AAAarubi AcademyGCSE Maths Edexcel first
Join nowSign in
GCSE Maths / Edexcel

Ordering decimals

Compare decimal numbers using place value, line up decimal points, add placeholder zeros, and order decimals correctly.

Number and Place ValueFoundationGrades 1 to 4Focused skill

Curriculum path: GCSE Maths > Edexcel > Number > Ordering decimals

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Maths number: order decimals and use decimal place value accurately.

Practise this topicUpload your answerAsk AI to explain thisTry exam-style questions
Revision notes

Theory, examples, and quick checks.

Keep the method short, then practise straight away. This note is written for GCSE Maths Edexcel students who need clear working and reliable method marks.

Theory

Decimals are numbers with digits after the decimal point. The first digit after the decimal point is tenths, the second is hundredths, and the third is thousandths.

When comparing decimals, line up the decimal points. This keeps ones with ones, tenths with tenths, and hundredths with hundredths.

You may add zeros to the end of a decimal to help compare it. For example, 4.5 is the same value as 4.50, but 4.05 is different.

Do not compare decimals by counting the number of digits after the decimal point. 0.8 is bigger than 0.75 even though 0.75 has more decimal digits.

Compare from left to right, just like whole numbers. The first place value where the digits differ decides the larger decimal.

For Edexcel Foundation questions, a common trap is mixing money-style thinking with ordinary decimals. Always use place value unless the question is about pounds and pence.

Key ruleLine up decimal points, add zeros if helpful, then compare from left to right.

Worked examples

Same whole number

Which is bigger: 3.47 or 3.5?

  1. Line up the decimal points.
  2. Write 3.5 as 3.50 so both numbers have hundredths.
  3. 3.50 is bigger than 3.47 because 50 hundredths is bigger than 47 hundredths.

Answer: 3.5

Order decimals

Put 0.6, 0.56, 0.605, 0.065 in ascending order.

  1. Ascending means smallest to largest.
  2. Add zeros to compare: 0.600, 0.560, 0.605, 0.065.
  3. Compare the digits after the decimal point from left to right.

Answer: 0.065, 0.56, 0.6, 0.605

Money-style trap

Which is larger: 2.09 or 2.9?

  1. Line up the decimal points.
  2. Write 2.9 as 2.90.
  3. 2.90 is bigger than 2.09.

Answer: 2.9

Common mistakes

  • Thinking the decimal with more digits is automatically bigger.
  • Comparing 0.65 and 0.7 as if 65 is bigger than 7.
  • Forgetting that 2.9 is the same as 2.90.
  • Writing zeros at the front of the decimal part instead of at the end.
  • Mixing up ascending and descending order.

Quick exercise

Try these before moving to the exam-style questions.

  1. Which is bigger: 0.8 or 0.75?
  2. Which is bigger: 4.09 or 4.9?
  3. Put 0.32, 0.3, 0.302 in ascending order.
  4. Write 5.7 with two decimal places without changing its value.
  5. Put 1.04, 1.4, 1.004 in descending order.
Exam-style questions

Practise the same skill at three levels.

These are original GCSE-style questions with mark schemes, common wrong answers, and AI marking guidance so feedback stays close to exam expectations.

Basic GCSE styleFoundationNon-calculator2 marks

Which is larger, 0.64 or 0.7? Show how you know.

decimal comparisonplace valuefoundation number
Standard exam styleFoundationNon-calculator3 marks

Put these decimals in ascending order: 2.05, 2.5, 2.005, 2.15.

ordering decimalsascending orderdecimal place value
ChallengeFoundationNon-calculator4 marks

A race leaderboard shows times of 12.8 s, 12.08 s, 12.18 s, and 12.81 s. The fastest time is the smallest time. Write the times from fastest to slowest.

ordering decimalscontextrace times