About this worksheet

This free Year 8 rates and unit rates worksheet is written for the Western Australian curriculum and mapped to SCSA content description WA8MNAUN6. It targets one skill so students can practise until it sticks: by the end, students can say “I can write rates with units, find unit rates to compare best buys, convert speeds and use speed, distance and time.”

What’s inside

• Key idea box – a short explanation with worked examples to read before starting.
• A · Fluency (16 questions) – quick practice to build accuracy.
• B · Core (10 questions) – worded problems set in everyday Australian contexts.
• C · Reasoning (4 questions) – explain, justify and spot the error.
• D · Challenge (4 questions) – harder multi-step and problem-solving questions for students ready to stretch.
• Separate marking key – every answer with working, plus mark allocations and marking criteria for reasoning questions.

Skills covered

• Calculating unit rates to compare best buys
• Using speed, distance and time
• Converting rates such as km/h to m/s and mL/min to L/h

How to use this worksheet

Start with the Key idea box, then complete Section A (use a calculator only where a question says so). Most students should attempt Sections B and C; Section D suits students aiming for the top of the class or preparing for accelerated or extension maths. The worksheet is marked out of 58, and the score box on the last page helps students see which section needs more practice.

Common mistakes to watch for

• Dividing the wrong way round
• Leaving out or mixing units in a rate
• Treating minutes as decimals of an hour, e.g. 2 h 15 min = 2.15 h
• Comparing prices for different quantities

Where this fits in the WA Year 8 sequence

Rates and Unit Rates sits in the Understanding number sub-strand of Number and algebra. It is one of a set of short, single-skill EduLift worksheets that split each Year 8 content description into sub-skills. Use the previous and next links to work through the sequence in order.

Common errors we see in tutoring

• Dividing the wrong way round
• Leaving out or mixing units in a rate
• Treating minutes as decimals of an hour, e.g. 2 h 15 min = 2.15 h
• Comparing prices for different quantities