Elementary School Math Quiz: Compare Two Digit Numbers
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Compare Two Digit NumbersQuestion 1 of 20

Which symbol makes this true: 67   67?

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Elementary School Math Quiz

Elementary School Math Quiz: Compare Two Digit Numbers

Practice Compare Two Digit Numbers in Elementary School Math with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Compare Two Digit Numbers, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Elementary School Math.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Which symbol makes this true: 67   67?

  1. <
  2. = (correct answer)
Explanation: When you compare two numbers, you're deciding whether one is bigger, smaller, or exactly the same as the other. Three special symbols help you show this: the "less than" sign, the "greater than" sign, and the "equals" sign. The trick is to look carefully at both numbers first. Here, both numbers are 67. They have the same digits in the same places—the same 6 in the tens spot and the same 7 in the ones spot. Since the numbers are identical, they are equal, so the "equals" sign (=) is what makes the sentence true: 67 = 67. The "less than" sign (<) would say the first 67 is smaller than the second 67, but a number can't be smaller than itself. The "greater than" sign (>) would say the first 67 is bigger than the second, but a number can't be bigger than itself either. Both of those signs are only correct when the two numbers are actually different. The blank last choice offers no symbol at all, so it can't make the sentence true—every comparison needs a symbol in the middle. A handy memory trick for the future: the "greater than" and "less than" signs look like a hungry alligator's mouth, and the mouth always opens toward the bigger number. But when both numbers match exactly, the alligator isn't hungry for either side—you use the equals sign, which is just two matching lines, perfect for two matching numbers.

Question 2

Jamal has 3 tens and 8 ones; Emma has 4 tens and 5 ones. Which symbol makes this true: 38   45?

  1. < (correct answer)
  2. =
Explanation: When you compare two numbers, the trick is to look at the tens place first, because tens are worth more than ones. Think of the symbols like a hungry mouth: the open side always "eats" the bigger number, so the small end points to the smaller number. Jamal has 3 tens and 8 ones, which is 30 + 8 = 38. Emma has 4 tens and 5 ones, which is 40 + 5 = 45. Now compare the tens: Jamal has 3 tens, but Emma has 4 tens. Since 3 tens is less than 4 tens, 38 is smaller than 45. That means you write 38 < 45, with the pointy end aimed at the smaller number, 38. The "equals" choice would only be right if both numbers were exactly the same, but 38 and 45 are different, so that doesn't work. The "greater than" symbol would mean 38 is bigger than 45 — but that's backwards, because Jamal has fewer tens than Emma. Don't get tricked into thinking 38 is bigger just because 8 ones is more than 5 ones; the ones only matter when the tens are equal, and here they aren't. A smart study habit: always check the tens place first when comparing two-digit numbers. Only if the tens are the same do you move on to compare the ones. And remember — the open mouth of < or > always faces the bigger number!

Question 3

Maya has 6 tens and 7 ones; Amir has 6 tens and 7 ones. Which symbol makes this true: 67   67?

  1. <
  2. = (correct answer)
Explanation: Whenever you compare two numbers, a great first step is to break each one into tens and ones—that's exactly what this question hands you. Comparing means asking: is the first number bigger, smaller, or exactly the same as the second? Maya has 6 tens and 7 ones, which builds the number 60 + 7 = 67. Amir has the same: 6 tens and 7 ones, also 60 + 7 = 67. Since both numbers have the same number of tens (6 = 6) AND the same number of ones (7 = 7), the two numbers are equal. That means the "equal" sign, =, is what belongs in the blank: 67 = 67. The "less than" sign, <, is wrong because it would say the first 67 is smaller than the second—but they're twins, not one bigger than the other. The "greater than" sign, >, is wrong for the same reason in reverse: it claims the first 67 is bigger, which isn't true when both numbers match perfectly. The blank fourth choice offers no symbol at all, so it can't make the sentence true. A helpful trick: to compare two numbers, always check the tens first, then the ones. If the tens match, look at the ones. When both match, the numbers are equal. Picture the = sign as two lines that are the same length—perfect for showing two numbers that are perfectly the same size.

Question 4

Which number makes this comparison true: 64 >  ?

  1. 50 (correct answer)
  2. 64
  3. 70
  4. 80
Explanation: Whenever you see the "greater than" symbol (>), remember that it works like a hungry mouth that always wants to eat the bigger number. The open, wide side points toward the larger number, and the small pointy side points toward the smaller number. So when you read 64 >  , you're looking for a number that is smaller than 64. Think about counting: is the blank number less than 64? The number 50 comes before 64 when you count, so 64 > 50 is true. The hungry mouth is correctly pointing at 64, the bigger number. That's why 50 is the right choice. Now look at why the others don't work. 64 is the exact same number, so 64 > 64 is false — a number can't be greater than itself; they'd be equal (=). 70 is bigger than 64 (it comes after 64 when counting), so 64 > 70 is false — here the mouth would need to flip the other way. 80 is even bigger than 64, so 64 > 80 is also false for the same reason. A helpful trick: always find the two numbers first, decide which is truly larger, then check if the symbol is "eating" the bigger one. If the pointy tip is aimed at the smaller number, the statement is true. Practice reading the alligator's mouth, and comparisons like this will become quick and easy!

Question 5

Jamal has 3 tens and 8 ones; Emma has 4 tens and 5 ones. Which symbol makes this true: 38   45?

  1. < (correct answer)
  2. =
Explanation: Whenever you compare two numbers, start by looking at the tens place first, because tens are worth more than ones. Only if the tens are equal do you move on to compare the ones. Jamal has 3 tens and 8 ones, which builds the number 30 + 8 = 38. Emma has 4 tens and 5 ones, which builds 40 + 5 = 45. Now compare the tens: Jamal has 3 tens and Emma has 4 tens. Since 3 tens is less than 4 tens, Jamal's number is smaller — so 38 < 45. The "less than" symbol always opens its wide mouth toward the bigger number, and here it points toward 45. The "greater than" symbol (>) would say 38 is bigger than 45, but that's backwards — 38 has fewer tens, so it can't be greater. The "equals" symbol (=) would say the two numbers are the same, but 38 and 45 are different amounts, so that doesn't fit either. The blank fourth choice isn't a comparison symbol at all, so it can't make the sentence true. A handy trick: think of the < and > symbols as a hungry alligator's mouth — it always wants to eat the bigger number. Since 45 is bigger, the mouth opens toward it, giving you 38 < 45. Remember to always check the tens place first, and don't get fooled by Emma having fewer ones (5 versus 8) — the tens are what decide the winner!

Question 6

Which symbol makes this true: 78   25?

  1. <
  2. =
  3.  (correct answer)
Explanation: Whenever you see two numbers with a blank between them, your job is to compare their sizes and pick the symbol that shows which one is bigger. The three comparison symbols each have a job: the "greater than" sign (>) points to the smaller number, the "less than" sign (<) also points to the smaller number, and the "equals" sign (=) means both numbers are exactly the same. A great trick is to look at the tens place first. In 78, the tens digit is 7, and in 25, the tens digit is 2. Since 7 tens is more than 2 tens, you know 78 is bigger than 25. When the bigger number comes first, you use the "greater than" symbol, so 78 > 25 is true. Think of the symbol like a hungry mouth that always opens toward the bigger number—here it opens toward the 78. The "less than" sign (<) is wrong because it would say 78 is smaller than 25, but 78 is actually the larger number. The "equals" sign (=) is wrong because 78 and 25 are not the same amount—they are different numbers. The blank fourth choice offers no symbol at all, so it can't make the statement true. A helpful tip to remember: the open, wide side of > or < always faces the bigger number, and the pointy side faces the smaller number. Compare the tens place first, and only check the ones place if the tens are equal.

Question 7

Which symbol makes this true: 43   40?

  1. <
  2. =
  3.  (correct answer)
Explanation: Whenever you see two numbers with a blank between them, your job is to be a "number detective" and figure out which one is bigger, smaller, or if they're the same. The three symbols you can use are the "greater than" sign (>), the "less than" sign (<), and the "equals" sign (=). Here, you're comparing 43 and 40. Both numbers have 4 tens, so look at the ones place: 43 has 3 ones, but 40 has 0 ones. Since 3 is more than 0, the number 43 is bigger than 40. That means you need the "greater than" sign, which points its open, hungry mouth toward the bigger number: 43 > 40. Think of the symbol like an alligator that always wants to eat the larger snack! The "less than" sign (<) is wrong because it would say 43 is smaller than 40, but 43 is actually the bigger number. The "equals" sign (=) is wrong because these two numbers are not the same — 43 and 40 are three apart, so they can't be equal. (The empty fourth choice isn't a symbol at all, so it can't make the sentence true.) A great trick to remember: the alligator mouth always opens toward the bigger number and the pointy tip points to the smaller one. Line up your numbers by tens and ones, compare, and let the hungry alligator munch the largest number!

Question 8

Is this statement true: 67=6767 = 67?

  1. True (correct answer)
  2. False
  3. Sometimes true
  4. Not sure
Explanation: This question tests 1st grade ability to compare two two-digit numbers using place value understanding (CCSS.1.NBT.3). To compare two-digit numbers, always start by comparing the tens place digits. The number with more tens is greater, regardless of the ones; if the tens are equal, then compare the ones place digits—the number with more ones is greater. For example, 67 = 67 because both have 6 tens and 7 ones. The stimulus shows a comparison statement: 67 = 67, asking if it's true. Choice A is correct because the statement is true since both numbers are identical in tens and ones places. Choice B is a common error where students might miscount or confuse equality with inequality, which happens because place value understanding is still developing. To help students: Use base-10 blocks to show visual magnitude; emphasize 'compare tens first—that's most important'; practice with number lines showing position; teach symbol direction ('mouth opens to bigger number'); compare numbers with same tens to highlight ones importance; compare numbers with different tens to show tens dominate; provide many examples of 'tricky' cases like 39 vs 41; use place value charts to organize thinking; practice writing comparison statements; connect to real contexts (scores, ages, quantities).

Question 9

Jamal has 47 marbles. Sofia has 43 marbles. Who has fewer?

  1. Jamal
  2. Sofia (correct answer)
  3. They have the same
  4. Both have fewer
Explanation: This question tests 1st grade ability to compare two two-digit numbers using place value understanding (CCSS.1.NBT.3). To compare two-digit numbers, always start by comparing the tens place digits. The number with more tens is greater, regardless of the ones; if the tens are equal, then compare the ones place digits—the number with more ones is greater. For example, 43 < 47 because when tens are equal (both 4 tens), 3 ones < 7 ones. The stimulus shows a comparison of quantities: Jamal with 47 marbles and Sofia with 43 marbles, asking who has fewer. Choice B is correct because Sofia has fewer since when tens are equal, 3 ones < 7 ones. Choice A is a common error where students reverse the comparison (thinking Jamal has fewer), which happens because symbol direction is easily confused. To help students: Use base-10 blocks to show visual magnitude; emphasize 'compare tens first—that's most important'; practice with number lines showing position; teach symbol direction ('mouth opens to bigger number'); compare numbers with same tens to highlight ones importance; compare numbers with different tens to show tens dominate; provide many examples of 'tricky' cases like 39 vs 41; use place value charts to organize thinking; practice writing comparison statements; connect to real contexts (scores, ages, quantities).

Question 10

Tom is thinking of two numbers. The first number has 33 tens and 88 ones. The second number has 44 tens and 22 ones. How should Tom compare these numbers?

  1. 38<4238 < 42 because 33 tens is less than 44 tens (correct answer)
  2. 38>4238 > 42 because 88 ones is greater than 22 ones
  3. 38=4238 = 42 because both are two-digit numbers with tens and ones
  4. 38<4238 < 42 because 3838 has smaller digits in both places
Explanation: 38<4238 < 42 because when comparing two-digit numbers, we start with the tens place. Since 33 tens is less than 44 tens, 38<4238 < 42. Even though 8>28 > 2 in the ones place, the tens place determines which number is greater.

Question 11

Maya has 6 tens and 7 ones; Amir has 6 tens and 7 ones. Which symbol makes this true: 67   67?

  1. <
  2. = (correct answer)
Explanation: Whenever you compare two numbers, a great first step is to break each one into its tens and ones. This helps you see exactly how big each number is before you decide which comparison symbol fits. Look closely at what Maya and Amir have. Maya has 6 tens and 7 ones. Six tens is 6 × 10 = 60, and 7 ones is just 7, so Maya has 60 + 7 = 67. Amir also has 6 tens and 7 ones, which is also 67. Since both numbers are made from the same amount of tens and the same amount of ones, they are exactly equal. That means the "equal to" sign, =, makes the sentence true: 67 = 67. The "less than" symbol, <, would only be correct if the first number were smaller than the second, but 67 is not smaller than 67. The "greater than" symbol, >, would only work if the first number were bigger, and 67 is not bigger than 67 — they're the same. The blank fourth choice offers no symbol at all, so it can't make a true comparison sentence. A helpful trick: when both numbers have the same digits in the same spots, they must be equal, so reach for the = sign. Remember that the open mouth of < or > always "eats" the bigger number — but when the numbers match, there's nothing bigger to eat!

Question 12

Maya has 56 stickers. Chen has 52 stickers. Who has more?

  1. Maya (correct answer)
  2. Chen
  3. They have the same
  4. Not enough information
Explanation: This question tests 1st grade ability to compare two two-digit numbers using place value understanding (CCSS.1.NBT.3). To compare two-digit numbers, always start by comparing the tens place digits. The number with more tens is greater, regardless of the ones; if the tens are equal, then compare the ones place digits—the number with more ones is greater. For example, 56 > 52 because when tens are equal (both have 5 tens), 6 ones > 2 ones. The stimulus shows a comparison of quantities: Maya with 56 stickers and Chen with 52 stickers, asking who has more. Choice A is correct because Maya has more since when tens are equal (both 5 tens), 6 ones > 2 ones. Choice B is a common error where students only compare ones digits and ignore tens (saying Chen has more because 2 > nothing specific, but miscounting), which happens because place value understanding is still developing. To help students: Use base-10 blocks to show visual magnitude; emphasize 'compare tens first—that's most important'; practice with number lines showing position; teach symbol direction ('mouth opens to bigger number'); compare numbers with same tens to highlight ones importance; compare numbers with different tens to show tens dominate; provide many examples of 'tricky' cases like 39 vs 41; use place value charts to organize thinking; practice writing comparison statements; connect to real contexts (scores, ages, quantities).

Question 13

Yuki has 4 tens and 7 ones; Carlos has 4 tens and 9 ones. Which is greater: 47 or 49?

  1. 47
  2. 49 (correct answer)
  3. They are equal
  4. 48
Explanation: This question tests 1st grade ability to compare two two-digit numbers using place value understanding (CCSS.1.NBT.3). To compare two-digit numbers, always start by comparing the tens place digits. The number with more tens is greater, regardless of the ones; if the tens are equal, then compare the ones place digits—the number with more ones is greater. For example, 49 > 47 because both have 4 tens, but 9 ones > 7 ones. The stimulus describes Yuki with 4 tens and 7 ones (47) and Carlos with 4 tens and 9 ones (49), asking which is greater. Choice B is correct because 49 is greater than 47 since tens are equal but 9 ones > 7 ones. Choice A is a common error where students might think fewer ones mean greater, but that's not the case, which happens because place value understanding is still developing. To help students: Use base-10 blocks to show visual magnitude; emphasize 'compare tens first—that's most important'; practice with number lines showing position; teach symbol direction ('mouth opens to bigger number'); compare numbers with same tens to highlight ones importance; compare numbers with different tens to show tens dominate; provide many examples of 'tricky' cases like 39 vs 41; use place value charts to organize thinking; practice writing comparison statements; connect to real contexts (scores, ages, quantities).

Question 14

Sofia has 5 tens and 6 ones; Chen has 5 tens and 2 ones. Which symbol makes this true: 56   52?

  1. <
  2. =
  3.  (correct answer)
Explanation: When you compare two numbers, think of it like a race: the bigger number "wins." A helpful trick is to imagine the symbol as a hungry mouth that always opens toward the larger number. Start by comparing the tens, then the ones. Sofia has 5 tens and 6 ones, so her number is 56. Chen has 5 tens and 2 ones, so his number is 52. Both have the same number of tens (5 tens = 50), so you look at the ones next. Sofia has 6 ones and Chen has 2 ones. Since 6 > 2, that means 56 is greater than 52. The mouth of the symbol should open toward 56, so you write 56 > 52. That makes the "greater than" symbol correct. The "less than" symbol (<) would mean 56 is smaller than 52, but that's backward — 56 is actually the bigger number. The "equal" symbol (=) would mean both numbers are exactly the same, but they aren't: they have equal tens but different ones. The blank choice offers no symbol at all, so it can't make the sentence true. A great strategy: whenever numbers have the same tens, just compare the ones to decide which is bigger. And remember the "alligator mouth" always bites the bigger number — its wide-open side points to the larger value, while the pointy end points to the smaller one.

Question 15

Which is less: 40 or 43?

  1. 43
  2. 40 (correct answer)
  3. They are equal
  4. 34
Explanation: 40 is less than 43, since it comes first when counting up. 43 is the larger of the two numbers, not the smaller one. Saying they are equal ignores that 40 and 43 are different numbers. 34 mixes up the digits of 43 and isn't one of the numbers being compared. Only 40 is correctly identified as less than 43.

Question 16

Alex scored 8585 points. Which comparison is correct?

  1. 8282 is less than 8585 (correct answer)
  2. 7979 is greater than 8585
  3. 8585 equals 9090
  4. 8282 is greater than 8585
Explanation: Since 82 is a smaller number than 85, it is correctly described as less than 85. Saying 79 is greater than 85 is incorrect, since 79 is the smaller number. Saying 85 equals 90 is incorrect, since they are different numbers. Saying 82 is greater than 85 has the comparison backward. Only '82 is less than 85' correctly compares the two numbers.

Question 17

Look at the number line. Which comparison correctly shows the relationship between 4848 and 5252?

  1. 48>5248 > 52 because 4848 appears first on the number line
  2. 48<5248 < 52 because 4848 is to the left of 5252 (correct answer)
  3. 48=5248 = 52 because they are both close to 5050
  4. 48>5248 > 52 because the distance from 5050 is the same
Explanation: 48<5248 < 52 because on a number line, numbers increase from left to right. Since 4848 would be to the left of 5252, this shows 48<5248 < 52. We can also verify this by comparing tens and ones: both have the same tens digit (44 vs 55 tens), but 44 tens is less than 55 tens.

Question 18

Which symbol makes this true: 45   23?

  1. <
  2. =
  3.  (correct answer)
Explanation: When you see two numbers with a blank between them, your job is to compare their sizes. The three comparison symbols each have a special meaning: the "greater than" sign (>) means the first number is bigger, the "less than" sign (<) means the first number is smaller, and the "equal" sign (=) means both numbers are exactly the same. A helpful trick is to think of the > and < symbols as a hungry mouth that always wants to "eat" the bigger number. The open, wide side points to the larger number, and the pointy side points to the smaller one. Here you're comparing 45 and 23. Look at the tens place first: 45 has 4 tens, while 23 has only 2 tens. Since 4 tens is more than 2 tens, 45 is the bigger number. So you write 45 > 23, with the open mouth facing 45. That makes the greater than sign correct. The "less than" sign (<) is wrong because it would say 45 is smaller than 23, but 45 is actually larger. The "equal" sign (=) is wrong because 45 and 23 are not the same number. The blank fourth choice offers no symbol at all, so it can't make the statement true. A tip to remember: always compare the tens place first when numbers have the same number of digits. The number with more tens is bigger — and the hungry alligator mouth always opens toward the larger number!

Question 19

Which symbol makes this true: 45   23?

  1. <
  2. =
  3.  (correct answer)
Explanation: Whenever you see two numbers with a blank between them, your job is to compare their sizes. There are three special symbols that describe how numbers relate: greater than (>), less than (<), and equal to (=). A helpful trick is to imagine the symbols < and > as a hungry mouth that always wants to eat the bigger number—the open side faces the larger number. Start by comparing 45 and 23. Look at the tens place first: 45 has 4 tens, while 23 has only 2 tens. Since 4 tens is more than 2 tens, you know 45 is the bigger number. So you write 45 > 23, meaning "45 is greater than 23." The open, wide side of the > points toward the 45, the bigger number. That makes the greater than symbol correct. The less than (<) choice would say 45 is smaller than 23, but that's backwards—45 is actually the larger number. The equal (=) choice would mean both numbers are exactly the same, but 45 and 23 are clearly different amounts. The blank fourth choice gives you no symbol at all, so it can't make the statement true. A quick tip to remember: always compare the tens digit first, and only look at the ones digit if the tens are the same. And picture that hungry mouth opening toward the bigger number every time—it will keep < and > from getting mixed up.

Question 20

Which comparison symbol makes this statement true: 45   54?

  1. < (correct answer)
  2. =
Explanation: When you compare two numbers, you're figuring out which one is bigger, which one is smaller, or if they're equal. A helpful trick is to think of the comparison symbol as a hungry mouth that always wants to "eat" the bigger number—the open side points toward the larger value. Look at the two numbers: 45 and 54. Since both have two digits, start by comparing the tens place. The number 45 has 4 tens, while 54 has 5 tens. Because 4 tens is less than 5 tens, you know 45 is smaller than 54. That means you need the "less than" symbol, which points its small, closed tip toward the smaller number: 45 < 54. The "equals" sign (=) is wrong because these two numbers are not the same value—45 and 54 are different, even though they use the same digits in a different order. The "greater than" symbol (>) is wrong because it would say 45 is bigger than 54, but 45 is actually the smaller number. The blank choice with no symbol is wrong because a comparison statement always needs a symbol to be complete and true. A great memory aid: the open end of the symbol always faces the bigger number, and the pointy end faces the smaller one. When both numbers have the same number of digits, compare the leftmost digits first—that's the tens place here, and it decides the answer.