Tip 1: To find a percentage increase, always divide by the original number. Not the new number. Mess this up and you’ll think a 20% bump turns into 25%. It won’t. Math judges you.
Tip 2: Use a calculator. Seriously, nobody expects you to do it in your head. Even mathematicians use phones for 1 ÷ 3 × 100. The real skill is knowing which numbers to pick.
Tip 3: When converting a whole number like 5 to a percentage, just ask: “5 out of what?” If it’s 5 out of 20, that’s 25%. If it’s 5 out of 5? That’s 100%—a perfect score. Context is king.
