Negative Numbers Practice
20 questions · 60 seconds · integers −20 to 20
Free · no login · instant feedback on every answer
Get comfortable operating with negative numbers: 20 addition and subtraction questions using integers from −20 to 20, including the patterns students find slippery — subtracting a negative, adding to a negative, and crossing zero.
Integer operations are the gateway to pre-algebra: equations, coordinates, and slopes all assume sign fluency. The mistakes are predictable (sign flips, double negatives), which makes instant feedback especially valuable — the error is corrected before it becomes a habit.
Tips That Make It Stick
- Live on the number line. Adding moves right, subtracting moves left, and a negative number reverses the direction. −3 + 8 is: start at −3, walk 8 right, land on 5.
- Subtracting a negative adds. 5 − (−4) = 5 + 4 = 9. "Minus a minus is a plus" — because removing a debt is the same as gaining.
- Use zero pairs. +1 and −1 cancel to zero. For −7 + 7, seeing seven zero pairs makes the answer obvious — and scales to every integer sum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grade learns negative numbers?
Negative numbers are introduced conceptually in 6th grade, with fluent addition and subtraction of integers expected in 7th grade — this drill targets exactly that range.
Why does subtracting a negative number give a bigger answer?
Subtraction means removing — and removing a negative removes a deficit. Taking a −4 away from 5 leaves you 4 better off: 5 − (−4) = 9. On the number line, the two minus signs reverse direction twice.
Does this include multiplying negative numbers?
This preset focuses on addition and subtraction, where sign errors are most common. To practice all four operations with integers, load the game and enable multiplication and division in game settings.
📝 Matching Printable Worksheets
Prefer paper practice? These free PDF worksheets cover the same skill — each includes an answer key: