Best buy questions Quiz (Grade 3)

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Topic:

Score: 0 / 10

Best buy questions — Notes & Worked Examples Show / Hide

Explanation:

Best buy questions ask you to compare two or more offers and decide which one is better value for money. Always check that the units match first (for example, convert kilograms to grams using 1 kg = 1000 g, or litres to millilitres using 1 litre = 1000 ml).

Next, divide the price by the quantity to find the cost for a common amount (such as 1 item, 100 g, or 100 ml). On non-calculator papers, converting pounds into pence first avoids awkward decimals. Always finish with a clear sentence stating which option is better value.

Example Question 1:
A 300 g jar of honey costs £2.40.
A 500 g jar of honey costs £3.85.
Which jar is better value for money?

Solution:

Find the cost of 100 g for each jar:

• 300 g jar: 240p ÷ 3 = 80p per 100 g

• 500 g jar: 385p ÷ 5 = 77p per 100 g

77p < 80p, so the 500 g jar is better value.

Example Question 2:
Cola is sold in a pack of 6 cans (330 ml each) for £2.97, or a 2 litre bottle for £2.70.
Which option is better value for money?

Solution:

Convert both to ml (6 × 330 = 1980 ml; 2 L = 2000 ml):

• 6 cans (1980 ml): 297p ÷ 19.8 = 15p per 100 ml

• 2 L bottle (2000 ml): 270p ÷ 20 = 13.5p per 100 ml

13.5p < 15p, so the 2 litre bottle is better value.

One Page Guide (PDF) Best buy questions Worksheets

Question 1

[1 mark]

A supermarket sells two brands of coffee. Brand A is sold in 300g jars, and Brand B is sold in 600g jars.
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Which brand is better value for money?

Worked Solution & Answer

Divide the price by the quantity (or compare the total cost / points value of each option after applying any offer) to find the best value.
Brand A

Answer: Brand A

Question 2

[1 mark]

A decorator needs to buy white paint. They can buy a small 2 Litre tin or a large 5 Litre tub.
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Which option is better value for money?

Worked Solution & Answer

Divide the price by the quantity (or compare the total cost / points value of each option after applying any offer) to find the best value.
Small Tin

Answer: Small Tin

Question 3

[3 marks]

A shop sells compost in 20 litre bags and in 40 litre bags.
One day the shop had two special offers for the compost.

Which offer is the better value for money?
You must show how you get your answer.

Worked Solution & Answer

20L offer: 40 litres costs £3.50 M2
⇒ 120 litres costs 3 × £3.50 = £10.50. 40L offer: 3 × 40 = 120 litres costs £9. £9 < £10.50 so 40 litre bags are better value. A1

Answer: 40 litre bags (120 litres costs £9 vs £10.50, or 7.5p/litre vs 8.75p/litre)

Question Paper (PDF) • Mark Scheme (PDF)

Question 4

[3 marks]

Batteries are sold in packs of 4, in packs of 8 and in packs of 12

A pack of 4 batteries costs £1.80
A pack of 8 batteries costs £3.20
A pack of 12 batteries costs £6.00
Which pack gives the best value for money?
You must show how you get your answer.

Worked Solution & Answer

Pack of 4: £1.80 ÷ 4 = 45p per battery M1
Pack of 8: £3.20 ÷ 8 = 40p per battery M1
Pack of 12: £6.00 ÷ 12 = 50p per battery → Pack of 8 gives the best value for money A1

Answer: Pack of 8 (40p per battery vs 45p and 50p)

Question Paper (PDF) • Mark Scheme (PDF)

Question 5 AQA Jun 2025 2F Q17

[3 marks]

Packet A: 200 g for £1.10. Packet B: 500 g for £2.60. Which is better value? [3 marks]

Which packet of rice is better value for money?
Tick a box.
[ ] A [ ] B
You **must** show your working.

Worked Solution & Answer

Method 1 (cost per 100g): M1
Packet A: £1.10 ÷ 2 = £0.55 (55p per 100g)
Packet B: £2.60 ÷ 5 = £0.52 (52p per 100g)
Since 52p < 55p, Packet B is better value for money M1
Method 2 (scaling to 1000g):
Packet A: £1.10 × 5 = £5.50 per kg
Packet B: £2.60 × 2 = £5.20 per kg
Packet B is cheaper. C1

Answer: Packet B (52p per 100g vs 55p per 100g)

Question Paper (PDF) • Mark Scheme (PDF)

Question 6 IGCSE Nov 2023 2F Q15

[3 marks]

Yuan sells fudge in small bags and in large bags.

Work out which bag is the better value for money.
Show your working clearly.

Worked Solution & Answer

Small bag: 180p ÷ 150 g = 1.2p per g (or £0.012/g) M1
Large bag: 500p ÷ 400 g = 1.25p per g (or £0.0125/g) M1
Therefore the small bag is better value for money. A1

Answer: Small bag (1.2p/g vs 1.25p/g)

Question Paper (PDF) • Mark Scheme (PDF)

Question 7

[3 marks]

In London, a 200 g Choci bar costs £3.50. In Zurich, a 360 g Choci bar costs 7.20 Swiss francs. £1 = 1.25 Swiss francs. In which city is the Choci bar better value for money?

In London, a 200 g Choci bar costs £3.50
In Zurich, a 360 g Choci bar costs 7.20 Swiss francs.
The exchange rate is £1 = 1.25 Swiss francs.
In which city is the Choci bar the better value for money, in London or in Zurich?
You must show how you get your answer.

Worked Solution & Answer

7.20 ÷ 1.25 = £5.76 M2
£5.76 ÷ 360 = 1.6p per gram vs £3.50 ÷ 200 = 1.75p per gram ⇒ Zurich A1

Answer: Zurich (London = 1.75p/g; Zurich = £5.76 for 360 g = 1.6p/g)

Question Paper (PDF) • Mark Scheme (PDF)

Question 8

[4 marks]

A shop has two different special offers on milk.

Which offer gives the better value for money?
You must show how you get your answer.

Worked Solution & Answer

2-pint offer: 6 pints for £1.50 = 25p/pint. 4-pint offer: 8 pints for £1.92 = 24p/pint. 24p < 25p so the 4 pints offer is better value. M3 A1

Answer: 4 pints offer (24p per pint vs 25p per pint)

Question Paper (PDF) • Mark Scheme (PDF)

Question 9

[4 marks]

Food Mart and Jan’s Store sell boxes of the same type of breakfast cereal.
Each shop has a special offer.

Which box of cereal is the better value for money?
You must show your working.

Worked Solution & Answer

Food Mart: 400 g for £4 → 400 ÷ 4 = 100 g per £1. Jan’s Store: 520 g for £5 → 520 ÷ 5 = 104 g per £1. Jan’s Store is better value. M3 A1

Answer: Jan’s Store (104 g per £1 vs 100 g per £1 at Food Mart)

Question Paper (PDF) • Mark Scheme (PDF)

Question 10 OCR Nov 2018 1F Q15

[5 marks]

Tea bags of similar quality are sold in three different sized packs:

(a) Which pack is the best value for money?
Show how you decide. [4 marks]

(b) Explain why someone may buy a pack which is not the best value for money. [1 mark]

Worked Solution & Answer

(a)

Cost per tea bag: M1
Small: 210 ÷ 80 = 2.625p per bag M1
Medium: 355 ÷ 150 = 2.367p per bag M1
Large: 525 ÷ 220 = 2.386p per bag.
**Medium pack** is the best value because it has the lowest cost per tea bag A1

Answer (a): Medium pack (2.37p per bag vs 2.625p Small and 2.386p Large)

(b)

They may not have enough money for a larger pack, or they live alone and only want a small pack C1

Answer (b): E.g. They may only have £2.10 or only need a small number of tea bags

Question Paper (PDF) • Mark Scheme (PDF)

Score: 0 / 10 (0 / 30 marks)

Best buy questions Worksheets Next: Substitution →

Grade 3 Quizzes

24 Topics

3A - Error intervals	3B - Operations with fractions
3C - Estimation	3D - Writing and simplifying ratio
3E - Ratio	3F - Proportion recipes
3G - Percentages	3H - Percentage change
3J - Exchange rates	3K - Conversions and units
3L - Scale drawings	3M - Best buy questions
3N - Substitution	3P - Solving linear equations
3Q - Straight line graphs	3R - Area and circumference
3S - Rotations	3T - Reflections
3U - Enlargements	3V - Translations
3W - Mixed transformations	3X - Area of compound shapes
3Y - Frequency trees	3Z - Two way tables