ParaPathways Decimals Practice: Quick Lesson and Sample Questions
Decimal questions appear throughout the Numbers and Operations category of the ParaPathways Mathematics module. The on-screen calculator handles decimal arithmetic directly, so these questions test place value and problem setup more than computation.
Decimal questions on the ParaPathways Mathematics module (ETS 5759) fall under the Numbers and Operations category and cover place value, comparing and ordering, money problems, and multiplying or dividing by powers of 10, within a 36-question, 60-minute subtest that includes an on-screen four-function calculator. The calculator adds, subtracts, multiplies, and divides, but it cannot tell you which decimal is larger or what a digit means. Build those skills here, then apply them on the free 36-question Math practice test.
Decimals on the ParaPathways: what you need to know
Start with place value. In the number 4.276, the 2 sits in the tenths place, the 7 sits in the hundredths place, and the 6 sits in the thousandths place. Each position to the right is worth 10 times less than the one before it. Here is the honest part: if you handle money, you already do decimal arithmetic every week. What fades after years away from school is the vocabulary, and naming tenths versus hundredths on demand is most of what the test actually checks.
Comparing decimals trips up more test takers than any calculation. Pad the shorter number with zeros until both have the same length, then compare digit by digit. To compare 0.5 and 0.35, rewrite 0.5 as 0.50. Now 50 hundredths beats 35 hundredths, so 0.5 is greater.
Rounding follows one rule. Look at the digit to the right of the target place. Round up if it is 5 or more, and keep the digit if it is 4 or less. So 3.276 rounds to 3.28 at the hundredths place. The full rule with more examples is on the rounding page.
Converting between decimals and fractions comes up often. Read the decimal aloud to find the fraction: 0.75 is 75 hundredths, or 75/100, which reduces to 3/4. Going the other way, divide the numerator by the denominator on the calculator. Memorize the common pairs: 0.5 = 1/2, 0.25 = 1/4, 0.2 = 1/5, and 0.1 = 1/10.
Money problems are decimals in disguise. Prices always carry 2 decimal places, and change problems are subtraction problems. The calculator does the arithmetic, but you must set up the operation and place the numbers correctly.
Multiplying or dividing by 10, 100, or 1,000 just shifts the decimal point. Multiply and the point moves right one place per zero, so 6.47 times 100 = 647. Divide and the point moves left, so 35.2 divided by 10 = 3.52. Knowing the shift lets you skip the calculator and save seconds.
Watch 2 common traps. First, 0.5 and 0.05 differ by a factor of 10, and answer choices often include both. Second, longer does not mean larger: 0.8 is greater than 0.7999. Expect classroom framing throughout, such as averaging quiz scores, measuring materials, or spotting a student’s decimal mistake.
Sample questions
Work each question before checking the answer, and set up the problem before touching the calculator.
Question 1
Which of the following decimals is the greatest?
- A. 0.605
- B. 0.65
- C. 0.7
- D. 0.072
Show answer
C. Pad each number to 3 places: 0.605, 0.650, 0.700, 0.072. Comparing the tenths digits, 7 is the largest, so 0.7 is greatest.
Question 2
In the number 5.384, which digit is in the hundredths place?
- A. 3
- B. 8
- C. 4
- D. 5
Show answer
B. The first digit after the decimal point is tenths, and the second is hundredths. The second digit after the point is 8.
Question 3
A paraprofessional buys 4 packs of markers for the classroom at $2.35 per pack. She pays with a $10 bill. How much change does she receive?
- A. $0.60
- B. $1.40
- C. $7.65
- D. $9.40
Show answer
A. Multiply first: 4 times $2.35 = $9.40. Then subtract: $10.00 minus $9.40 = $0.60.
Question 4
What is 6.47 times 100?
- A. 0.0647
- B. 64.7
- C. 647
- D. 6,470
Show answer
C. Multiplying by 100 moves the decimal point 2 places to the right. So 6.47 becomes 647.
Question 5
Which fraction is equal to 0.75?
- A. 7/5
- B. 3/4
- C. 1/4
- D. 7/50
Show answer
B. Read 0.75 as 75 hundredths, or 75/100. Divide the top and bottom by 25 to get 3/4.
Question 6
A student says 0.35 is greater than 0.4 because 35 is greater than 4. What should the paraprofessional explain?
- A. The student is correct because 35 > 4
- B. Compare the tenths digits first: 3 is less than 4, so 0.35 < 0.4
- C. Both decimals are equal when rounded
- D. Decimals with more digits are always greater
Show answer
B. Pad 0.4 to 0.40, then compare place by place. Since 35 hundredths is less than 40 hundredths, 0.35 is smaller. The student compared the digits as whole numbers instead of by place value.
Review more skills in the study guide, then time yourself on the full Math practice test. It scores instantly and breaks results down by skill, so you can see whether decimals are still a weak spot or already handled.
Drill decimals inside the full Math module, timed.
Take the free Math practice testRelated lessons: Fractions · Percentages · Rounding & Estimation
ParaPathways Practice provides free practice tests for the ETS ParaPathways Assessment (5757). This site is not affiliated with ETS.