Here’s how to use my nifty Table of Joy to work out percentages, pie charts, proportions, conversions, ratios and all the rest so you can ace your numeracy test with ease!

  1. Draw a big noughts and crosses grid, leaving yourself plenty of room for labels in the first column and top row.

  2. Label the top-middle and top-right squares with the things you're measuring. For example, if you're working on a currency conversion, you might have pounds and dollars; if you're working on a pie chart, it might be people and degrees.

  3. Label the middle-left and bottom-left squares with the things you know about – for the currency example, it might be 'exchange rate' and 'money'; for the pie chart, it's 'slice' and 'whole circle'.

  4. Fill in the squares with the numbers you know.

  5. Shade the numbered squares like a chessboard. Find the two numbers that are both on the same colour of square.

  6. Write down the Table of Joy sum: multiply the two numbers from step 5 and divide by the other number.

  7. Work out the sum – this is your answer!