NumberP6 level16 questions in the full course

Subtract 2-Digit Numbers (With Borrow)SEAG Practice Questions

Subtract two 2-digit numbers mentally when borrowing is needed.

Where your child meets this in real life: Calculating change, finding time differences, or solving word problems

What your child needs to know

In the SEAG test

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 subtract 2-digit numbers (with borrow) into 2 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.

  1. 1

    Standard Borrowing Cases

    Subtract 2-digit numbers mentally when the ones digit requires borrowing (e.g., 42 - 17)

  2. 2

    Borrowing from Multiples of 10

    Subtract from round numbers (multiples of 10) when borrowing is needed (e.g., 50 - 26)

Try these SEAG-style questions

Try three free questions from our subtract 2-digit numbers (with borrow) 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.

Question 1Confidence builder

Megan has 52 stickers. She gives 24 stickers to her friend Grace. How many stickers does Megan have left?

A column layout aligns 52 and 24 by tens and ones without showing their difference.
Answer choices for question 1
Question 2Standard

Orla has 80p saved for the school fair. She spends 45p on a raffle ticket. How much does Orla have left?

A column layout aligns 80p and 45p by tens and ones without showing the money left.
Answer choices for question 2
Question 3Stretch

Amy had 73 marbles. After giving some to her brother, she had 45 marbles left. How many marbles did Amy give away?

Answer choices for question 3

Try the lesson: Standard Borrowing Cases

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

Amy has 54 stickers. She gives 27 stickers to her friend Mark.

How many stickers does Amy have left?

54 − 27

Subtract the tens first
1

Start by subtracting the tens

54 − 20 = 34

Step 1 of 3

Prefer to read? See every step written out

Amy has 54 stickers. She gives 27 stickers to her friend Mark.

How many stickers does Amy have left?

  1. 1

    Subtract the tens first

    • Start by subtracting the tens54 − 20 = 34
  2. 2

    Subtract the ones (bridging through 10)

    • Split 7 into 4 + 3, then subtract 4 to reach 3034 − 4 = 30
    • Then subtract the remaining 330 − 3 = 27

Amy has 27 stickers left.

The key insight: Break the subtraction into friendly steps - subtract tens first, then ones!

Common mix-up: 54 − 27 = 33 (swapping digits: 7 − 4 = 3). You must subtract the bottom digit FROM the top digit, not the other way round.

Mistakes to watch for

These are the misconceptions we see most often in subtract 2-digit numbers (with borrow), including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.

  • Subtracting smaller digit from larger (e.g., 42 - 17 = 35)
  • Not using count-up method effectively
  • Errors when decomposing tens

Build these skills first

Struggling with subtract 2-digit numbers (with borrow)? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.

Subtract 2-Digit Numbers (No Borrow)

More number practice

Read & Write Whole NumbersIdentify Place Value of a DigitCompare Two Whole NumbersOrder a Set of Whole NumbersAddition Facts to 20Subtraction Facts Within 20

Sitting the SEAG test this November? Read our last-month revision plan, Paper 1 vs Paper 2 and test day guide.

16 questions on this topic alone

Master subtract 2-digit numbers (with 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.

Start free

Free to start · no card needed