Last reviewed: 7 November 2026
Updated November 2026. These Grade 7 whole numbers notes cover place value and total value up to hundreds of millions, reading and writing numbers in symbols and words, rounding off, classifying natural numbers as even, odd and prime, combined operations, and number sequences. Example: in 345,678,912, the digit 4 is in the ten millions place, so its total value is 40,000,000.
The examples and questions are original practice for Kenyan junior school learners, not an official paper. For the other Grade 7 maths topics, see our Grade 7 mathematics revision guide and the Grade 7 notes hub.
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What the Grade 7 Curriculum Covers
Whole numbers is the first sub-strand under Numbers in the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development’s Grade 7 Mathematics design, with the largest lesson allocation in the strand. It covers place value and total value up to hundreds of millions, reading and writing numbers, rounding off, classifying natural numbers, operations and number sequences. The design is listed on the KICD Grade Seven curriculum designs page.
Place Value and Total Value
Place value names the position of a digit; total value is the digit multiplied by its place value. These ideas match OpenStax Prealgebra’s introduction to whole numbers.
| Hundred millions | Ten millions | Millions | Hundred thousands | Ten thousands | Thousands | Hundreds | Tens | Ones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
- Place value of 6: hundred thousands. Total value: 600,000.
- Place value of 3: hundred millions. Total value: 300,000,000.
Reading and Writing Numbers
Group digits in threes from the right. 345,678,912 is read as “three hundred and forty-five million, six hundred and seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred and twelve”. Going the other way, “twenty million, forty thousand and six” is 20,040,006. Use zeros as place holders; leaving them out is a common error. Writing amounts in words, as on a cheque, is a real-life use the curriculum suggests.
Rounding Off
Look at the digit to the right of the place you are rounding to. If it is 5 or more, round up; if it is less than 5, keep the digit and replace everything after it with zeros.
- 4,768,320 to the nearest thousand: the hundreds digit is 3, so 4,768,000.
- 4,768,320 to the nearest million: the hundred thousands digit is 7, so 5,000,000.
- 652,499,999 to the nearest hundred million: the ten millions digit is 5, so 700,000,000.
Classifying Natural Numbers
Natural numbers are the counting numbers 1, 2, 3, …
- Even numbers divide exactly by 2: 2, 4, 6, …
- Odd numbers leave a remainder of 1 when divided by 2: 1, 3, 5, …
- Prime numbers have exactly two factors, 1 and themselves: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, … Note that 2 is the only even prime, and 1 is not prime.
Combined Operations
Do brackets first, then division and multiplication from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.
Example: 48 ÷ (6 + 2) × 3 − 5 = 48 ÷ 8 × 3 − 5 = 6 × 3 − 5 = 18 − 5 = 13.
Number Sequences
Find the rule connecting the terms, then continue it.
- 4, 9, 14, 19, … adds 5 each time; the next term is 24.
- 3, 6, 12, 24, … doubles each time; the next term is 48.
- 1, 4, 9, 16, … are square numbers; the next term is 25.
- 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, … the difference grows by 1 each time (+1, +2, +3, +4); the next term is 17.
Original Practice Questions With Worked Answers
- Write the total value of 8 in 127,845,003. 800,000.
- Write 506,030,070 in words. Five hundred and six million, thirty thousand and seventy.
- Round 38,459,600 to the nearest hundred thousand. 38,500,000.
- List the prime numbers between 20 and 40. 23, 29, 31, 37.
- Evaluate 120 − 36 ÷ 4 × 3. 120 − 27 = 93.
- Find the next term: 100, 91, 82, 73, … 64.
Cover the answers and attempt each question first. For timed practice, use the Grade 7 revision papers or the Grade 7 CBC Challenge. These notes are free; full revision access is available with the KSh 20 Day Pass or the KSh 500 Monthly Pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between place value and total value?
Place value is the position of a digit, such as thousands. Total value is the digit multiplied by that place value.
How do you round off to the nearest million?
Look at the hundred thousands digit. If it is 5 or more, add one to the millions digit; then replace all digits after the millions with zeros.
Is 1 a prime number?
No. A prime number has exactly two factors, and 1 has only one.
What order should combined operations follow?
Brackets, then division and multiplication from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.