Maths · KS3 · Ratios
KS3 Ratio Practice for Years 7–9
Ratio compares quantities multiplicatively. The key question is not how far apart two quantities are, but how many times one quantity relates to another and whether the same scale factor is preserved.
What to understand in this topic
- read and write ratio notation in the correct order
- scale both parts of a ratio by the same factor
- distinguish multiplicative comparison from additive difference
- connect ratio with fractions, percentages and proportional contexts
A common point of confusion
A ratio of 2:3 does not mean the quantities differ by 1 in every equivalent situation. Equivalent ratios preserve a multiplicative relationship, such as 2:3 = 4:6 = 10:15.
Try a quick example
Question: Red and blue counters are in the ratio 2:3. If there are 10 red counters, how many blue counters are there?
Answer: 15
The red part has been multiplied by 5, from 2 to 10, so the blue part must also be multiplied by 5: 3 × 5 = 15.
This is a fixed educational example on the page, not a customer result and not a live tutor response.
What a parent can try at home
Use a recipe ratio such as 2 cups of one ingredient to 3 cups of another. Scale the recipe up and down and ask why both quantities must use the same scale factor.
How NexEdu practises this
NexEdu can practise ratio notation, equivalent ratios and proportional reasoning through multiple-choice questions. Drawing a bar model or ratio table on paper can make the multiplicative structure easier to see.
NexEdu provides guided questions throughout the child’s available daily tutoring time. A hint can follow an incorrect answer, and two consecutive incorrect answers trigger a brief reteach before practice continues. Same-day topic progress can resume where the child left off.
Related learning
About the information on this page
The educational summary is written to help parents understand the topic and its place in the National Curriculum in England. Product statements describe the current NexEdu implementation; they are not promises of a particular grade, score or rate of progress.