Start by identifying three things:

What do I know?

What am I trying to find?

What information actually matters?

Underline or mentally identify important numbers, conditions and relationships. Then break the problem into smaller steps.

If you cannot immediately see the solution, try representing the problem differently. Draw a diagram, create a table, write a number sentence or test a simple example.

Multiple-choice questions offer another useful strategy: elimination. Sometimes proving that three options cannot be correct is easier than calculating the answer directly.

You should also avoid spending excessive time on one question. In a timed assessment, getting stuck can cost you marks elsewhere.

Use a simple decision rule:

Understand → Attempt → Check → Move on if necessary.

After the test, revisit every difficult question. Ask why you became stuck.

Was the problem:

• Lack of knowledge?

• Misreading?

• Incorrect strategy?

• Too many steps?

• Time pressure?

That diagnosis matters.

The strongest mathematical problem-solvers are not students who immediately know every answer. They are students who can change strategies when their first approach does not work.