Column Subtraction (Year 4)
Practise column subtraction within Arithmetic for Year 4, with worked examples and instant feedback.
The questions below are generated to match the National Curriculum for Year 4 and get harder as you progress from Rookie to Guru.
Worked examples
A part-whole model shows: WHOLE = 240, PART = 145. Find the missing part.
- 95
- 85
- 385
- 105
Answer: 95. Whole − part = missing part. 240 − 145 = 95.
A pupil writes: 8 + 3 × 2 = 22. What is the mistake?
- They did 8 + 3 first, then × 2 — but multiplication comes before addition.
- There is no mistake — 22 is correct.
- The answer should be 13.
- They multiplied 8 × 3 instead.
Answer: They did 8 + 3 first, then × 2 — but multiplication comes before addition.. Multiplication comes before addition. 3 × 2 = 6 first, then 8 + 6 = 14.
Why does (12 × 4) ÷ 2 give the same answer as 12 × 2?
- Because ÷ 2 and × 2 are inverse operations, so × 4 then ÷ 2 is the same as × 2.
- Because both equal 24 by coincidence.
- Because 12 is even.
- Because of the order of operations.
Answer: Because ÷ 2 and × 2 are inverse operations, so × 4 then ÷ 2 is the same as × 2.. × 4 is the same as × 2 × 2. Then ÷ 2 cancels one of the × 2. Result: × 2.
Related skills
Frequently asked questions
- What is column subtraction?
- Practise column subtraction within Arithmetic for Year 4, with worked examples and instant feedback.
- How can my child practise column subtraction at home?
- Work through the examples below, then start a free adaptive session. Northstar adjusts the difficulty automatically and tracks mastery over time.
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