SEAGReady
NumberP6 level15 questions in the full course

Subtract 2-Digit Numbers (No Borrow)SEAG Practice Questions

Subtract two 2-digit numbers mentally when no borrowing is needed.

Where your child meets this in real life: Finding differences, calculating change, or comparing quantities

What your child needs to know

SEAGReady breaks subtract 2-digit numbers (no borrow) into 2 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.

  1. 1

    Subtracting Multiples of 10

    Mentally subtract a 2-digit multiple of 10 from a 2-digit number (e.g., 87 - 40 = 47)

  2. 2

    Subtracting Any 2-Digit Number

    Mentally subtract any 2-digit number from another when no borrowing is needed (e.g., 86 - 34 = 52)

Try these SEAG-style questions

Three free sample questions from our subtract 2-digit numbers (no borrow) course. Every question comes with a full explanation, and hints that guide without giving the answer away.

Question 1Confidence builder

Charlotte has 67p in her purse. She spends 20p on a pencil. How much money does she have left?

A place-value chart aligns the 67 pence Charlotte had with the 20 pence she spent, without showing what remains.
Answer choices for question 1
Question 2Confidence builder

A bookshop has 78 books on the shelf. They sell 23 books today. How many books are left on the shelf?

Answer choices for question 2
Question 3Confidence builder

Sean has 85 football stickers. He gives 30 stickers to his friend Jamie. How many stickers does Sean have left?

Answer choices for question 3

Try the lesson: Subtracting Multiples of 10

This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.

Lucy has 78p in her pocket. She spends 30p on a sticker at the school fair.

How much money does she have left?

78 − 30

Set out the place values
1

Partition 78 as 7 tens and 8 ones.

Step 1 of 5

Prefer to read? See every step written out

Lucy has 78p in her pocket. She spends 30p on a sticker at the school fair.

How much money does she have left?

  1. 1

    Set out the place values

    • Partition 78 as 7 tens and 8 ones.
    • Partition 30 as 3 tens and 0 ones.
  2. 2

    Subtract each place

    • Subtract the tens: 7 tens − 3 tens = 4 tens.70 − 30 = 40
    • Subtract the ones: 8 ones − 0 ones = 8 ones.8 − 0 = 8
  3. 3

    Combine for the answer

    • Combine the tens and ones differences.40 + 8 = 48

Lucy has 48p left.

The key insight: When you subtract tens, only the tens digit changes - the ones digit stays exactly the same!

Common mix-up: 78 − 30 = 75. Subtracting 3 from the ones instead of 3 tens from the tens.

Mistakes to watch for

These are the misconceptions we see most often in subtract 2-digit numbers (no borrow), including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.

  • Subtracting smaller from larger regardless of position
  • Not partitioning correctly
  • Confusing which number to subtract from

Build these skills first

Struggling with subtract 2-digit numbers (no borrow)? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.

Subtraction Facts Within 20

More number practice

Read & Write Whole NumbersIdentify Place Value of a DigitCompare Two Whole NumbersOrder a Set of Whole NumbersAddition Facts to 20Add 2-Digit Numbers (No Carry)
15 questions on this topic alone

Master subtract 2-digit numbers (no borrow) and everything it unlocks

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.

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