How many sums in a minute?
You will answer a short set of sums for one minute and count only correct answers. Speed alone does not give the score, so checking is part of the challenge.
- Maths
- Explorer
- About 10 minutes
Grown-up needed: yes for setup, checking and any preparation of paper or small items
What you need
- A sheet of simple sums
- A pencil
- A timer
- A grown-up or partner to check
The rule
Right answers only.
How to do it
- Ask a partner to prepare ten familiar addition or subtraction questions.
- Read the scoring rule before starting.
- Start the one-minute timer.
- Write each answer beside its question.
- Stop writing when the timer ends.
- Check each answer with the partner and count only correct ones.
Why it works
A timed score combines accuracy with how many questions you attempted. Ten fast answers with several mistakes can score less than eight accurate ones. Practice may make familiar operations easier to recall, but a better score every day is not guaranteed. Question difficulty, tiredness and interruptions can all change the result. Comparing the same kind of questions keeps your interpretation fairer than comparing a simple sheet with a much harder one.
Make it harder
- Use slightly larger familiar numbers.
- Try the same question type another day.
- Explain one quick mental strategy while keeping every answer correct.
Ask Taz
- Why do wrong answers not count?
- Why does question difficulty change the score?
- Why can practice help without improving every attempt?
For grown-ups
Choose questions the child already understands and keep the timer friendly. Avoid treating a short score as a measure of intelligence or general maths ability. Review a mistake as a specific calculation to discuss. Ask at dinner: “Which strategy helped you stay accurate while working at a comfortable pace?”
Taz is an AI and can be wrong, so stay close by. Read how safety works on Taz.
Show us yours
Film your hands and what you made, not your face or name. Ask a grown-up before posting anywhere else.
Questions parents ask
How much preparation does this need?
Use the household items above and begin with one small example. A grown-up can prepare the space or checking sheet while the child chooses the prediction. The time is an estimate and includes a little room to repeat.
What if we get different answers?
Compare the rule, the method and what each person recorded. A difference can reveal a changed assumption or an ordinary variation, so check before deciding someone must be wrong.
Does the child have to share online?
No. Discuss the work at home first. Public sharing is optional and needs the grown-up permission and privacy wording above.
More to try
See all Taz Challenges, or look through the science labs. One place for every why. Ask for early access at aitaz.com