Multiplication and divisionGrades 4–6
Long division worksheets with and without remainders
The generator prints long division problems inside division brackets with working space below. Choose the number of digits in the dividend and divisor and whether answers have remainders. The key shows each quotient above the bracket.
- Fresh problems every time
- Answer key on its own page
- Print or PDF, Letter or A4
- Free, no sign-up
On this page
What students need first
Long division asks a child to use several skills at once: multiplication facts, subtraction, place value and a steady routine. Before starting, a student should know the facts through 9 × 9 well enough that finding "how many 6s fit in 38" is not a struggle. Students usually begin this work in fourth grade with a one-digit divisor, extend to two-digit divisors in fifth grade, and are expected to be fluent by sixth grade.
This page prints each problem with a divisor outside a bracket and the dividend inside it, with room beneath for the subtract-and-bring-down steps. Larger dividends get more rows of working space, up to eight.
Choosing the settings
- Digits in the dividend runs from 2 to 6. A 3-digit dividend with a 1-digit divisor is the standard first sheet. Dividends of five or more digits print two problems across instead of three, to leave room for longer working.
- Digits in the divisor runs from 1 to 3, and it can never exceed one less than the dividend's digits. A one-digit divisor is always between 2 and 9. For two-digit divisors the numbers range from 11 to 99.
- Remainders has three choices: No remainders, Some remainders, and Always a remainder. Start with none so the student can check by multiplying and get back the original number exactly.
- Number of problems can be set anywhere between 4 and 24. Because each problem takes real time, eight to twelve is a full sheet for most students.
The printed instruction line changes with the remainder setting. With no remainders it tells students every problem divides evenly. Otherwise it reminds them to write the remainder after an R and gives the check: quotient × divisor + remainder = dividend.
Worked example: 912 ÷ 4
- Look at the first digit. 4 does not go into 9 evenly, but it goes in twice: 2 × 4 = 8. Write 2 above the 9, subtract, and get 1.
- Bring down the next digit, 1, to make 11. 4 goes into 11 twice (8), leaving 3. Write 2 above the 1.
- Bring down the last digit, 2, to make 32. 4 × 8 = 32 exactly, leaving 0. Write 8 above the 2.
The quotient is 228. Check: 228 × 4 = 912. With a remainder the same steps apply, only the last subtraction leaves something over. For 758 ÷ 6, the quotient digits are 1, 2 and 6, and the final subtraction leaves 2, so the answer is 126 R2. Check: 126 × 6 = 756, and 756 + 2 = 758.
Using the answer key
The key prints just the quotient (with R and the remainder if there is one) above each bracket. It does not show the steps, so when an answer is wrong, have the student rework it and compare digit by digit. These are the usual causes.
- A quotient with a missing zero. If 4 does not go into the number after a bring-down, a 0 must still go in the quotient. Answers like 28 instead of 208 point to this.
- A remainder as large as the divisor. The student stopped one multiple too early. The remainder must always be smaller than the divisor.
- Quotient digits in the wrong columns. Writing the first digit above the wrong place shifts the whole answer. Lined paper turned sideways can help keep digits in columns.
Where to go next
For students who need the reverse operation sharper, the 3-digit by 2-digit multiplication sheets build the same place-value habits. Younger learners who are still connecting division to multiplication can use fact family worksheets first.