# Math Help - increase percentage problem

1. ## increase percentage problem

Hi guys

I am having problems with this example, not sure how I would go about this without using a calculator.

All 300 Year 11 pupils in a school took GCSE English. The number of pupils gaining grade C
or above increased from 85% in the mock exam to 93% in the actual exam.
How many more pupils gained grade C or above in the actual exam than in the mock exam?

Help please

Thank you

2. Originally Posted by shaz09
Hi guys

I am having problems with this example, not sure how I would go about this without using a calculator.

All 300 Year 11 pupils in a school took GCSE English. The number of pupils gaining grade C
or above increased from 85% in the mock exam to 93% in the actual exam.
How many more pupils gained grade C or above in the actual exam than in the mock exam?

Help please
Thank you
What is 85% of 300? What is 93% of 300? What is the difference between those two numbers?

3. Not sure what you mean

but do you mean turn to fraction so 85% would become 17/20

? how would i do this to 93?

4. Originally Posted by shaz09
All 300 Year 11 pupils in a school took GCSE English. The number of pupils gaining grade C
or above increased from 85% in the mock exam to 93% in the actual exam.
How many more pupils gained grade C or above in the actual exam than in the mock exam?
The increase: 93 - 85 = 8%
1% of 300 = 3 ; so 8% = 24 ; follow that?

5. thank you, I never knew that before

6. Are you really saying you do not know how to find a percentage of a number?

I asked "what is 85% of 300". That is: 0.85*300= 255.

I asked "what is 93% of 300". That is: 0.93*300= 279

Since 255 students got a "C" or better the first time and 279 got a "C" or better the second time, they improved by 279-255= 24 students.

Of course, Wilmer's method works too. But I think this is a little more direct.

7. ## well

Hard to tell, Mr Hall.
He seems to be trying to find the easiest way to solve without calculator.
So I guess he'll get as many "answers" as there is "responders"!

8. Hi Hall

I am revising for a exam which I have to do as part of my course, you can take as many times. I am not trying to do a home work or anything like that, the exam has 16 questions and they are all mental articmatic questions. you have 54 secs to complete the question.

Without using a calculator, I find this hard however i am revising and trying to find the best methods to answer the questions quickly.

Thank you

9. ## Percentage problems

Hi guys

Having problems with these types of questions

for example say in a class of 30, 40% achieved half marks or above. How many people have gained less then half marks

Okey so we have 40% and 30 students

60% have gained less then half marks

we can make this 3/5 and then divide 30 by 5 to make it 6 and then * 6 by 3

Is this right?

please let me know?

10. $\text{60}\% \;\text{of}\; 30 = \frac{3}{5} \cdot 30 = 18$
Yes.

01

11. Hi yeongil

Thank you for the the correct answer, just wasnt sure but i am now?