Learn the 4-Step Method
1Read twice, underline.
Numbers, units, and what's actually asked.
2Check the units match.
Convert everything to the same unit before calculating.
3Chain the steps.
Perimeter, then subtract the door, then multiply by the price.
4Sense-check.
£78 for a room's skirting — plausible ✓
Worked Example
Ana's water bottle holds 750 ml. She fills it twice a day. How many litres does she drink in a school week (5 days)?
Watch Out! Common Mistakes
Careful! The working was in ml. The question asked for litres: 7500 ml = 7.5 l.
Re-read! The doorway needs no board: (14 − 1) × 6 = £78.
Risky! Bare numbers cause unit mix-ups. Write 750 ml, 14 m, £6 per m at every step.
⬇ Cheat Sheet
- Read twice; underline numbers, units, the question.
- Convert to matching units first.
- One line per step, units on every number.
- Check the final unit matches what was asked.
📖 Continue Your Journey
Quick summary
- Read twice and underline what's asked, including the answer's unit.
- Convert to matching units before any calculation.
- Chain steps one line at a time with units written on every number.
- Check the final answer is in the unit the question asked for.
Frequently asked questions
What makes measurement word problems hard?
They chain several skills — a conversion, a formula, then money or time — and hide a unit switch (ml in the working, litres in the answer). The one-line-per-step habit handles both.
How can parents help at home?
Real tasks: measuring for shelves, doubling recipes, working out journey times and shopping change all rehearse exactly these skills.
What appears most in 11+ measurement questions?
Unit conversions inside a problem, perimeter/area with costs, timetable durations, and capacity problems — the patterns practised across ME1–ME18.
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