Perimeter of a Square: Worked Example
22 October 2026

Understanding how to find the perimeter of a square is a key skill for 11+ maths. When each side of a shape is the same length, working out the total distance around it becomes much easier.
This step-by-step example shows exactly what to do if your child is given the length of one side of a square.

Worked example
A square has sides of 6 cm. What is its perimeter?
There are 4 sides in a square.
Each side is 6 cm.
Perimeter = 4 × 6 cm
4 × 6 = 24
The correct answer is 24 cm.
Key insight: Once your child knows that all four sides of a square are equal, they can quickly work out the perimeter by multiplying the length of one side by four.
Now your child can spot perimeter questions with squares and use this method every time. More practice questions like this are ready for your child to try next.



