8 quick questions on UK coins and notes — what each one is worth, sorting by value, and easy addition. Designed for Year 1 and 2.
Audience
KS3-KS4 pupils (Y7-Y11)
Key Stage
KS3-KS4
Cases
8
Time
20 min
Topic
Payslips and deductions
Last reviewed
2026-07-22
How to play
You're the payroll detective. Eight payslips land on your desk — most have one line that's wrong. Click the line you suspect, then pick why it's wrong. Careful: one payslip is completely correct, and part of the job is knowing when nothing is broken. All figures use real 2026/27 UK rules.
For teachers: use this in class
Learning objectives: read a payslip line-by-line; apply the Personal Allowance, NI threshold and student-loan threshold; recognise an emergency tax code as normal, not an error.
15-minute activity: pairs race the eight cases, then compare which case fooled the most pairs (Case 3, usually) and why "nothing is wrong" felt hard to choose.
Differentiation: support — give the four key thresholds on the board first; stretch — pupils build their own "broken payslip" for a partner using this year's numbers.
Discussion: Who is responsible if payroll deducts nothing for a year — you or the employer? What would you do first if your real payslip looked like Case 4?
Curriculum: PSHE economic wellbeing KS3-4; Maths percentages in context. Uses real 2026/27 figures. See the curriculum map.
Cite this quiz
UK Tax Drag (2026). Payslip Detective: spot the mistake. Game. Available at: https://kids.uktaxdrag.co.uk/game-payslip-detective.html
CC BY 4.0. Free to use as exit tickets, retrieval practice, homework or self-assessment.
Game tips. Click any payslip line to accuse it, or declare the payslip correct. Fully keyboard-playable: Tab between lines, Enter to select, and number keys 1-3 pick a diagnosis. Print the case files gives all eight payslips with answers for offline use.