Comparing numbers worksheets
Comparing 2-digit and 3-digit numbers using place value and the symbols >, < and =.
Download the free comparing numbers worksheet (PDF)
Comparing numbers worksheet
What’s on the worksheet
- 50 questions on comparing numbers, sized for US Letter paper
- 2 pages of questions plus an answer key on the last page
- Written for grades 1–2, matching Common Core 1.NBT.B.3, 2.NBT.A.4
- Name and date lines at the top, and room to show the work
Preview the worksheet and answer key
Make a new comparing numbers worksheet
Need another page for extra practice, a retake or a second group in class? The free Mathify Kids test maker builds a fresh comparing numbers worksheet with different numbers every time. Choose Core, Standard or Challenge level, print it with its own answer key, or let your child take it on screen and see the score straight away.
Comparing numbers: a worked example (482 ○ 428)
- Compare hundreds: both have 4.
- Compare tens: 8 tens is more than 2 tens.
- So 482 > 428.
How to use it at home and in class
At home
Remember the symbol as a mouth that always opens towards the bigger number. Ten problems a day works better than a whole sheet at once. Mark them together with the answer key, then ask your child to explain one they got wrong: finding the mistake themselves is where the learning happens.
In class
Use the first row as a warm-up, a full page for independent practice, or five questions as an exit ticket. For a retake or a second group, make a new version with the test maker so every child gets different numbers.
Mistakes to watch for
- Comparing the ones digits first.
- Mixing up the > and < symbols.
What to practice before and after comparing numbers
- Before: even and odd numbers. If this sheet is a struggle, go back a step.
- After: rounding numbers, once this one is mostly right.
- Learn it first: the comparing numbers lesson and the place value chart.
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Questions parents ask
How do kids remember greater than and less than?
The open side of the symbol always faces the bigger number. Many children picture it as a crocodile mouth eating the larger number.
What grade is this comparing numbers worksheet for?
It is written for grades 1–2 and matches Common Core standards 1.NBT.B.3, 2.NBT.A.4.
Can I get a different version of this comparing numbers worksheet?
Yes. Use the free Mathify Kids test maker to make a new comparing numbers worksheet with different numbers every time, at Core, Standard or Challenge level, with its own answer key.