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The Original Price Mystery
🔍 The Original Price Mystery
Jake pays £72 for a jacket in a sale. The jacket has been reduced by 20%. What was the original price before the sale?
This is a reverse percentage problem - we need to work backwards from the final amount to find the original. Whether it's finding original prices before discounts or initial values before percentage changes, reverse percentages help us solve these "what was it before?" questions.
What is a reverse percentage?: Finding the original amount before a percentage change was applied
Mathematics glossary
- What is a reverse percentage?
- Finding the original amount before a percentage change was applied
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💡 Exam Tips: Reverse Percentages
- Identify what the given amount represents - is it after an increase or decrease?
- Calculate the percentage the final amount represents of the original
- Use division - divide the final amount by the multiplier
- Always check your answer by working forwards
- Look for key phrases: "after", "including", "final amount", "reduced to"
- Be careful with direction - decrease means final < 100%, increase means final > 100%
- Show your working - state what percentage the final amount represents
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 12
A price after a 20% increase is £120. Which calculation finds the ORIGINAL price?
Tap an answer to check it
This topic in real past papers
Every real exam question we've found on reverse percentages, with a full worked answer.