FRACTIONS, DECIMALS AND PERCENTAGES

Percentage Decrease

Learn the reliable method for percentage decrease, then apply it to 11+ exam-style questions.

1 · WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The idea

A percentage decrease removes a stated proportion of the original value.

Picture itConnect parts out of 100
Stationery and UK money arranged as a real-life shopping problem
2 · THE METHOD

Follow these steps

  1. Find the decrease from the original amount.
  2. Subtract it from the original.
  3. Check that the result is smaller.
percentage = amount ÷ 100 × rate
3 · WORKED EXAMPLES

See the method in action

Example 1

A coat marked £60.00 is reduced by 30%. What is its sale price?

  1. Find 30% of £60.00.
  2. Subtract the reduction from the original price.
  3. Therefore the answer is £42.00.
Answer: £42.00
Example 2

A shop has 200 notebooks. It sells 50% of them, receives 60 more, then finds that 20% of the notebooks now in stock are damaged. How many usable notebooks remain?

  1. Remove the 50% sold.
  2. Add the delivery of 60.
  3. Remove 20% of the resulting stock.
  4. Therefore the answer is 128.
Answer: 128
4 · ELEVENSPRINT TIP

A useful shortcut

Check that the result is smaller.

5 · COMMON MISTAKES

Watch out for these

6 · TRY IT YOURSELF

Three fresh questions

Ready to check the method? You will get three fresh, validated questions.