9 | Find 3.5% of 200. | 3.5/100 x 200 = 7. | 7 |
| 10 | A class has 18 girls and 12 boys. What percentage are boys? | There are 30 students, and 12/30 x 100 = 40%. | 40% |
How to mark this worksheet
Mark each question with more detail than a tick or cross. If the answer is wrong, label the error: method choice, arithmetic, notation, units, signs, calculator input, or not reading the question carefully.
For percentages, it is especially useful to redo the questions you missed after a short break. A topic can feel familiar immediately after reading the answer, but the real test is whether you can start the method independently later.
A good correction is specific. Instead of writing 'revise this', write the exact fix: choose a common denominator, show the multiplier, update the probability after the first choice, label the radius, or subtract the smaller coordinate from the larger one. Specific corrections make the next practice session much easier to plan.
Common mistakes
- Using 10% twice for a 20% decrease but subtracting from the wrong starting value.
- Mixing up percentage increase with final percentage.
- Using 0.12 instead of 1.12 for an increase.
- Treating reverse percentages as ordinary percentages.
Extension practice
After marking the worksheet, choose three questions and change one number in each. Keep the structure the same, then solve your new versions. This is a quick way to check whether you understand the method rather than remembering the original answer.
If the changed question becomes much harder, that is useful information. It usually means the method is not fully secure yet, or that a small change has introduced a new skill such as negative numbers, fractions, unit conversion, exact form, or a second step.
Students aiming for higher grades should also write one short explanation question. For example: explain why this vector is parallel, explain why these two routes must be added, explain why this theorem applies, or explain why the original amount is not the same as the sale amount. These explanations build the reasoning marks that many students miss.
What to practise next
Once you can complete this worksheet accurately, move to mixed questions where the topic is not written in the title. That is closer to the exam, because you have to recognise the method as well as carry it out.
You can also use the Maths practice papers hub to connect topic practice with broader exam-style work. If the same mistake keeps appearing, bring that exact question to a lesson or send it to me so we can work out what is blocking the method.
