Finding any percentage of an amount using the 'find 1% then multiply' or 'find 10% then combine' methods.
Where your child meets this in real life: Calculating 15% service charge, 35% discount, or 17.5% VAT
SEAGReady breaks find any percentage of an amount into 3 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Find multiples of 10% (such as 20%, 30%, 40%) by finding 10% and multiplying
Find percentages like 15%, 25%, 35% by combining 10% portions with 5% (half of 10%)
Find any percentage using the 1% method: divide by 100 to find 1%, then multiply
Three free sample questions from our find any percentage of an amount course. Every question comes with a full explanation, and hints that guide without giving the answer away.
A school choir has 150 members. 20% of them are boys. How many boys are in the choir?
Answer: A. 30 boys
Step 1: Find 10% of 150 150 / 10 = 15 Step 2: Find 20% by multiplying 10% by 2 20% is two lots of 10% 15 x 2 = 30 Answer: 30 boys are in the choir.
Stuck? Start here: Start by finding 10% of 150. What do you divide by to find 10%?
A jacket costs 60 pounds. In a sale, there is 15% off. How much money is taken off the price?
Answer: A. 9 pounds
Step 1: Find 10% of 60 pounds 60 / 10 = 6 pounds Step 2: Find 5% (half of 10%) 6 / 2 = 3 pounds Step 3: Add 10% and 5% to get 15% 6 + 3 = 9 pounds Answer: 9 pounds is taken off the price.
Stuck? Start here: Break 15% into parts: 15% = 10% + 5%
A sofa costs 300 pounds. Caitlin's family pays a 12% deposit. How much is the deposit?
Answer: A. 36 pounds
Step 1: Find 1% of 300 pounds 300 / 100 = 3 pounds Step 2: Find 12% by multiplying 1% by 12 12% is twelve lots of 1% 3 x 12 = 36 pounds Answer: The deposit is 36 pounds.
Stuck? Start here: To find any percentage, start by finding 1%. Divide 300 by 100.
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
A school football team has 120 supporters at their match. 30% of them are wearing team scarves.
How many supporters are wearing scarves?
30% of 120
Step 1 of 4
A school football team has 120 supporters at their match. 30% of them are wearing team scarves.
How many supporters are wearing scarves?
36 supporters are wearing team scarves.
The key insight: Think of 10% as a building block - just multiply it to get any multiple of 10%!
Watch out: 30% of 120 = 120 ÷ 30 = 4. Don't divide by the percentage number. Find 10% first, then multiply.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in find any percentage of an amount, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with find any percentage of an amount? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.