What does a child have to do to share a total in a ratio in the 11+?

Divide one total into parts in a stated ratio. It is one of 55 named maths skills in the 11+, in the ratio strand, and this page carries 1 interactive exercise that practises it.

What is the trap in an 11+ share a total in a ratio question?

5 parts belong to Erin, so the larger share is not always the one asked for. The wrong answers on this skill are built out of that, not out of random numbers, so it is worth naming out loud before your child meets it under time pressure.

What can I say if my child is stuck on share a total in a ratio?

Point at the next move rather than explaining the whole rule. Add the two parts of the ratio together first - that tells you how many equal groups the 60 stickers split into.

What is not part of share a total in a ratio in the 11+?

The skill map draws the line here: One ratio and one total. A question past that line is testing a different named maths skill, which is worth knowing before you spend a week practising the wrong one.

Which other 11+ skills should we practise alongside share a total in a ratio?

The skill map connects it to scale quantities in a ratio. Both use multiplicative comparison but solve different structures. That skill has its own page here.

How can my child practise share a total in a ratio for free?

Use Share Out, embedded on this page. It is the exercise the skill map attaches to share a total in a ratio, it runs in the browser with no account to make, these exercises are not scored and do not save learner records. The separate quiz sends answers for marking and shows a score, without saving an assessment record. It also has its own link, so you can send it to a child without sending them anywhere else first.

Maths · Ratio

Share a total in a ratio

Divide one total into parts in a stated ratio.

Watch the worked example

Open the video page

One Part Unlocks the Split

This video shows how to divide a total into parts in a given ratio and check that the parts add to the whole. Watch an 11+ maths question solved step by step.

0:00 / 2:38

Turn on captions with the CC button. Jump to any part with the chapter buttons.

Read the transcript

Keep practising with Trace Learn. Find topics to practise next

Quick quiz: Share a total in a ratio

10 questions, with feedback after each one. No sign-up needed.

Read the questions in this quiz

Question 1
A total of 198 tokens is shared between Devi and Farid in the ratio 3:8. How many tokens does Devi get?
3/11
- A.54
- B.18
- C.144
- D.99
Question 2
A total of 429 stickers is shared between Farid and Devi in the ratio 8:5. How many stickers does Farid get?
8/13
- A.264
- B.165
- C.33
- D.297
Question 3
A total of 308 marbles is shared between Grace and Bella in the ratio 7:4. How many marbles does Grace get?
7/11
- A.154
- B.112
- C.196
- D.28
Question 4
A total of 396 tokens is shared between Grace and Amina in the ratio 7:4. How many tokens does Grace get?
7/11
- A.198
- B.252
- C.144
- D.36
Question 5
A total of 494 buttons is shared between Bella and Erin in the ratio 5:8. How many buttons does Bella get?
5/13
- A.304
- B.38
- C.190
- D.247
Question 6
A total of 264 shells is shared between Farid and Amina in the ratio 7:5. How many shells does Farid get?
7/12
- A.132
- B.22
- C.110
- D.154
Question 7
A total of 455 stickers is shared between Callum and Hugo in the ratio 5:8. How many stickers does Callum get?
5/13
- A.35
- B.280
- C.210
- D.175
Question 8
A total of 576 counters is shared between Farid and Erin in the ratio 7:9. How many counters does Farid get?
7/16
- A.252
- B.36
- C.324
- D.288
Question 9
A total of 408 buttons is shared between Farid and Erin in the ratio 7:5. How many buttons does Farid get?
7/12
- A.204
- B.34
- C.238
- D.170
Question 10
A total of 143 beads is shared between Erin and Amina in the ratio 8:5. How many beads does Erin get?
8/13
- A.55
- B.11
- C.99
- D.88

Practise it now

Share £220 between Ella and Kira in the ratio 5 : 6. How much more money does Kira get than Ella?

Loading the interactive exercise. Nothing you do here is saved or scored.

A worked example

One question of the kind this skill is tested with, worked all the way through: the reasoning, and what the wrong answers are there to catch.

Sharing an amount in a ratio

A total of 60 stickers is shared between Grace and Erin in the ratio 1:5. How many stickers does Grace get?

The whole bar is the total, split into 6 equal parts.

1/6

Answer: 10

How you get there

The ratio 1:5 makes 6 equal parts, so one part is 60 divided by 6, which is 10, and Grace takes 1 of those parts, which equals 10.

Why the other answers tempt

5 parts belong to Erin, so the larger share is not always the one asked for.

If they are stuck, say this

Add the two parts of the ratio together first - that tells you how many equal groups the 60 stickers split into.

Now do it live in Share Out

Kitchen-table script for parents

Try this together

A friendly mini script for the breakfast table, school run or a quiet two minutes. Read it aloud as written, or make it your own.

Ready? Let's try Share a total in a ratio together. Take a look at the picture. Here is what matters: The whole bar is the total, split into 6 equal parts. A bar cut into 6 equal parts, with 1 of them shaded. Fraction bars: 1/6, 1 of 6 equal parts shaded. Here comes the question: A total of 60 stickers is shared between Grace and Erin in the ratio 1:5. How many stickers does Grace get? A handy clue is: Add the two parts of the ratio together first - that tells you how many equal groups the 60 stickers split into. Nice work. Here is the thinking: The ratio 1:5 makes 6 equal parts, so one part is 60 divided by 6, which is 10, and Grace takes 1 of those parts, which equals 10. So our answer is: 10. One sneaky trap is: 5 parts belong to Erin, so the larger share is not always the one asked for. Can you show me the first move in your own words? No rush; one calm step is enough.

What this exercise is doing

Share Out

Share £220 between Ella and Kira in the ratio 5 : 6. How much more money does Kira get than Ella?

Add the ratio parts first: $5 + 6 = 11$ equal shares. $220 \div 11 = 20$ , so every single share is worth £20. Kira holds 6 and Ella holds 5, so the gap is 1 x $20 = £ 20$ . Notice the shares add straight back up to 220 - nothing is left over, because the total was cut into 11 equal pieces in the first place.

Step 1. One share. Cut £220 into 11 equal shares. Set the block size until they fill the bar exactly.
Step 2. Share out. How much more money does Kira get than Ella?

What to say if they get stuck

The ratio 5 : 6 means the whole lot is cut into 11 equal shares, not 2.
$220 \div 11 = 20$ , so one share is worth £20.
Kira takes 6 shares and Ella takes 5, a gap of 1 shares.

Open Share Out on its own page to share it

Where share a total in a ratio sits in the 11+

The 11+ does not test these skills in isolation, and practising one in the wrong order wastes the practice. These are the skills the curriculum map connects this one to.

Sits alongside: Scale quantities in a ratio
Both use multiplicative comparison but solve different structures.

Questions parents ask about share a total in a ratio

What this skill involves, common mistakes and ways to practise it at home.

: Divide one total into parts in a stated ratio. It is one of 55 named maths skills in the 11+, in the ratio strand, and this page carries 1 interactive exercise that practises it.
: 5 parts belong to Erin, so the larger share is not always the one asked for. The wrong answers on this skill are built out of that, not out of random numbers, so it is worth naming out loud before your child meets it under time pressure.
: Point at the next move rather than explaining the whole rule. Add the two parts of the ratio together first - that tells you how many equal groups the 60 stickers split into.
: The skill map draws the line here: One ratio and one total. A question past that line is testing a different named maths skill, which is worth knowing before you spend a week practising the wrong one.
: The skill map connects it to scale quantities in a ratio. Both use multiplicative comparison but solve different structures. That skill has its own page here.
: Use Share Out, embedded on this page. It is the exercise the skill map attaches to share a total in a ratio, it runs in the browser with no account to make, these exercises are not scored and do not save learner records. The separate quiz sends answers for marking and shows a score, without saving an assessment record. It also has its own link, so you can send it to a child without sending them anywhere else first.

Knowing which maths topic to practise is most of the work

A free diagnostic covers arithmetic, fractions, geometry, measure and data handling, and comes back with the topics to spend the next few weeks on.