Fractions, decimals and percentages are three ways of writing the same quantity. Being able to move between them, and to calculate with each, is the most widely used number skill in SPM.
This hub lists four repair skills that build on each other.
How do the three forms connect?
Picture this example. A school bag is marked RM80 with a 25% discount. The discount is 25% = 0.25 = ¼ of the marked amount, so ¼ of RM80 is RM20, and you pay RM60.
All three forms appeared in one problem. A student who can switch between them picks the easiest form for each step, here the fraction ¼.
In what order should you study the skills?
- Equivalent fractions and denominators: making fractions comparable.
- Adding and multiplying fractions: the two operations that behave differently.
- Converting between fractions, decimals and percentages: moving between forms.
- Solving percentage increase and decrease problems: applying it to prices and changes.
Each page has an original worked example, a typical mistake and a self-check with an explained answer.
Who should start where?
If adding fractions gives answers such as 5/7 for 2/3 + 3/4, begin at step one. If fractions are fine but percentages feel slippery, begin at step three. If you can convert but discount and interest questions confuse you, go to step four.
The percentage base and index explorer lets you test percentage changes interactively, and the prerequisite gap finder helps pick a starting point.
Where these skills lead
Ratio and proportion are close cousins, covered in ratio, proportion and rates. In exams, these skills appear in SPM Mathematics directly and in Accounting, Economics and Science calculations. Students who want a teacher to rebuild the weak step can look at how one-to-one Mathematics tuition is arranged.