PSLE Maths 2025: Walkthrough of 8 Tricky Questions With Full Solutions
- AGrader Learning Centre
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 20 hours ago
The 2025 PSLE Maths paper caught many P6 pupils off guard. Questions on number patterns, fractions, and geometry looked straightforward at first glance — but required precise problem-solving strategies that many children had not yet practised. If your child came home unsure about how to approach those harder questions, you are not alone.
Walking through real PSLE Maths 2025 questions with full solutions is one of the most effective ways to close those gaps. Each question reveals the exact concept being tested and the method that leads to the correct answer.
In this guide, you will find a full walkthrough of 8 tricky 2025 PSLE Maths questions, organised by concept type, with clear step-by-step solutions your child can follow and learn from.
Table of Contents:
Number Patterns and Common Difference Questions
Number pattern questions are among the most commonly mishandled in PSLE Maths 2025. They appear simple but require your child to identify the underlying rule before attempting any calculation.
Question 1: Finding Common Terms in Two Number Patterns
Pattern 1: 3, 7, 11, 15, … Pattern 2: 7, 12, 17, 22, …
The number 7 is the first common term in both patterns. What is the sum of the next two common terms?
The key concept: Common difference pattern.
Method 1 — List the terms:
Your child can extend both patterns and identify where the next common terms appear:
The next common term after 7 is 27.
The common term after that is 47.
Sum = 27 + 47 = 74
Note: This method works but is time-consuming. If the question asks for more common terms, Method 2 is faster.
Method 2 — Use the LCM (recommended):
Pattern 1's common difference: 4
Pattern 2's common difference: 5
Lowest common multiple of 4 and 5 = 20
Each common term increases by 20.
7 + 20 = 27 → 27 + 20 = 47
Sum = 27 + 47 = 74
The answer is 74.
Systematic Listing and Logical Reasoning Questions
Systematic listing questions test whether your child can organise information methodically rather than guessing. This concept appears frequently in PSLE Maths 2025 and rewards careful, step-by-step thinking.
Question 2: Sam and Ava — Towels and Pillows
Sam and Ava have the same amount of money. The amount each had was less than $40.
Ava bought some pillows at $8 each and had $3 left. Sam bought some towels at $5 each and had $7 left. How many towels did Sam buy?
The key concept: Systematic listing.
Working it out:
Ava's total: must be a multiple of $8, plus $3 (i.e., $11, $19, $27, $35…)
Sam's total: must be a multiple of $5, plus $7 (i.e., $12, $17, $22, $27, $32, $37…)
The common amount less than $40 is $27.
Solving for Sam:
Amount spent on towels = $27 − $7 = $20
Number of towels = $20 ÷ $5 = 4
Sam bought 4 towels.
Simultaneous Equations and Substitution Questions
Simultaneous equation questions look intimidating, but the trick is substitution — replacing one item with an equivalent amount of another so your child only has to track one variable at a time.
Question 3: Ginger and onions
100 g of ginger costs the same as 320 g of onions. It costs $6.20 for 400 g of ginger and 1.2 kg of onions. How much is 100 g of ginger?
The key concept: Simultaneous equations with substitution.
Step-by-step solution:
1.2 kg = 1200 g
100 g of ginger = 320 g of onion
400 g of ginger = 1280 g of onions
400 g (ginger) + 1200 g (onion) = $6.20
Substituting 400 g of ginger with 1280 g of onions,
1280 g (onion) + 1200 g (onion) = $6.20
2480 g of onions → $6.20
10 g of onions → $0.025
320 g of onions → $0.80
(equals to 100 g ginger)
100 g of ginger costs $0.80.
This substitution technique for PSLE problem-solving removes one unknown entirely, making the question much simpler to complete within the exam time limit.
Fractions and Ratio Questions
Fractions and ratio questions in PSLE Maths 2025 often involve multiple steps and require careful tracking of quantities at each stage. The key is setting a clear unit value before calculating.
Question 4: Rectangle With Two Identical Shaded Squares
There are two identical shaded squares within the figure.
The ratio of the lengths BC : AD is 2 : 5. Find the length of AD.
Step-by-step solution:
5 units = 29 cm + 29 cm + L
5 units = 58 cm + L
2 units = 10 cm + L
3 units = 48 cm
1 unit = 48 cm ÷ 3 = 16 cm
5 units = 5 × 16 cm
= 80 cm
The length of AD is 80 cm.
The length of AD is 80 cm.
Question 5: Three Rows of Seats and Fractions
There are 3 rows of seats in a classroom, each row with the same number of chairs. A group of students occupied 5/8 of all the seats. Then, 1/5 of the students left. The remaining students moved into the first 2 rows. What fraction of the seats in the first 2 rows are now occupied?
Three-quarters of the seats in the first 2 rows are occupied.
Percentage and Discount Questions
Percentage questions involving discounts are a reliable fixture of PSLE Maths, but part (b) of Question 6 caught many pupils by surprise — it requires considering two possible cases, not just one.
Question 6: Zach's jacket
Zach bought a jacket at a 15% discount for $57.80.
(a) What was the original price before discount?
(b) Zach's friend later bought the same jacket at a different price.
The difference between the two prices was $6.80. What are the two possible discount percentages for his friend's purchase?
Geometry Questions Involving Equilateral Triangles
Geometry in PSLE Maths 2025 often pairs visual figures with algebraic reasoning.
Questions involving equilateral triangles require your child to use the property that all three sides are equal to set up equations.
Question 7: Container R and Volume
(Note: The base dimensions and full volume of Container P are given in the original exam figure. Values below are based on those provided: base = 21 × 13 cm, height = 36 − 4 = 32 cm.)
Step-by-step solution:
Question 8: Three Identical Equilateral Triangles — Perimeter of Shaded Parts
A figure is made up of 3 identical equilateral triangles. The total base of the figure = 41 cm; one small segment = 3 cm.
(a) Find the length of AB.
(b) Find the perimeter of the shaded parts.
Solution for (a):
(a) Since these are 3 identical equilateral triangles, each side is equal.
18 + a = a + b + 3
18 = b + 3
b = 18 – 3 = 15
c = 41 – 15 – 3 = 23
AB = 23 + 3 = 26
The length of AB is 26 cm.
(b) 26 + 26 + 18 + 26 + 26 +23 = 145
The perimeter of the shaded parts is 145 cm.
Geometry questions like this reward your child for slowing down, labelling each part of the figure, and using the equilateral property systematically before writing any calculations.
Give your child the tools to tackle every PSLE problem sum
Many parents share a common concern after the 2025 PSLE Maths paper: their child understood the concepts in isolation but struggled to identify which technique to apply when the question presented an unfamiliar context. Knowing how to recognise a systematic listing question, a substitution question, or a two-case percentage problem — and then applying the right method confidently — is a skill that must be built through structured, consistent practice.
AGrader's Primary Maths Tuition Programme, available for Primary 1 to Primary 6, is designed exactly for this. The programme teaches your child a structured heuristics framework — 4 categories and 12 techniques — that covers 90% of the challenging problem sums your child will face in the PSLE.
Each week, lessons are taught ahead of the school schedule and aligned with the MOE syllabus, so your child always arrives at school having already encountered the concept. Every student also receives free access to the EverLoop Improvement System — an exclusive after-class platform with Past Year Paper practice packs, topical revision, and lesson recordings your child can revisit anytime. With over 19 locations island-wide and online classes available for P5 and P6, it has never been easier to find a convenient slot.
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