Math problem generator - a freeware application for printing sheets full of highly configurable math problems

  • Are you a math teacher looking for exercise sheets which exactly match your students' current skills?
  • Are you a parent practicing basic arithmetic operations (+, -, *, /) with your children?

Creating sheets full of math problems specific for individual students is a tedious task which is made easier by this freeware math problem generator.

Main window with wysiwyg view of the exercise sheet Configuring problem types, here addition and subtraction

Features

  • addition / subtraction / multiplication / division
  • each highly configurable:
    • count over ten
    • number interval
    • choose part of times table
  • Wysiwyg (“what you see is what you get”) view of exercise sheet in main window
  • several layout options:
    • second sheet with solutions or solution column to cut off
    • numbering
    • headings
    • place holders
  • choose your options once and print several different pages of arithmetic problems
  • export to clipboard and insert e.g. in Microsoft Word → ideal for creating test papers and individual worksheets!
  • save and reuse (open) problem configurations

Easy usage without installation:

You can run this program without installation. Just download the zip-file below, unpack it and start the executable file inside.

License/Download

This software is freeware. You may use it without paying for it. Publication, e.g. on CD, only with permission by the author.

Files:

Documentation

Main window

The main window (see picture on the right) consists of a menu bar (File, Edit, …), a tabbed pane with layout options, an action bar and the preview of the current exercise sheet.

In the file menu there are options to open existing exercise sheet configurations, save them and print exercise sheets (optional: several different sheets with extra solution sheets). Save default settings stores the current configuration in a file which is read on every program startup.
The edit menu only consists of one item “copy” which copies the content of the current exercise sheet as vector graphic to the clipboard. From there you can paste it into any text program (e.g. Microsoft word) or graphics program.
The problem menu consists of menu items to choose the problem type and to find new problems, that is: discard all problems on the current exercise sheet and find new ones based on the current problem type configuration.

Choose problem type - addition/subtraction

You get this window by clicking on the button . Most options are self explanatory. Just place the window next to the main window, try out the options and watch the preview in the main window instantly change accordingly.
Terminology:

  • count over ten means that the “ten-digit” of the answer is not equal to the “ten-digit” of the first operand. For example 17 + 8 = 25 is with count over ten, '17 + 2 = 19'' is without count over ten.
  • count over hundred is like count over ten, but for the “hundred-digit”.
  • “O” means a number with only the “one-digit” set, that is a number in {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
  • “T” means a number with only the “ten-digit” set, that is a number in {10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90}
  • “TO” means a number with only “one-digit” and “ten-digit” set (e.g. 17).
  • “H” (“hundred-digit”), “T” (“thousand-digit”) is used in analogy.

Keep in mind section “arithmetic operation” on the righthand side. Here you can select which operations are used in the exercise sheet. If more than one operation is selected they are mixed with equal probability.

Choose problem type - multiplication/division

Like with “addition, subtraction” most options are self explanatory. Just try them out and watch the changes being reflected in the preview.

You can choose from several “problem types”. These correspond to the sections on the righthand side.

Placeholders

Here you can determine the possible placeholder positions and the appearance of placeholders.

Avoid trivial problems

After introductory lessons you probably don't want trivial problems to appear on exercise sheets.

Layout options

All layout options are located in the tabbed pane below the menu bar. As every change in layout is instantly reflected in the preview below it makes no sense to describe every single layout option. Below you see all options together with a brief description of the non-obvious ones:

Layout 1

Layout 2

Numbering

Margins

Fonts

Number of problems

If you want to generate a block of math problems in order to paste them into another program you can set the preferred number of problems here.

Box width

Here you can set the placeholder size.

Caption

You can also edit the caption by clicking at the top of the page in the preview.

Answers

Edit single problem

Print/export
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