24 questions across ratio, direct and inverse proportion, compound measures and area and volume scale factors.

⚗️ Ratio and proportion mastery — Higher

Maths · GCSE Higher · 24 questions · ~45 min

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

Ratio, proportion and rates of change is 20% of a Higher paper and it is the area that rewards method over recall. This sheet works through it in one sitting: simplifying and sharing in a ratio, including the questions that give you one share or the difference rather than the total; expressing one quantity as a fraction or percentage of another; direct and inverse proportion, both numerically and as an equation with a constant k; compound measures — speed, density and pressure — with unit conversions built in rather than avoided; and the similar-shapes work where lengths, areas and volumes scale by the factor, its square and its cube. That last group is where Higher candidates lose the most marks in this area, so it is deliberately over-represented here.

1.After a 20% discount, a jacket costs £48. Work out the original price of the jacket.
(a)£40
(b)£60
(c)£57.60
(d)£38.40
2.In a science lesson Priya has 10 litres of a solution that is 30% salt. She adds water to make a solution that is 20% salt. Work out how many litres of water she adds.
(a)15 litres
(b)5 litres
(c)3 litres
(d)2 litres
3.Write the ratio 8 : 15 in the form 1 : n.
(a)1.875 : 1
(b)1 : 1.875
(c)8 : 1.875
(d)1 : 0.53
4.Grace's mean mark in her maths tests rises from 70 to 84. Work out the percentage increase in her mean mark.
(a)20%
(b)120%
(c)17%
(d)14%
5.y is inversely proportional to x. When x = 5, y = 8. Work out the value of y when x = 10.
(a)4
(b)0.8
(c)16
(d)3
6.Two investors put money into a business in the ratio 3:5. The first investor puts in £1,200. Work out the total amount invested by both investors.
(a)£2,400
(b)£2,000
(c)£3,200
(d)£6,000
7.A statue exerts a downward force of 68.4 N on its base, which has an area of 2.85 m². Work out the pressure that the statue exerts on its base, in N/m².
(a)24 N/m²
(b)194.94 N/m²
(c)65.55 N/m²
(d)0.04 N/m²
8.Noah runs 2 km in 10 minutes. Work out how long he takes to run 5 km at the same speed.
(a)50 minutes
(b)20 minutes
(c)15 minutes
(d)25 minutes
9.Two mathematically similar circles have radii 4 cm and 20 cm. Write the ratio of the area of the smaller circle to the area of the larger circle in its simplest form.
(a)25 : 1
(b)1 : 5
(c)1 : 25
(d)1 : 10
10.Write £3.60 : £2.40 as a ratio in its simplest form.
(a)360 : 240
(b)36 : 24
(c)2 : 3
(d)3 : 2
11.Two mathematically similar triangular flags have areas in the ratio 4 : 25. The height of the smaller flag is 6 cm. Work out the height of the larger flag.
(a)15 cm
(b)27 cm
(c)37.5 cm
(d)2.4 cm
12.Two mathematically similar rectangles have widths 5 cm and 10 cm. The perimeter of the smaller rectangle is 18 cm. Work out the perimeter of the larger rectangle.
(a)72 cm
(b)9 cm
(c)36 cm
(d)23 cm
13.Write the ratio 5 : 8 in the form 1 : n.
(a)1:0.6
(b)1:1.6
(c)1:1.5
(d)0.6:1
14.Two mathematically similar water bottles have a volume scale factor of 8 from the smaller bottle to the larger bottle. Work out the surface area scale factor from the smaller bottle to the larger bottle.
(a)8
(b)4
(c)2
(d)64
15.2.4 kg of cheese costs £36. Work out the cost of 1.5 kg of the same cheese.
(a)£15
(b)£57.60
(c)£22.50
(d)£54
16.A rectangular garden has its length and width in the ratio 5:3. Given that the perimeter of the garden is 64 m, work out the width of the garden.
(a)8 m
(b)24 m
(c)12 m
(d)20 m
17.A cyclist rides at an average speed of 24 km/h for 1 hour 15 minutes. Work out the distance travelled, in km.
(a)27.6 km
(b)1800 km
(c)30 km
(d)19.2 km
18.Write 75p : £1.50 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
(a)2:1
(b)3:4
(c)1:2
(d)50:1
19.Which of these ratios is equivalent to 6 : 10 : 14?
(a)8:12:16
(b)3:5:8
(c)9:15:21
(d)12:20:14
20.The exchange rate is £1 = 1.28 US dollars. Convert £350 into US dollars.
(a)273.44 US dollars
(b)4,480.00 US dollars
(c)448.00 US dollars
(d)351.28 US dollars
21.Write 2 m : 150 cm : 50 cm as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
(a)4:3:1
(b)4:3:2
(c)2:150:50
(d)3:4:1
22.Two quantities x and y are inversely proportional. When x = 2, the value of y is 15. Work out the value of y when x = 5.
(a)6
(b)12
(c)30
(d)37.5
23.The number of members of a running club increases from 45 to 54. Work out the percentage increase.
(a)9%
(b)120%
(c)20%
(d)16.7%
24.y is directly proportional to x. When x = 4, y = 10. Work out the value of y when x = 6.
(a)10
(b)15
(c)60
(d)12

What is on this worksheet?

The sheet holds 24 questions drawn from the MathsUK bank — the content area covered: Ratio, proportion and rates of change (statements R4, R5, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13). It is pitched at GCSE Higher and takes about 45 minutes to work through in full. It is built for independent practice, with full answers at the end for self-marking.

How to use the sheet well

Print it or open it on screen — both work. Printing is A4; the screen view fits phones and tablets.
Do all 24 questions before checking — about 45 minutes is the guide, but there is no time pressure.
Check the answers — press “Show answers” or print the answer page separately.
Redo the questions you got wrong — twice as effective as doing 24 fresh ones.
“New questions” — builds a fresh sheet on the same statements, so you can practise again without repeats.

Why this sheet helps

MathsUK worksheets use questions graded by difficulty and a fair spread of correct-answer positions (the answer is not always (a)) — so the student really has to think about each question rather than guess a pattern. Every question is tagged to a DfE content statement and checked before it enters the bank. The answers come with a step-by-step explanation, not just a value — so a wrong answer becomes a lesson.

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