Maths Library

Money and Calculating Change: Year 2 maths

This topic covers recognising coin and note values, calculating totals, and working out change from transactions. Students practise multi-step real-world money word problems involving addition, subtraction, and unit decimal notation.

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What this covers

Money and Calculating Change is taught in Year 2 (age 6 to 7, KS1) as a main teaching focus. It sits in the Measurement strand.

Worked example

Oliver buys a book for £4.35 and a pen for £1.80. He pays with a £10 note. How much change does he receive

  1. Calculate total spent: 4.35 + 1.80 = 6.15.
  2. Subtract total spent from amount paid: 10.00 - 6.15.
  3. 10.00 - 6.15 = 3.85.

Answer: £3.85

Difficulty scale

The sheet generator offers five difficulty settings for this topic.

  1. Adding small coin combinations within 100p or $1.00.
  2. Finding change from whole currency units (£1, $1, £5, $5) for single items.
  3. Adding two to three decimal prices and finding change from £10 or $10.
  4. Multi-step purchase problems involving discounts or multiple identical items.
  5. Complex budgeting word problems involving multiple transactions and best-buy comparisons.

Common mistakes

  • Writing money values with incorrect decimal places, such as writing £4.5 instead of £4.50.
  • Mixing units incorrectly, e.g. adding 45p and £2 to get £47 or 47p.

Curriculum links

Indicative matches to National Curriculum for England. Check wording and codes against the official document.

  • Combine different coins and notes to make a particular value and calculate change in practical contexts.

Sample sheet and answers

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

Money and Calculating Change

Year 2 maths

Qs
6
Marks
12
NameDateScore / 12
1.
Two items cost 40p and £1.10. You pay with £5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
2.
Two items cost £1.00 and £1.50. You pay with £5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
3.
Two items cost £1.75 and £1.30. You pay with £5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
4.
Two items cost £1.80 and 90p. You pay with £5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
5.
Two items cost £2.10 and 50p. You pay with £5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
6.
Two items cost £1.20 and 30p. You pay with £5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]

Answer key

  1. £3.50Total: £1.50; £5.00 − £1.50 = £3.50
  2. £2.50Total: £2.50; £5.00 − £2.50 = £2.50
  3. £1.95Total: £3.05; £5.00 − £3.05 = £1.95
  4. £2.30Total: £2.70; £5.00 − £2.70 = £2.30
  5. £2.40Total: £2.60; £5.00 − £2.60 = £2.40
  6. £3.50Total: £1.50; £5.00 − £1.50 = £3.50