How to play Quick Math
Quick Math is a sixty-second sprint. Press Start and a question appears in the middle of the screen. Enter the answer with the number pad or your keyboard, then submit it with the green tick or the Enter key. A new question appears straight away, and the bar above the question shows how much time is left.
Pick a difficulty from the menu before you start:
- Easy: addition and subtraction with numbers up to 20. Answers are never negative.
- Medium: adds multiplication and division, using times tables up to 12.
- Hard: all four operations with bigger numbers, such as three-digit sums and larger products.
Division questions always have a whole-number answer, so there are no remainders or decimals to worry about.
A correct answer is worth 10 points and flashes the card green. Answer several in a row and you build a streak: each extra correct answer in a row adds a 2-point bonus, up to a maximum bonus of 10 points per question. A wrong answer flashes red, shows the correct result and resets the streak, but it does not take away points. When the clock reaches zero you see your score, accuracy and longest streak. The best score for each difficulty is saved in your browser.
Controls
| Desktop | Type your answer with the number keys and press Enter to submit. Backspace deletes a digit and Escape clears the answer. |
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| Mobile | Tap the number pad to enter your answer, then tap the green tick to submit. The back arrow deletes a digit. |
Tips and strategy
Accuracy beats rushing
Because a wrong answer resets your streak, a single slip can cost more than the time it saves. A long streak earns up to 20 points per question, twice the basic value, so steady correct answers usually outscore frantic guessing. Aim for a rhythm you can keep up for the full minute.
Addition and subtraction shortcuts
- Round to a friendly number and adjust: 47 + 38 is 47 + 40 minus 2.
- For subtraction, count up from the smaller number: 83 minus 57 is 3 to reach 60, then 23 more, making 26.
- Split numbers into tens and ones and add each part separately.
Multiplication and division
Medium and Hard lean heavily on times tables, so knowing them by heart pays off quickly.
- Division questions are multiplication in reverse. For 84 divided by 7, ask what times 7 makes 84.
- To multiply by a two-digit number on Hard, split it: 17 times 6 is 10 times 6 plus 7 times 6.
- Multiplying by 5 is the same as multiplying by 10 and halving.
Use the controls efficiently
- On a computer, keep your fingers on the number keys and hit Enter without looking away from the question.
- On a phone, hold the device so your thumb rests near the number pad and the tick button.
- If you mistype, use Backspace or the back arrow rather than submitting a wrong answer.
Practise by level
Start on Easy to warm up, then move up once you can finish a minute with high accuracy. Each difficulty keeps its own best score, so you can track progress separately at every level.
About Quick Math
Timed arithmetic drills have been used in classrooms for generations. Answering simple questions quickly helps number facts become automatic, which frees up attention for harder problems later. Many people also enjoy a short mental maths workout simply as a brain teaser.
Quick Math is our own browser version of a speed arithmetic challenge, built from scratch for PlayNook. Every question is generated on the spot, so no two rounds are the same. Subtraction on Easy is set up so answers are never negative, and division questions are created by multiplying two whole numbers first, which guarantees that every division comes out exactly. The game runs entirely in your browser, works with a keyboard or a touch screen, pauses its timer if you switch tabs, and remembers your best score for each difficulty on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Do wrong answers cost points?
No. A wrong answer does not subtract anything, but it ends your current streak, so you lose the bonus you were building.
How does the streak bonus work?
Each correct answer is worth 10 points. Every extra correct answer in a row adds 2 more, up to a bonus of 10, so a long streak earns 20 points per question.
Will I ever get a division with a remainder?
No. Every division question is built from a whole-number answer, so the result is always a whole number.
Are my best scores saved?
Yes. The best score for Easy, Medium and Hard is stored separately in your browser on this device.
