Adult learning · Everyday maths

Adult numeracy worksheets

Free printable maths practice for adults in the UK who want to feel more confident with numbers at home and at work, with explanations, worked examples and full answers.

Who it is for

Maths for real life, at your own pace

These pages are for adults who left school without the maths they wanted, people returning to work or study, apprentices, parents helping with homework, and anyone who simply wants to check a payslip, a bill or a discount without reaching for a calculator in a panic. There are no timers, no scores and no sign-up. You choose a topic, read a short explanation, follow the worked examples, then print a practice sheet with a full answer key.

Tutors, adult education teachers and support workers can use the same pages with learners. Each practice page creates a fresh sheet whenever you ask, so two people can work on the same skill without copying.

Where to start

A simple route through the topics

  1. Begin with percentages at Foundation level. Percentages sit behind discounts, pay rises, interest and VAT, so they unlock everything else.
  2. Move on to household budgeting and best buys and VAT and discounts.
  3. Try workplace time and pay and the payslip guide to check hours, overtime and deductions.
  4. When those feel comfortable, the Functional Skills Maths pages cover measures, shape and data at Level 1 and Level 2.

If a page feels too hard, drop back a level on the practice sheet rather than giving up. Short, regular sessions of 15 to 20 minutes tend to stick better than one long evening.

Everyday maths practice sheets

Three levels each — Foundation, Standard and Advanced — with worked answers.

Everyday numeracyPercentagesPercentages turn up in pay rises, discounts, interest and statistics. This sheet builds from simple percentages of amounts to percentage change.Everyday numeracyVAT, sales tax and discountsUseful for shopping, invoicing and small-business admin. UK VAT is used for the examples; the same method works for US sales tax, Australian GST and Canadian GST/HST.Everyday numeracyHousehold budgeting and best buysCompare prices fairly and turn weekly or monthly costs into yearly totals — the core sums behind a household budget.Workplace mathsTime, shifts and payCheck payslips, plan rotas and estimate earnings using the same time and money calculations used at work.

Functional Skills Maths (England)

Topic lessons with Level 1 and Level 2 practice, in learning-path order. Start at the Functional Skills hub to see how the qualification works.

Functional SkillsFractions, decimals and percentagesConvert, order, and find fractions and percentages of amounts.Functional SkillsPercentage change, VAT and discountsIncreases, decreases, discounts, VAT and reverse percentages.Functional SkillsRatio and proportionSharing in a ratio, recipes, best buys and inverse proportion.Functional SkillsFormulae and order of operationsWord formulae, BIDMAS and substitution into expressions.Functional SkillsMoney, interest and budgetingBudgets, simple and compound interest, and income tax.Functional SkillsUnits, time and conversionsMetric units, time, imperial conversions, speed and density.Functional SkillsArea, perimeter and volumeRectangles, composite shapes, circles, cuboids and cylinders.Functional SkillsScale drawings, maps and coordinatesMap scales, plans and elevations, and coordinates.Functional SkillsAverages and rangeMean, median, mode, range and grouped data.Functional SkillsCharts, graphs and probabilityTables, charts, pie charts, probability and scatter graphs.Functional SkillsExam techniqueBoth exam sections, working, estimating, checking and timing.

Everyday skills lessons

LessonReading timetablesTimetables list stops down the side and departure times across. Reading one lets you plan journeys and connections.LessonScaling recipes and measurementsRecipes are written for a set number of servings. Scaling means multiplying every ingredient by the same number so it still works.LessonFilling in formsForms collect information in a set format. Small mistakes — a wrong date format or missed box — can delay applications.LessonProofreadingProofreading is the final check for spelling, grammar, punctuation and missing words before you send or submit.LessonWorking out time durationsTime durations answer questions like ‘How long is my train journey?’ or ‘How many hours did I work?’. Because there are 60 minutes in an hour, not 100, ordinary subtraction often gives the wrong answer.

Money and financial literacy lessons

LessonSaving pocket moneyChildren learn money habits early. Saving for something they want teaches patience, planning and simple maths.LessonComparing prices and unit pricingThe cheapest price is not always the best value. Unit price — the cost per gram, litre or item — lets you compare fairly.LessonReading a payslipA payslip shows what you earned and what was taken off before the money reached your bank. Checking it catches mistakes in hours, tax or pension.LessonSimple and compound interestInterest is money paid for using money. Savings earn interest; loans and credit cards charge it. Compound interest — interest on interest — makes a big difference over time.LessonMaking a budgetA budget is a plan for your money: what comes in, what goes out and what is left. It helps avoid debt and reach goals.LessonReading a bank statementA bank statement lists every payment into and out of your account over a period, usually a month, with a running balance. Checking it helps you spot mistakes, forgotten subscriptions and fraud.

Workplace English practice

Numbers are only half of most jobs. These sheets cover the writing side.

GrammarApostrophesApostrophe mistakes are among the most noticed in work writing. Practise with realistic office sentences.GrammarCommonly confused wordsSpellcheckers miss these because every option is a real word. Learn the quick tests that make the right choice obvious.SpellingCommonly misspelt wordsA short list of words causes most spelling mistakes in work writing. Memory tricks fix them for good.Workplace EnglishFormal email phrasingClear, courteous emails get faster replies and avoid misunderstandings. Practise the most useful rewrites.

Free help in the UK

Learning with a tutor or class

If you would like a teacher, a class or a qualification, two good places to ask are the National Careers Service, which offers free careers information and advice, and your local council's adult education or adult learning service, which runs maths courses in many areas. Further education colleges also run adult maths courses. What is available, and whether you would pay, depends on where you live and your circumstances, so ask the provider directly.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Every lesson, worksheet and answer key is free to use and print, with no sign-up or watermark.

Start with the percentages practice at Foundation level, then household budgeting. If those feel comfortable, move to the Functional Skills Maths Level 1 overview.

Yes. Each practice page prints a fresh sheet with a full answer key, so you can give different learners different versions of the same skill.

No. They are practice resources. Qualifications such as Functional Skills maths are taken through a college, training provider or adult education service.

Last reviewed: 9 October 2026

Editor: Paul Smeaton CMgr FCMI