Parents and students searching for “quick calculation tricks”, “speed math”, or “how to finish selective‑school math on time” will soon discover Vedic Mathematics. Condensed in the 1910s, Vedic Mathematics offers 16 concise rules and 13 sub‑rules that transform tedious pen‑and‑paper methods into rapid mental steps. For today’s competitive exams—where every question is a race against the clock—that speed is gold.
How Speed Math Decides the fate of Competitive Exams
-Selective High‑School Placement Test: 35 quantitative‑reasoning items in 40 min, about 68 s per question.
-ACER Level 3 Scholarship: 50 math questions in 50 min, with the hardest in the last 10.
-Math Olympiads
-ICAS Math: brisk multi‑strand problems under rigid time‑pressure.
Saving even five seconds per calculation gains five plus extra minutes—often the gap between “maybe next year” and “you’re in!”
Let us look at some of the algorithms
1. 🟥 Squaring Numbers Ending in 5
The Rule: If the number ends in 5, square the tens digit and bump it by 1. Then tack on 25.
Formula: (10n + 5)² = n(n + 1) | 25
Example: 75² = 7 × 8 = 56 → 5625
✅ Use it for fast percent-change questions and perfect-square spotting.
2. 🔵 Multiplying Numbers Close to 100 or 1 000
Shortcut: Subtract each from the base, cross-subtract for the left side, multiply deficits for the right.
Example: 998 × 994 → Base = 1,000
→ 998 − 6 = 992
→ 2 × 6 = 12 → pad to 3 digits → 992 012
✅ No columns, no clutter, no stress.
3. 🟡 Vertically & Crosswise: Two-Digit × Two-Digit
Example: 47 × 68
✅ Step 1: Right-hand digit – Multiply the units (ones)
7 × 8 = 56
- Write 6, carry over the 5 to the next step.
✔️ This gives us the last digit of the answer.
✅ Step 2: Crosswise – Multiply diagonally and add
Now we do crosswise multiplication of the outer and inner pairs:
- (4 × 8) + (7 × 6) = 32 + 42 = 74
- Add the 5 carry from the previous step: 74 + 5 = 79
- Write 9, carry over 7
✔️ This gives us the middle digit(s).
✅ Step 3: Left-hand digit – Multiply the tens
4 × 6 = 24
- Add the 7 carry from the last step: 24 + 7 = 31
✔️ These are the first digits of the answer.
✅ Final Answer:
Write all parts together from left to right:
31 → 9 → 6 = 3,196
4. Long Multiplication on One Line
Example: 123 × 456 → 56 088
| Sweep | Which digits you multiply (add indices = same column) | Tiny sum | Write / Carry |
| ① Units | 3×63 × 63×6 | 18 | write 8, carry 1 |
| ② Tens | 2×6+3×52 × 6 + 3 × 52×6+3×5 | 12 + 15 = 27, + carry 1 = 28 | write 8, carry 2 |
| ③ Hundreds | 1×6+2×5+3×41 × 6 + 2 × 5 + 3 × 41×6+2×5+3×4 | 6 + 10 + 12 = 28, + carry 2 = 30 | write 0, carry 3 |
| ④ Thousands | 1×5+2×41 × 5 + 2 × 41×5+2×4 | 5 + 8 = 13, + carry 3 = 16 | write 6, carry 1 |
| ⑤ Ten-thousands | 1×41 × 41×4 | 4 + carry 1 = 5 | write 5 |
Read the digits you wrote, left to right → 56 088.
Beyond Speed: Building Stronger Number Sense
What happens is, students begin to *see* structure: why 75² links to 7×8, or how 998×994’s right‑hand part must always fit the base’s digit count. That pattern fluency directly boosts the algebraic‑reasoning and problem‑solving- a skill required in every subject
What’s Coming Next
✅ Walkthroughs of past papers—highlighting exact moments when Vedic tricks slice through time pressure.
✅ Pattern-spotting challenges to sharpen number sense.
✅ Mini “math sprints” to get stopwatch-ready.
Parents: This is more than math—it’s a mindset.
Students: The stopwatch doesn’t stand a chance.
👉 Let’s dive into the speed-math zone together!