Subtraction

What is the secret to subtracting decimals cleanly? Like adding them, it comes down to lining up the points and borrowing carefully, and these quizzes turn that into a habit.

Subtracting Decimals with Borrowing

You will work from the tenths place out to the thousandths, with differences like 8.7 - 6.6 = 2.1 and 0.64 - 0.19 = 0.45, plus a few true or false items to verify. The numbers climb into the hundreds in the later sets, while the method stays the same.

The golden rule is to stack the decimal points so every digit sits over its matching place, then subtract column by column from the right. Borrowing is the main thing to slow down for, especially when a top digit is smaller than the one beneath it. These quizzes suit beginner to intermediate learners. Some problems need a borrow that crosses the decimal point, which is the part most worth slowing down for.

Did You Know?

Adding trailing zeros makes subtraction far easier. Rewriting 10.5 as 10.500 lets you line it up against a value like 1.477 without changing its size, so every column has a partner.

Borrowing can chain through several columns at once. In a problem like 10.240 - 1.477, a single borrow can ripple across more than one place, which is why working steadily from right to left pays off.

How the Quizzes Work

Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the three until borrowing stops slowing you down. Returning to the longer, multi-borrow problems a few times is what builds real confidence with decimals. The steady, column-by-column approach is the same one that makes addition reliable, so the two skills reinforce each other. Ready to subtract without slips? Try the free interactive math quizzes and start at your level.

1. Subtracting Hundredths

Work on subtracting decimals to two places, the hundredths, across this 12-question quiz. You will tackle differences such as 0.64 - 0.19 = ? and 54.25 - 4.07 = ?, plus a couple of true or false items to verify. Borrowing is the main thing to watch here, especially when the top number has a smaller digit in the hundredths column than the one below it. Lining everything up by place value, then borrowing as needed, keeps the whole process tidy and far less error-prone. Recommended level: beginner to intermediate.

score: 96% (everyone)

12 questions

2. Subtracting Tenths

This 12-question quiz practices subtracting decimals at the tenths place, a solid first step into decimal subtraction. You will solve differences like 1.0 - 0.2 = ? and 8.7 - 6.6 = ?, with a few true or false statements thrown in to keep you alert. As with adding, the golden rule is to stack the decimal points so each digit sits over its matching place before you subtract. Some problems need a little borrowing across the decimal point, which is the part most worth slowing down for. Recommended level: beginner.

score: 79% (everyone)

12 questions

3. Subtracting Thousandths

This 12-question quiz takes decimal subtraction out to the thousandths place, with numbers ranging up into the hundreds. Expect problems like 10.240 - 1.477 = ? and 78.302 - 3.267 = ?, along with a few true or false checks. With three places after the point, borrowing can chain through several columns at once, so working steadily from right to left is the safest approach. It also helps to add trailing zeros so both numbers have the same number of decimal places before you start. Recommended level: intermediate.

score: 100% (everyone)

12 questions