Reading thermometer scales showing temperatures above zero, including intermediate values between marked intervals.
Where your child meets this in real life: Checking the weather temperature, reading oven thermometers, or body temperature on a fever thermometer
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 read positive temperatures into 2 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Read temperatures on thermometers where the liquid level aligns exactly with a marked line
Read temperatures where the liquid level falls between marked intervals on the scale
Try three free questions from our read positive temperatures 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 is checking the outdoor dial thermometer shown. The scale is marked in 5s. What temperature does it show?
Hannah checks the museum dial thermometer shown. The scale is marked in 5s. What temperature does it show?
Cameron is comparing the two dial thermometers shown. Thermometer A is marked in 5s and Thermometer B is marked in 2s. Which thermometer shows the higher temperature?
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
Millie is checking the temperature outside her house using a wall thermometer. The scale is marked in 5°C intervals.
What temperature does the thermometer show if the liquid reaches the 4th mark above zero?
4 x 5 = ?
Look at the gap between marks on the thermometer
Step 1 of 4
Millie is checking the temperature outside her house using a wall thermometer. The scale is marked in 5°C intervals.
What temperature does the thermometer show if the liquid reaches the 4th mark above zero?
The thermometer shows 20°C.
The key insight: Find the gap size first, then skip-count by that amount!
Common mix-up: Reading the 4th mark as 4°C. Each mark is worth 5, not 1. You must count by the scale interval.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in read positive temperatures, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
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