This GCSE Maths ratio worksheet with answers is designed for focused GCSE revision. Ratio questions test whether students can keep quantities linked. The safest method is usually to find one part first, then scale up to the amount needed.
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 ratio 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
- Simplify the ratio 18:24.
- Share £56 in the ratio 3:5.
- Red:blue counters are in the ratio 4:7. There are 28 red counters. Find the total.
- A recipe uses flour:sugar in the ratio 5:2. If flour is 300 g, find the sugar.
- Simplify 0.6:1.5.
- Write 2:3 as a fraction of the total for the first part.
- A map scale is 1:50,000. 3 cm on the map represents what distance?
- Paint A:B is mixed 2:7. How much B is needed with 180 ml of A?
- Two numbers are in the ratio 5:8 and total 91. Find the larger number.
- The ratio boys:girls is 3:4. What percentage are girls?
Answers and method checks
| # | Question | Method | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simplify the ratio 18:24. | Divide both parts by 6. | 3:4 |
| 2 | Share £56 in the ratio 3:5. | There are 8 parts, so each part is £7. | £21 and £35 |
| 3 | Red:blue counters are in the ratio 4:7. There are 28 red counters. Find the total. | One part is 7, so 11 parts is 77. | 77 |
| 4 | A recipe uses flour:sugar in the ratio 5:2. If flour is 300 g, find the sugar. | One part is 60 g, so sugar is 2 parts. | 120 g |
| 5 | Simplify 0.6:1.5. | Multiply by 10 to get 6:15, then divide by 3. | 2:5 |
| 6 | Write 2:3 as a fraction of the total for the first part. | There are 5 total parts. | 2/5 |
| 7 | A map scale is 1:50,000. 3 cm on the map represents what distance? | 3 x 50,000 cm = 150,000 cm = 1.5 km. | 1.5 km |
| 8 | Paint A:B is mixed 2:7. How much B is needed with 180 ml of A? | One part is 90 ml, so B is 7 parts. | 630 ml |
| 9 | Two numbers are in the ratio 5:8 and total 91. Find the larger number. | There are 13 parts, so each part is 7. | 56 |
| 10 | The ratio boys:girls is 3:4. What percentage are girls? | Girls are 4/7 of the total, so 4/7 x 100. | 57.1% to 1 d.p. |
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 ratio, 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
- Adding ratio parts before checking what the question has given.
- Using the total as one part.
- Forgetting unit conversions in scale questions.
- Rounding too early in percentage ratio questions.
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.
