Mental subtraction speed drill
Two minutes of subtraction, the operation most people are slowest at.
Start the subtraction drill2 minutes, works on phones
How to subtract faster in your head
- Count up. For 143 − 58, go 58 to 60 (2), to 100 (40), to 143 (43): the answer is 85.
- Round the number you take away. 92 − 39 is 92 − 40 + 1 = 53.
- Know the size of the answer. In this drill it is always between 2 and 100.
How the drill works
Questions are additions in reverse, like 131 − 64. The answer is accepted as soon as it is right.
Also called mental subtraction practice, a take-away speed test or a minus drill.
Questions people ask
Why is subtraction slower than addition?
Borrowing breaks your flow. Counting up turns subtraction back into addition, which is why it is usually quicker.
Does subtraction come up in trading tests?
Yes. Reported formats for trading firm tests include all four operations, often with larger numbers and decimals.