--- type: "How-to Guide" title: "How to Do Long Division: Steps, Examples and Worksheets | Pip" description: "How to do long division with the bus stop method, step by step: a video, worked examples, remainders and free interactive long division worksheets to print." resource: https://pip11plus.com/how-to-do-long-division tags: ["pip"] timestamp: 2026-10-13T19:50:09Z image: https://pip11plus.com/info-hub-cards/how-to-do-long-division.jpg --- # How to Do Long Division Long division shares a big number into equal groups, one digit at a time. This guide shows how to do long division with the bus stop method: a short video, every step drawn out, worked examples, remainders, and free worksheets that mark themselves. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) [Jump to the worksheets ↓](#worksheets) ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) By the Pip team Updated 7 October 2026 · 8 min read 4 6 1 23 5 35 8 r 3 Divide, write, carry: **635** ÷ **4** = **158** r **3** **TL;DR** - Long division uses the **bus stop** method in three steps: **Share it**, **Bus stop it**, **Check it**. - Work left to right and, for each digit, **divide, write, carry**. Whatever is left at the end is the remainder. - Example: **635 ÷ 4 = 158 r 3**. Check by multiplying back: 158 × 4 = 632, plus 3 makes 635. - Keep any **zero in the middle** of the answer: 412 ÷ 4 is **103**, not 13. ## Long Division Video: The Bus Stop Method in 3 Steps Watch Pip work through **635** ÷ **4** first, then try it below. This long division video uses the same words as the rest of the page: Share it, Bus stop it, Check it. ![Pip next to the bus stop for 635 ÷ 4 = 158 r 3](https://pip11plus.com/info-hub-cards/long-division-video-poster.webp) _11 min · Pip Teaches 1\. Share it 2\. Bus stop it 3\. Check it_ ## How Do You Do Long Division? Step by Step You do long division in three parts. **Share it**: set the numbers out as a bus stop. **Bus stop it**: work along the digits from left to right, and for each one, divide, write, carry. **Check it**: multiply back. Here is long division step by step for **635** ÷ **4**. 1. Step 1 · Share it ### Set it out as a bus stop Write **635**, the number you are dividing (the dividend), under the roof. Write **4**, the number you divide by (the divisor), outside the bus stop. The answer will go on top. 2. Step 2 · Bus stop it ### Divide, write, carry How many lots of **4** go into **6**? **6** ÷ **4** = **1** with **2** left over. Write **1** on top. Carry the **2** in front of the **3** to make **23**. 3. Step 3 · Bus stop it ### Same three moves on the next digit **23** ÷ **4** = **5** with **3** left over, because **5** × **4** = **20**. Write **5** on top. Carry the **3** in front of the **5** to make **35**. 4. Step 4 · Bus stop it ### The last digit gives the remainder **35** ÷ **4** = **8** with **3** left over. Write **8** on top. No digit is left to carry into, so **3** is the remainder. The answer is **158** **r 3**. 5. Step 5 · Check it ### Multiply back **158** × **4** = **632**. Add the remainder: **632** + **3** = **635**. That is the number you started with, so the answer is right. Those are all the long division steps you need for a 1-digit divisor. The small carried numbers are why many UK schools call this short division. Long division is the same bus stop with the working written underneath. Short division carries the leftover in your head. Long division writes it down. You will see both below. ### Practise division with Pip Free adaptive maths practice for Years 3 to 6. Pip picks the next question from your child’s last answer. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) ## Long Division Examples These long division examples cover the places children most often go wrong: a first digit that is too small, a zero in the middle of the answer, and a remainder at the end. Each one is worked as a bus stop, with the carried numbers in amber. Example 1 ### 156 ÷ 3: a front zero can go 3 1 0 15 5 6 2 **3** does not go into **1**, so carry the **1** to make **15**. **15** ÷ **3** = **5**. Then **6** ÷ **3** = **2**. The answer is **52**. The empty front place needs no zero. Example 2 ### 412 ÷ 4: keep the middle zero 4 4 1 1 0 12 3 **4** ÷ **4** = **1**. Then **4** does not go into **1**, so write **0** on top and carry the **1** to make **12**. **12** ÷ **4** = **3**. The answer is **103**, not 13. Example 3 ### 487 ÷ 5: an answer with a remainder 5 4 0 48 9 37 7 r 2 **5** does not go into **4**, so make **48**. **48** ÷ **5** = **9** with **3** left over. **37** ÷ **5** = **7** with **2** left over. The answer is **97** **r 2**. Example 4 ### 725 ÷ 7: zero, then a remainder 7 7 1 2 0 25 3 r 4 **7** ÷ **7** = **1**. **7** does not go into **2**, so write **0** and make **25**. **25** ÷ **7** = **3** with **4** left over. The answer is **103** **r 4**. ### Want division practice that adapts? Pip gives your child maths questions at the right level, and Pip Teaches lessons show the method first. Free to download. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) ## Long Division With Remainders Long division with remainders works the same way. When no digit is left to carry into, whatever is left over is the remainder. Write it after the answer with an r: **635** ÷ **4** = **158** **r 3**. **The remainder rule:** the remainder is always smaller than the number outside the bus stop. If your remainder is **4** or more when dividing by **4**, another **4** goes in, so the answer on top needs to be bigger. ### What the remainder means in a word problem In word problems, read the question again before you write the answer. Sometimes you round up, sometimes you round down. - **Round up:** **387** stickers go into pouches of **8**. **387** ÷ **8** = **48** **r 3**. The last **3** stickers still need a pouch, so you need **49** pouches. - **Round down:** **245** photos fill pages of **6**. **245** ÷ **6** = **40** **r 5**. Only **40** pages are full, because the last **5** photos do not make a whole page. ## Long Division Strategies Three long division strategies make the method faster and catch mistakes before they cost marks. ### Estimate first For **635** ÷ **4**: **4** × **100** = **400** and **4** × **200** = **800**, so the answer is between **100** and **200**. An answer of **15** or **1580** must be wrong. ### Write a times table list Before dividing by a bigger number, write its first nine multiples down the side. Then each step is a look-up, not a guess, and quick [multiplication facts](https://pip11plus.com/multiplication-facts) make the list fast to write. ### Check by multiplying back Answer × number outside, then add the remainder. If you do not get the number you started with, look for the step that went wrong. ### Dividing by a 2-digit number: **453** ÷ **12** This is where long division writes the working down. First, the [times table](https://pip11plus.com/ks2-games-arcade/times-tables-games/) list for **12**: 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 12 4 5 3 3 7 r 9 − 3 6 9 3 − 8 4 9 1. Start with **45**, the first part that **12** goes into. How many lots of **12** go into **45**? **3**. Write **3** on top. **3** × **12** = **36**. Subtract: **45** − **36** = **9**. Bring down the **3** to make **93**. 2. How many lots of **12** go into **93**? **7**. Write **7** on top. **7** × **12** = **84**. Subtract: **93** − **84** = **9**. No digit is left, so **9** is the remainder. 3. Check it: **37** × **12** = **444**, add **9** = **453**. That matches **453**. ### Stuck on a step? Pip shows the method first Pip Teaches lessons walk through one idea at a time, then your child tries it. Pip Pro is £9.99 a month or £69.99 a year. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) ## Long Division Steps for Kids Here are the long division steps for kids in plain words. Print the card and keep it next to the homework, or share it with your child’s tablet. ### How to do the bus stop Divide, write, carry. Then check it. 1. Set it out. The big number goes **under the roof**. The number you share by goes **outside**. 2. **Divide** the first digit by **the number outside**. Too small? Use the first two digits. 3. **Write** the answer on top, right above that digit. 4. **Carry** what is left over. Write it small, in front of the next digit. 5. Do it again: divide, write, carry, until there are no digits left. 6. Something left at the end? That is the **remainder**. It is always smaller than the number outside. 7. **Check it**: answer × number outside, add the remainder. You should get the number you started with. Example: **635** ÷ **4** = **158** r **3** · pip11plus.com ## Long Division Questions Parents Ask **What is the bus stop method?** The bus stop method is the way UK schools set out division. The number you are dividing goes under a line that looks like a bus shelter, the number you divide by waits outside, and the answer is written on the roof. You work from left to right: divide, write, carry. **Is the bus stop method short division or long division?** In most UK schools the bus stop with small carried numbers is called short division. Long division uses the same bus stop but writes the working underneath: multiply, subtract, then bring down the next digit. Children usually use long division when dividing by a 2-digit number. **What are the long division steps?** Divide the first digit (or the first two if the first is too small), write the answer on top, then carry what is left over in front of the next digit. Repeat until no digits are left. Anything left at the end is the remainder. Finish by multiplying back to check. **How do you do long division with remainders?** Work through the bus stop as normal. When there is no digit left to carry into, whatever is left over is the remainder, written as r and the number, for example 158 r 3. The remainder must always be smaller than the number outside the bus stop. **What year do children learn long division?** In the National Curriculum for England, children divide numbers up to 4 digits by a 1-digit number using short division in Year 5, and they interpret remainders. In Year 6 they divide numbers up to 4 digits by a 2-digit number using long division. **What if the first digit is smaller than the number outside?** Write 0 on top, or leave it empty, and carry the whole digit in front of the next one. For 156 ÷ 3, 3 does not go into 1, so carry the 1 to make 15. A zero at the very front of the answer can go. **Why is there a zero in the middle of some answers?** When the number outside does not go into the part you are dividing, the answer for that place is 0, and you must write it. For 412 ÷ 4 the answer is 103, not 13. Leaving out a middle zero is one of the most common mistakes. **How can my child get more long division practice?** Use the free interactive long division worksheets at the end of this page. Each set has 40 questions that mark themselves, a Show me how button for the working, and a printable version with answers. Press New questions for a fresh set. ## Long Division Worksheets These free long division worksheets give your child **40** long division problems in five groups, from 2-digit numbers up to dividing by a 2-digit number. Type the answer and the remainder, press Check, and the sheet marks it. Leave the remainder empty when there is none. Stuck? Press Show me how to see the working. For pencil practice, print the sheet. The boxes print empty, and the answers go on a separate page. New questions gives a fresh set of long division practice every time. Press Ctrl + D to bookmark(Cmd + D on Mac) Long division worksheet · Set 1 · Name: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ · Date: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Your score · Set 1 0 of 40 Fill in a box and press Check ### A 2-digit ÷ 1-digit No remainder. A good place to start. 1. 1 92 ÷ 2 2 9 2 Answer Remainder 2. 2 16 ÷ 2 2 1 6 Answer Remainder 3. 3 18 ÷ 2 2 1 8 Answer Remainder 4. 4 45 ÷ 3 3 4 5 Answer Remainder 5. 5 54 ÷ 2 2 5 4 Answer Remainder 6. 6 65 ÷ 5 5 6 5 Answer Remainder 7. 7 27 ÷ 3 3 2 7 Answer Remainder 8. 8 84 ÷ 6 6 8 4 Answer Remainder ### B 3-digit ÷ 1-digit No remainder. Watch for zeros on top. 1. 9 432 ÷ 8 8 4 3 2 Answer Remainder 2. 10 252 ÷ 6 6 2 5 2 Answer Remainder 3. 11 172 ÷ 2 2 1 7 2 Answer Remainder 4. 12 234 ÷ 6 6 2 3 4 Answer Remainder 5. 13 360 ÷ 6 6 3 6 0 Answer Remainder 6. 14 828 ÷ 9 9 8 2 8 Answer Remainder 7. 15 160 ÷ 5 5 1 6 0 Answer Remainder 8. 16 105 ÷ 7 7 1 0 5 Answer Remainder ### C 3-digit ÷ 1-digit with remainders Every one has a remainder. 1. 17 824 ÷ 7 7 8 2 4 Answer Remainder 2. 18 515 ÷ 3 3 5 1 5 Answer Remainder 3. 19 565 ÷ 4 4 5 6 5 Answer Remainder 4. 20 971 ÷ 8 8 9 7 1 Answer Remainder 5. 21 493 ÷ 4 4 4 9 3 Answer Remainder 6. 22 933 ÷ 7 7 9 3 3 Answer Remainder 7. 23 305 ÷ 3 3 3 0 5 Answer Remainder 8. 24 911 ÷ 9 9 9 1 1 Answer Remainder ### D 4-digit ÷ 1-digit Some have remainders, some do not. 1. 25 8128 ÷ 7 7 8 1 2 8 Answer Remainder 2. 26 9567 ÷ 5 5 9 5 6 7 Answer Remainder 3. 27 4204 ÷ 9 9 4 2 0 4 Answer Remainder 4. 28 4847 ÷ 3 3 4 8 4 7 Answer Remainder 5. 29 2767 ÷ 8 8 2 7 6 7 Answer Remainder 6. 30 6782 ÷ 6 6 6 7 8 2 Answer Remainder 7. 31 6678 ÷ 3 3 6 6 7 8 Answer Remainder 8. 32 3647 ÷ 3 3 3 6 4 7 Answer Remainder ### E÷ a 2-digit number Long division. Write the times table first. 1. 33 584 ÷ 16 16 5 8 4 Answer Remainder 2. 34 1731 ÷ 24 24 1 7 3 1 Answer Remainder 3. 35 810 ÷ 12 12 8 1 0 Answer Remainder 4. 36 2958 ÷ 17 17 2 9 5 8 Answer Remainder 5. 37 4655 ÷ 17 17 4 6 5 5 Answer Remainder 6. 38 3897 ÷ 22 22 3 8 9 7 Answer Remainder 7. 39 727 ÷ 12 12 7 2 7 Answer Remainder 8. 40 552 ÷ 21 21 5 5 2 Answer Remainder ### Answers · Set 1 1. 92 ÷ 2 = 46 2. 16 ÷ 2 = 8 3. 18 ÷ 2 = 9 4. 45 ÷ 3 = 15 5. 54 ÷ 2 = 27 6. 65 ÷ 5 = 13 7. 27 ÷ 3 = 9 8. 84 ÷ 6 = 14 9. 432 ÷ 8 = 54 10. 252 ÷ 6 = 42 11. 172 ÷ 2 = 86 12. 234 ÷ 6 = 39 13. 360 ÷ 6 = 60 14. 828 ÷ 9 = 92 15. 160 ÷ 5 = 32 16. 105 ÷ 7 = 15 17. 824 ÷ 7 = 117 r 5 18. 515 ÷ 3 = 171 r 2 19. 565 ÷ 4 = 141 r 1 20. 971 ÷ 8 = 121 r 3 21. 493 ÷ 4 = 123 r 1 22. 933 ÷ 7 = 133 r 2 23. 305 ÷ 3 = 101 r 2 24. 911 ÷ 9 = 101 r 2 25. 8128 ÷ 7 = 1161 r 1 26. 9567 ÷ 5 = 1913 r 2 27. 4204 ÷ 9 = 467 r 1 28. 4847 ÷ 3 = 1615 r 2 29. 2767 ÷ 8 = 345 r 7 30. 6782 ÷ 6 = 1130 r 2 31. 6678 ÷ 3 = 2226 32. 3647 ÷ 3 = 1215 r 2 33. 584 ÷ 16 = 36 r 8 34. 1731 ÷ 24 = 72 r 3 35. 810 ÷ 12 = 67 r 6 36. 2958 ÷ 17 = 174 37. 4655 ÷ 17 = 273 r 14 38. 3897 ÷ 22 = 177 r 3 39. 727 ÷ 12 = 60 r 7 40. 552 ÷ 21 = 26 r 6 Free long division worksheets with answers: pip11plus.com/how-to-do-long-division [Read the steps again](#steps) ### Keep exploring [11+ maths questionsFree practice by topic →](https://pip11plus.com/maths-questions) [Maths word problems worksheetsPrintable, with answers →](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-maths-word-problems-worksheets) [11+ maths papersFull practice papers →](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-maths-papers) [How to practise 11+ mathsA plan for parents →](https://pip11plus.com/how-should-my-child-practise-maths-for-the-11-plus) [KS2 SATs practiceYear 6 maths and English →](https://pip11plus.com/ks2-sats) [How Pip adaptsQuestion, skill and review →](https://pip11plus.com/adaptive-learning) ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) Written by **The Pip team** The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers. ### Division practice that keeps up with your child. - Questions that adapt to every answer - Pip Teaches lessons show the method first - Pip Score shows progress for each skill [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) Free to download. Pip Pro is £9.99 a month or £69.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial. Phones and tablets only. ![Pip end of round screen with Pip Score](https://pip11plus.com/app-shots/2026-10/41-pip-score-round-end-building-zone.webp) **Pip: maths practice that adapts** Free for Years 3 to 6 [Get Pip free](#download) ## Practise division with a game Free browser games from the Pip arcade. [Rocket Run: division game](https://pip11plus.com/ks2-games-arcade/division-games/) [Pip Dash: times tables speed game](https://pip11plus.com/ks2-games-arcade/times-tables-speed-game/) [Factor Blaster: factors and multiples game](https://pip11plus.com/ks2-games-arcade/factors-and-multiples-game/) [All maths games](https://pip11plus.com/ks2-games-arcade/maths-games/)