Multiplying a decimal number by a whole number, understanding how to place the decimal point in the answer.
Where your child meets this in real life: Calculating costs (e.g., 4 × £2.75), or scaling measurements
Each SEAG paper has 28 maths questions. Questions 29 to 50 are multiple choice with five possible answers, and questions 51 to 56 need a short written answer. With 56 questions in 60 minutes across English and maths, that is about a minute per question.
SEAGReady breaks multiply decimals by whole numbers into 3 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Multiply a decimal number with one decimal place by a single-digit whole number (e.g., 3 × 1.5 = 4.5)
Multiply a decimal number with two decimal places by a single-digit whole number (e.g., 4 × 2.75 = 11)
Multiply a decimal number by a two-digit whole number using long multiplication (e.g., 15 × 2.4 = 36.0)
Try three free questions from our multiply decimals by whole numbers course. They start easy and get harder, so you can see where your child's confidence runs out. If they manage the last one without a hint, this topic is probably secure. If not, the steps above show where to start.
Hannah needs 3 pieces of ribbon, each 1.4 metres long. What is their total length?
A bag of crisps costs £0.35. Hannah buys 6 bags for a party. What is the total cost?
A cycle circuit is 3.5 km long. Grace completes 14 circuits and Cara completes nine. How much further did Grace cycle than Cara?
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
A craft project needs 3 pieces of ribbon, each 1.4 metres long.
What is the total length of the ribbon?
3 × 1.4
Ignore the decimal point for now
Step 1 of 4
A craft project needs 3 pieces of ribbon, each 1.4 metres long.
What is the total length of the ribbon?
The total length of the ribbon is 4.2 metres.
The key insight: The answer has the same number of decimal places as the decimal you started with!
Common mix-up: 3 × 1.4 = 42. Forgetting to put the decimal point back gives an answer 10 times too big.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in multiply decimals by whole numbers, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with multiply decimals by whole numbers? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
Sitting the SEAG test this November? Read our last-month revision plan, Paper 1 vs Paper 2 and test day guide.
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.
Free to start · no card needed