Maths Library

Subtraction Within 100: Year 2 maths

This topic covers subtracting one- and two-digit numbers from numbers up to 100, focusing on counting back and partitioning. Pupils develop accuracy with mental subtraction both with and without crossing a ten boundary.

Open in full editor

What this covers

Subtraction Within 100 is taught in Year 2 (age 7 to 8) as a main teaching focus. It sits in the Number strand.

Worked example

Calculate: 62 - 27

  1. Partition 27 into 20 and 7.
  2. Subtract the tens: 62 - 20 = 42.
  3. Subtract the remaining ones: 42 - 7 = 35.

Answer: 35

Difficulty scale

The sheet generator offers five difficulty settings for this topic.

  1. Subtracting a 1-digit number from a 2-digit number without crossing ten (e.g., 48 - 5)
  2. Subtracting a 1-digit number crossing ten (e.g., 43 - 7)
  3. Subtracting multiples of 10 from any 2-digit number (e.g., 74 - 30)
  4. Subtracting two 2-digit numbers without borrowing (e.g., 58 - 23)
  5. Subtracting two 2-digit numbers with borrowing across ten (e.g., 71 - 38)

Common mistakes

  • Subtracting the smaller digit from the larger digit regardless of position (e.g., 52 - 17 -> 2 - 7 becomes 7 - 2 = 5)
  • Counting back incorrectly across the decade boundary

Curriculum links

Indicative matches to Australian Curriculum v9. Check wording and codes against the official document.

  • AC9M2N03 Perform addition and subtraction with two-digit numbers using mental and written strategies.

Sample sheet and answers

Six questions at the level's usual difficulty. Open the editor to change, add or regenerate any of them.

Subtraction Within 100

Year 2 maths

Qs
6
Marks
12
NameDateScore / 12
1.
91 − 46 =
[2]
2.
56 − 31 =
[2]
3.
57 − 44 =
[2]
4.
23 − 4 =
[2]
5.
49 − 15 =
[2]
6.
12 − 2 =
[2]

Answer key

  1. 4591 − 46 = 45
  2. 2556 − 31 = 25
  3. 1357 − 44 = 13
  4. 1923 − 4 = 19
  5. 3449 − 15 = 34
  6. 1012 − 2 = 10