Stickers End Question – P3 MAHA BODHI 2023 Term 1 Explained

Introduction

This stickers end question is a good primary Maths problem because students must pay attention to what happens after the change. Many children rush to compare the numbers immediately, but in this stickers end question, the comparison only applies after Ali gives some stickers to Lena. Once we organise the ending situation clearly, the question becomes much easier to solve.

The Question / Scenario Explanation

Source: P3 MAHA BODHI 2023 Term 1

Ali had \(230\) stickers at first.

After Ali gave \(20\) stickers to Lena, he had \(34\) more stickers than Lena in the end. How many stickers did Lena have in the end?

Step-by-Step Solution / Explanation

Step 1: Find how many stickers Ali had in the end

Ali had \(230\) stickers at first. Then he gave \(20\) stickers to Lena.

So Ali had left:

\(230 – 20 = 210\)

So Ali had \(210\) stickers in the end.

Step 2: Use the comparison in the end

We are told that after giving away the stickers, Ali had \(34\) more stickers than Lena.

This means Lena had \(34\) fewer stickers than Ali in the end.

So Lena had:

\(210 – 34 = 176\)

So Lena had \(176\) stickers in the end.

✅ Final Answer: \(176\) stickers

Step 3: Quick check

If Lena had \(176\) stickers in the end, and Ali had \(210\), then:

\(210 – 176 = 34\)

This matches the question exactly.

So the stickers end question is solved correctly.

Key Concepts Students Must Know

• In a stickers end question, always check whether the comparison happens at the start or at the end.
• Words like “after” and “in the end” are very important because they tell us when to compare the amounts.
• If one person has more than another in the end, find the ending amount first before comparing.
• Before-after word problems often need one step to update the number, then another step to compare.

Exam Tips / Common Mistakes

Exam Tips

• Underline the words “After Ali gave 20 stickers” and “in the end”.
• Update Ali’s amount first before doing the comparison.
• For this stickers end question, do not compare using \(230\) immediately.
• Check your answer by confirming the difference in the end is \(34\).

Common Mistakes

• Using \(230 – 34\) straight away without subtracting the \(20\) stickers first.
• Forgetting that the comparison happens after Ali gives stickers to Lena.
• Adding \(34\) instead of subtracting it when finding Lena’s ending amount.
• Not checking whether Ali and Lena differ by \(34\) in the end.

Parent Insight

This stickers end question is a strong reminder that many primary Maths mistakes happen because students ignore time words like “after” and “in the end”. A child may know subtraction well, but still lose marks by comparing the wrong stage of the problem. Practising these before-after questions helps children read more carefully and solve comparison problems with much better confidence.

Conclusion

To solve this stickers end question, we first found Ali’s ending amount: \(230 – 20 = 210\). Then we used the ending comparison: Ali had \(34\) more stickers than Lena, so Lena had \(210 – 34 = 176\). Therefore, Lena had \(176\) stickers in the end.

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