Where do I start?

This takes about two minutes. Nobody sees your answers. There is no score.

  1. 1 Start at rung 1. Answer every question on it.

  2. 2 Open each Check. Were they all right? Climb to the next rung.

  3. 3 Stop at your first miss. That rung is your level. The check names your first book.

If a book feels too easy, go up one. Going down is normal too. Most people start lower than they expect.

Mathematics

  1. Rung 1

    1. How many stones are there?

      Thirteen stones in rows.
      1. A 12
      2. B 13
      3. C 31
      Check

      13

      Missed it? Your first book is M1.1 Counting to 20, and zero.

    2. There were 9 stones. The 4 black ones are taken away. How many are left?

      Nine stones. Four of them are black.
      Check

      5

      Missed it? Your first book is M1.3 Adding and taking away.

    3. Which shape is a triangle?

      Three shapes: A is a square, B is a circle, C is a triangle standing on its point.ABC
      1. A Shape A
      2. B Shape B
      3. C Shape C
      Check

      Shape C

      Missed it? Your first book is M1.5 Shapes around us.

  2. Rung 2

    1. Work it out: 47 + 36

      Check

      83

      Missed it? Your first book is M2.2 Adding and taking away big numbers.

    2. Which bar has one quarter shaded?

      Bar A is cut into 4 parts of different sizes, with one shaded. Bar B is cut into 4 equal parts, with one shaded.AB
      1. A Bar A
      2. B Bar B
      Check

      Bar B

      Missed it? Your first book is M2.4 Fractions.

    3. How many stones? Try to find a quick way.

      Stones in 4 rows of 6.
      Check

      24

      Missed it? Your first book is M2.3 Times tables and sharing.

  3. Rung 3

    1. Which is bigger: 0.5 or 0.35?

      1. A 0.5
      2. B 0.35
      Check

      0.5

      Missed it? Your first book is M3.3 Fractions, decimals and percentages.

    2. Start at −3. Add 5. Where do you land?

      A number line from −4 to 4 with a dot at start, on −3.−4−3−2−101234start
      Check

      2

      Missed it? Your first book is M3.1 Negative numbers, factors and powers.

    3. Find x: 3x + 5 = 20

      Check

      x = 5

      Missed it? Your first book is M3.8 Letters for numbers and simple equations.

  4. Rung 4

    1. Solve: x² − 5x + 6 = 0

      Check

      x = 2 or x = 3

      Missed it? Your first book is M4.9 Quadratics.

    2. A right angled triangle has short sides 6 cm and 8 cm. How long is the longest side?

      Check

      10 cm

      Missed it? Your first book is M4.3 Pythagoras and trigonometry.

    3. Write 3 × 10⁴ as an ordinary number.

      Check

      30 000

      Missed it? Your first book is M4.1 Powers, roots, surds and standard form.

  5. Every answer right, all the way up? Start at Level 5 with M5.1 Functions, polynomials and the binomial.

Science

Your Science level is where you stop on this ladder, but never more than one above your Maths level.

  1. Rung 1

    1. Read: "The cat is under the box." Where is the cat?

      1. A on the box
      2. B under the box
      3. C next to the box
      Check

      under the box

      Missed it? Your first book is S1.3 My body, my senses, keeping well.

    2. Which one is alive?

      1. A a tree
      2. B a stone
      3. C a car
      4. D a fire
      Check

      a tree

      Missed it? Your first book is S1.1 Plants from seeds.

  2. Rung 2

    1. Read: "Ice melts into water when it gets warm." What does warm ice turn into?

      1. A steam
      2. B water
      3. C stone
      Check

      water

      Missed it? Your first book is S2.4 Solids, liquids, gases and the water cycle.

    2. Which of these make their own light?

      Four things: the Sun, the Moon, a candle and a mirror.SunMooncandlemirror
      1. A the Sun and the candle
      2. B the Sun, the Moon and the candle
      3. C all four
      Check

      the Sun and the candle

      Missed it? Your first book is S2.6 Light and shadows.

  3. Rung 3

    1. Read: "In a solid, the particles are fixed in place. In a liquid, they touch but can slide past each other." Which one can you pour?

      1. A the solid
      2. B the liquid
      Check

      the liquid

      Missed it? Your first book is S3.5 Particles.

    2. You throw a ball straight up. At the very top it stops for a moment. Which force is acting on it there?

      1. A no force at all
      2. B gravity, pulling it down
      3. C a force pushing it up
      Check

      gravity, pulling it down

      Gravity never stops. The ball stops going up because gravity has slowed it to nothing.

      Missed it? Your first book is S3.7 Speed, forces and pressure.

  4. Rung 4

    1. Read: "A series circuit has only one path. If one bulb breaks, the path is broken." Two bulbs are in series and one breaks. What happens to the other?

      1. A It stays on.
      2. B It goes out.
      3. C It gets brighter.
      Check

      It goes out.

      Missed it? Your first book is S4.12 Circuits and Ohm's law.

    2. Where does most of the dry wood in a tree come from?

      1. A the soil
      2. B the water
      3. C the air
      4. D the sunlight
      Check

      the air

      Wood is mostly carbon, and a tree takes its carbon from carbon dioxide in the air. Water adds a little. The soil adds very little.

      Missed it? Your first book is S4.1 Cells, photosynthesis and respiration.

  5. Every answer right, all the way up? Start at Level 5 with S5.1 Molecules and cells.