Elementary School Math Quiz: Solve Two Step Word Problems
20 questions · exam conditions
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Solve Two Step Word ProblemsQuestion 1 of 20

Amir had 50 cents. First, he spent 23 cents on a snack. Then he earned 16 cents for helping at home. How much money does Amir have now?

43¢
11¢
89¢
27¢
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Elementary School Math Quiz

Elementary School Math Quiz: Solve Two Step Word Problems

Practice Solve Two Step Word Problems 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 Solve Two Step Word Problems, 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

Amir had 50 cents. First, he spent 23 cents on a snack. Then he earned 16 cents for helping at home. How much money does Amir have now?

  1. 43¢ (correct answer)
  2. 11¢
  3. 89¢
  4. 27¢
Explanation: The correct answer is 43, because 50 - 23 = 27, and 27 + 16 = 43. Choice B (11) subtracts too much from the total. Choice C (89) adds all three numbers instead of subtracting the cents Amir spent. Choice D (27) stops after the first step and forgets to add the cents Amir earned.

Question 2

Maya has 1717 stickers. She gives 88 stickers to her brother and then buys 1515 more stickers at the store. How many stickers does Maya have now?

  1. 3232 stickers
  2. 2424 stickers (correct answer)
  3. 4040 stickers
  4. 99 stickers
Explanation: Maya has 24 stickers, because 17−8+15=2417 - 8 + 15 = 24. Choice A (32) comes from adding 17 and 15 while ignoring the stickers she gave away. Choice C (40) comes from adding all three numbers instead of subtracting the 8 she gave away. Choice D (9) stops after subtracting the 8 stickers and forgets to add the 15 she bought.

Question 3

Maya had 28 crayons in her box. First, she got 17 more crayons from her teacher. Then she gave 9 crayons to a friend. How many crayons does Maya have now?

  1. 19
  2. 54
  3. 45
  4. 36 (correct answer)
Explanation: Maya has 36 crayons now, because 28+17=4528 + 17 = 45, and 45−9=3645 - 9 = 36. Choice A (19) comes from subtracting 9 from 28 and skipping the crayons she got from her teacher. Choice B (54) comes from adding all three numbers instead of subtracting the crayons she gave away. Choice C (45) stops after adding the first two amounts and forgets to subtract the 9 crayons Maya gave to her friend.

Question 4

Sofia read 16 pages on Monday. On Tuesday she read 25 pages. Then on Wednesday she read 18 more pages. How many pages did Sofia read in all?

  1. 7777
  2. 5959 (correct answer)
  3. 4141
  4. 99
Explanation: Adding all three days together, 16 + 25 + 18 = 59 pages, so Choice B is correct. Choice A is wrong because it adds too many pages, more than Sofia actually read. Choice C is wrong because it stops after adding only two of the three days. Choice D is wrong because it is far too small to include all three days of reading.

Question 5

Jamal had 64 marbles. First, he lost 18 marbles on the playground. Then he found 9 marbles later. How many marbles does Jamal have now?

  1. 46
  2. 37
  3. 55 (correct answer)
  4. 73
Explanation: Jamal has 55 marbles now: 64−18=4664 - 18 = 46, then 46+9=5546 + 9 = 55. Choice A (46) stops after subtracting and forgets to add the marbles he found. Choice B (37) comes from subtracting the found marbles instead of adding them (46−946 - 9). Choice D (73) comes from adding all three numbers instead of subtracting the marbles he lost.

Question 6

Keisha had 45 beads for a bracelet. First, she got 22 more beads. Then 16 beads fell on the floor and she could not find them. How many beads does Keisha have now?

  1. 67
  2. 29
  3. 51 (correct answer)
  4. 83
Explanation: The correct answer is 51, because 45 + 22 = 67, and 67 - 16 = 51. Choice A (67) stops after the first step and forgets to subtract the beads that fell. Choice B (29) subtracts too much from the total. Choice D (83) adds all three numbers instead of subtracting the beads that fell.

Question 7

Chen had 73 cents. First, he spent 26 cents on a snack. Then he earned 15 cents for doing chores. How many cents does Chen have now?

  1. 114¢
  2. 47¢
  3. 32¢
  4. 62¢ (correct answer)
Explanation: This question tests 2nd grade understanding of solving two-step word problems involving addition and subtraction within 100 (CCSS 2.OA.A.1: Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems). A two-step word problem requires two separate calculations to find the answer. The first operation gives an intermediate result, which is then used in the second operation to find the final answer. Example: 'Emma had 25 stickers, got 18 more, then gave 12 away. How many now?' Step 1: 25 + 18 = 43 (how many after getting more). Step 2: 43 - 12 = 31 (final amount after giving away). The second calculation uses the first result (43). Describe operation identification: 'Keywords help: 'got more, found, earned' = add; 'gave away, lost, spent' = subtract; 'in all, altogether' = add all; 'left, remain' = subtract. Sequential words show steps: 'first...then', 'on Monday...on Tuesday'.' In this problem, Chen starts with 73 cents, spends 26 on a snack, then earns 15 for chores. To solve, Step 1: perform first operation based on context: 'spent 26' means subtract (73-26=47), Step 2: perform second operation using Step 1 result: 'earned 15' means add to 47 (47+15=62), answer is 62. Choice B is correct because both steps completed correctly—first subtracting 73-26=47, then adding 15 to that result to get 47+15=62. This correctly identifies and performs both operations in sequence, using the first result in the second calculation. Choice A represents a specific error: stopping after Step 1 (gave 47 which is 73-26, but didn't continue to add 15). This error typically happens when students stop too early, misread operation keywords, ignore context, add all numbers habitually, make calculation mistakes, or don't track intermediate result. To help students: Teach two-step problem structure explicitly: 'This problem has two parts. First we'll solve one part, then use that answer for the next part.' Model with underlining: underline action words (spent, earned), circle questions. Teach strategy: (1) Read entire problem. (2) Identify first action—what operation? (3) Solve Step 1, write answer. (4) Identify second action—what operation? Use Step 1 answer. (5) Solve Step 2, that's final answer. Use graphic organizer: boxes for 'Start', 'Step 1 operation', 'Intermediate result', 'Step 2 operation', 'Final answer'. Practice with acted-out scenarios: 'I have 73 cents [show], spend 26 [remove], now how many? [count—47]. Earn 15 [add], how many now? [count—62].' Teach keywords: 'got more, found' = add; 'gave away, lost' = subtract; sequence words 'first...then' or 'on Monday...on Tuesday'. Practice identifying operations before calculating: 'What do we do first? Why? What do we do second?' Use bar models or tape diagrams to visualize: first bar shows start-decrease, second bar shows result+increase. Distinguish from one-step: 'Is there one action or two? How many calculations do we need?' Check work: 'Does the answer make sense? Is it bigger or smaller than we started? Why?' Watch for: stopping after one step, wrong operations, adding all numbers, arithmetic errors, reversed step order, not using first result in second step.

Question 8

Maya had 34 crayons in her box. First, she got 27 more crayons from her teacher. Then she gave 19 crayons to her brother. How many crayons does Maya have now?

  1. 15
  2. 42 (correct answer)
  3. 80
  4. 61
Explanation: 34 plus 27 equals 61, and 61 minus 19 equals 42, so Maya has 42 crayons now. 15 would result from subtracting both amounts instead of adding the first. 80 would result from adding all three numbers together instead of subtracting the last one. 61 only accounts for the crayons received, stopping before the second step.

Question 9

Amir had 37 baseball cards. First, he got 19 more cards. Then he got 14 more cards from his uncle. How many baseball cards does Amir have in all?

  1. 84
  2. 70 (correct answer)
  3. 18
  4. 56
Explanation: Amir has 70 cards in all, because 37+19+14=7037 + 19 + 14 = 70. Choice A (84) comes from adding one of the amounts twice. Choice C (18) comes from subtracting instead of adding. Choice D (56) stops after adding only the first two amounts and forgets the 14 more cards.

Question 10

Sofia read 16 pages on Monday. On Tuesday she read 23 pages. Then on Wednesday she read 12 more pages. How many pages did Sofia read in all?

  1. 2828
  2. 3939
  3. 6363
  4. 5151 (correct answer)
Explanation: Adding all three days together, 16 + 23 + 12 = 51 pages, so Choice D is correct. Choice A is wrong because it leaves out one of the days. Choice B is wrong because it stops after adding Monday and Tuesday, forgetting Wednesday. Choice C is wrong because it adds too many pages, more than Sofia actually read.

Question 11

Emma has 26 stickers. First, Carlos has 15 more stickers than Emma. Then Keisha has 7 fewer stickers than Carlos. How many stickers does Keisha have?

  1. 41
  2. 48
  3. 19
  4. 34 (correct answer)
Explanation: Carlos has 26 plus 15, which is 41 stickers, and Keisha has 7 fewer than Carlos, so 41 minus 7 equals 34. 41 is Carlos's amount, not Keisha's. 48 would result from adding both amounts instead of subtracting the second one. 19 would result from subtracting instead of adding in the first step.

Question 12

Sofia saves 2626 pennies in her piggy bank. She spends 1414 pennies on candy. The next day, she saves 2222 more pennies. How many pennies does Sofia have in total?

  1. 6262 pennies in total
  2. 3434 pennies in total (correct answer)
  3. 1212 pennies in total
  4. 4848 pennies in total
Explanation: Sofia starts with 26 pennies, spends 14, and then saves 22 more, so 26 minus 14 plus 22 equals 34, matching B. A is incorrect because it adds all three numbers together instead of subtracting the pennies she spent. C is incorrect because it stops after subtracting the pennies spent and forgets to add the 22 pennies saved the next day. D is incorrect because it adds 26 and 22 while skipping the subtraction of the 14 pennies spent entirely.

Question 13

Chen read 14 pages on Monday. He then read 19 pages on Tuesday. Then he read 15 pages on Wednesday. How many pages did Chen read in all?

  1. 48 (correct answer)
  2. 33
  3. 29
  4. 18
Explanation: Chen read 14 + 19 + 15 pages in all, which adds up to 48 pages. Getting 33 would mean leaving out one of the three days. Getting 29 would mean adding only two of the smaller numbers. Getting 18 doesn't match adding all three days' totals together.

Question 14

Jake has 3737 toy cars. He gives 1111 cars to his cousin. How many cars does Jake have left?

  1. 4848 cars remaining
  2. 3737 cars remaining
  3. 1616 cars remaining
  4. 2626 cars remaining (correct answer)
Explanation: Jake starts with 37 cars and gives away 11, so 37−11=2637-11=26 cars remain. Choice A adds instead of subtracting. Choice B forgets to subtract at all. Choice C reflects a subtraction error.

Question 15

A library shelf had 92 books. First, 25 books were checked out. Then 18 more books were checked out. How many books are left on the shelf?

  1. 85
  2. 35
  3. 67
  4. 49 (correct answer)
Explanation: This question tests 2nd grade understanding of solving two-step word problems involving addition and subtraction within 100 (CCSS 2.OA.A.1: Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems). A two-step word problem requires two separate calculations to find the answer; the first operation gives an intermediate result, which is then used in the second operation to find the final answer; for example, 'Emma had 25 stickers, got 18 more, then gave 12 away. How many now?' Step 1: 25 + 18 = 43 (how many after getting more); Step 2: 43 - 12 = 31 (final amount after giving away); the second calculation uses the first result (43); keywords help: 'got more, found, earned' = add; 'gave away, lost, spent' = subtract; 'in all, altogether' = add all; 'left, remain' = subtract; sequential words show steps: 'first...then', 'on Monday...on Tuesday'. In this problem, the shelf starts with 92 books, 25 are checked out, then 18 more are checked out; to solve, Step 1: subtract first checkout (92 - 25 = 67), Step 2: subtract second checkout using Step 1 result (67 - 18 = 49), so 49 are left. Choice B is correct because both steps are completed accurately—first subtracting 92 - 25 = 67, then subtracting 18 from that result to get 67 - 18 = 49, correctly performing subtractions in sequence. Choice A represents stopping after Step 1 (92 - 25 = 67, but not subtracting 18), an error that occurs when students miss the second action and don't continue. To help students, teach two-step problem structure explicitly: 'This problem has two parts; first we'll solve one part, then use that answer for the next part'; model with underlining action words (checked out, more), circle the question; use a graphic organizer with boxes for 'Start', 'Step 1 operation', 'Intermediate result', 'Step 2 operation', 'Final answer'. Practice with acted-out scenarios: 'Start with 92 items [show], remove 25 [subtract], now how many? [67]; remove 18 more [subtract], how many left? [49]'; teach keywords and use bar models to visualize decreases; check work by asking if the answer is smaller than starting.

Question 16

Carlos has 2323 marbles. He loses 99 marbles during recess. After lunch, his friend gives him 1616 marbles. How many marbles does Carlos have at the end of the day?

  1. 4848 marbles total
  2. 1414 marbles total
  3. 3030 marbles total (correct answer)
  4. 2525 marbles total
Explanation: Carlos starts with 23 marbles, loses 9: 23 - 9 = 14 marbles. Then gains 16 marbles: 14 + 16 = 30 marbles. Choice A adds all three numbers. Choice B stops after the first operation. Choice D adds the two operations (9 + 16) to the starting amount incorrectly.

Question 17

A zoo has 4141 animals. They receive 1919 new animals from another zoo. Later, 2525 animals are moved to a different exhibit. How many animals remain in the original area?

  1. 8585 animals
  2. 1616 animals
  3. 6060 animals
  4. 3535 animals (correct answer)
Explanation: Starting with 4141 animals, adding the 1919 new arrivals gives 6060, and then subtracting the 2525 animals moved away leaves 3535, so D is correct. Choice A comes from adding all three numbers instead of subtracting the animals that moved away. Choice B comes from subtracting 2525 directly from 4141 without ever adding the 1919 new animals. Choice C stops after the addition step and forgets to subtract the animals moved to a different exhibit.

Question 18

There were 4545 birds in a tree. Some birds flew away, and now there are 1818 birds left. Then 1212 more birds came to the tree. How many birds are in the tree now?

  1. 3030 birds in the tree (correct answer)
  2. 7575 birds in the tree
  3. 2727 birds in the tree
  4. 3939 birds in the tree
Explanation: After some birds flew away, 18 birds remained. Then 12 more came: 18 + 12 = 30 birds. Choice B adds all numbers (45 + 18 + 12). Choice C finds how many flew away (45 - 18 = 27) but doesn't add the 12 new birds. Choice D finds how many flew away and adds to original count incorrectly.

Question 19

Ben has 3333 baseball cards. He trades away 1717 cards to get 2424 new cards from his friend. How many baseball cards does Ben have now?

  1. 7474 baseball cards
  2. 1616 baseball cards
  3. 4040 baseball cards (correct answer)
  4. 5757 baseball cards
Explanation: Ben starts with 33 cards, trades away 17: 33 - 17 = 16 cards. Then gets 24 new cards: 16 + 24 = 40 cards. Choice A adds all numbers (33 + 17 + 24). Choice B stops after trading away cards. Choice D treats traded cards as gained (33 + 17 + 24 - 17).

Question 20

A parking lot had 5252 cars in the morning. During the day, 2828 cars left and 3535 new cars arrived. How many cars are in the parking lot now?

  1. 5959 cars (correct answer)
  2. 115115 cars
  3. 2424 cars
  4. 8787 cars
Explanation: The lot started with 52 cars, lost 28, and gained 35, so 52 - 28 + 35 = 59 cars, making Choice A correct. Choice B is wrong because it adds all three numbers instead of subtracting the cars that left. Choice C is wrong because it does not add back the cars that arrived. Choice D is wrong because it does not correctly combine all three steps.