Rounding to powers of ten for 11+ maths
21 October 2026
Rounding to powers of ten
Rounding numbers to the nearest ten, hundred or thousand is a core skill for 11+ maths. It helps children estimate, check answers and work confidently with large numbers.
How to round to a power of ten
First, decide which power of ten you are rounding to. This could be the nearest ten, hundred, thousand or higher. Look at the digit immediately to the right of your chosen place.
Worked example
Let's round 3748 to the nearest thousand.
Step 1: Identify the digit in the thousands place. Here, it is 3.
Step 2: Look at the digit to the right, in the hundreds place. This is 7.
Step 3: If this digit is 5 or more, round up. If it is 4 or less, round down. In this case, 7 is more than 5, so we round up.
Step 4: Increase the thousands digit by 1 (3 + 1 = 4) and replace all digits to the right with zeros.
The answer is 4000.
Why this skill matters
Key insight: Rounding to powers of ten helps children make quick estimates and check calculations. It is a reliable way to simplify problems and avoid mistakes with large numbers in 11+ exams.
