What's a good score?
There's no single number to hit. The score to beat is your own best on the same level, and the game saves it in this browser. For a sense of pace, 20 right answers means you solved one every three seconds.
The bars under your score matter more. They show your average seconds per right answer for each type of problem, and the shortcut for your slowest sits right under them. Aim for fewer skips first, then for speed.
Why do some problems take longer?
Some answers you remember, and some you have to work out. In a 2001 study, university students solved basic facts like 3 + 4 and 12 ÷ 3 and said how they got each answer. For the larger subtraction and division facts, they said they worked some of them out step by step.
If university students work out facts that small, nobody should expect to just know 83 − 29. A shortcut gives you fewer, easier steps to the answer.
What's the shortcut for each type of problem?
- Adding: Start from the left. 36 + 45 is 70 + 11, so 81.
- Subtracting: Round, then adjust. 72 − 38 is 72 − 40 + 2, so 34.
- Multiplying: Split the bigger number. 23 × 4 is 20 × 4 + 3 × 4, so 92.
- Dividing: Split the number into parts you can divide. 78 ÷ 6 is 60 ÷ 6 + 18 ÷ 6, so 13.
- Percents: Find 10% by moving the decimal point one place to the left, then build on it. 10% of 80 is 8, so 30% is 3 × 8, or 24.
Here's how the percent shortcut works on a 15% tip for a $60 dinner:
For more, try 10 mental math tricks that actually make life easier and how to calculate a tip without a calculator.
Practice everyday math with Elevate
A lot of everyday mental math involves money, like splitting a bill or checking a sale price. Elevate has 12 math games, and these five are built for moments like those:
- Percentages helps you work out markups and discounts in your head.
- Tipping trains the common tip percentages.
- Division helps you split bills and household expenses.
- Estimation makes your quick calculations more accurate.
- Discounting is built around the math you do while shopping.
Each game gets harder as you get better. You can do one three-game workout every day for free, and Elevate Premium unlocks all 40+ games, including ones for memory, reading, and writing. The yearly plan starts with a seven-day free trial.
Mental math FAQ
Can mental math be trained?
Yes. In a 2006 study, young adults practiced multiplication and subtraction problems over five sessions. Afterward, the researchers saw signs that they were recalling the multiplication answers instead of working them out and using faster ways to do the subtraction.
What is a mental math test?
A mental math test is a timed set of arithmetic problems you solve in your head, without paper or a calculator. The 60-second round on this page works the same way, and you can play it as many times as you like.
What are some basic mental math questions?
Basic mental math questions include adding small numbers like 14 + 9, times tables up to 9 × 9, simple division like 56 ÷ 7, and easy percents like 10% of 70. You can take a basic mental math test with questions like these on the Easy level of the game at the top of this page.