diff --git a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/sentence_reordering.py b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/sentence_reordering.py
index acb7cd23..57f19d6e 100644
--- a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/sentence_reordering.py
+++ b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/sentence_reordering.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import re
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from random import Random
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
 
 from ..data import read_data_file
 from ..factory import ProceduralDataset, register_dataset
@@ -92,5 +92,26 @@ class SentenceReorderingDataset(ProceduralDataset):
             "metadata": {"word_count": word_count},
         }
 
+    def score_answer(self, answer: Optional[str], entry: Dict[str, Any]) -> float:
+        reward = 0
+        expected_answer = entry["answer"]
+        if answer is not None:
+            try:
+                if expected_answer == answer:
+                    return 1.0
+                goal_words = expected_answer.split()
+                answer_words = answer.split()
+                if len(goal_words) == len(answer_words):
+                    credit = [
+                        1 if goal_word.lower() == answer_word.lower() else 0
+                        for goal_word, answer_word in zip(goal_words, answer_words)
+                    ]
+                    reward = sum(credit) / len(credit)
+                else:
+                    reward = 0.05
+            except:
+                reward = 0.01
+        return reward
+
 
 register_dataset("sentence_reordering", SentenceReorderingDataset, SentenceReorderingConfig)
diff --git a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/spell_backward.py b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/spell_backward.py
index 59b163ee..d1837521 100644
--- a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/spell_backward.py
+++ b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/spell_backward.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import re
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from random import Random
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
 
 from ..data import read_data_file
 from ..factory import ProceduralDataset, register_dataset
@@ -49,5 +49,18 @@ class SpellBackwardDataset(ProceduralDataset):
             "metadata": {"word": word, "word_len": len(word)},
         }
 
+    def score_answer(self, answer: Optional[str], entry: Dict[str, Any]) -> float:
+        reward = 0
+        expected_answer = entry["answer"]
+        if answer is not None:
+            try:
+                if expected_answer.lower() == answer.lower():
+                    reward = 1.0
+                else:
+                    reward = 0.05
+            except:
+                reward = 0.01
+        return reward
+
 
 register_dataset("spell_backward", SpellBackwardDataset, SpellBackwardConfig)
diff --git a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/word_ladder.py b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/word_ladder.py
index 64c65326..3be99138 100644
--- a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/word_ladder.py
+++ b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/word_ladder.py
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Set, Tuple
 from ..data import get_data_file_path
 from ..factory import ProceduralDataset, register_dataset
 
+QUESTION_TEMPLATE = """Transform the word ladder '{start}' to '{end}' by changing one letter at a time.
+                       Provide your answer as a comma-separated sequence of uppercase letters without spaces.
+                       Each step must be a valid English word."""
+
 
 @dataclass
 class WordLadderConfig:
@@ -211,7 +215,7 @@ class WordLadderDataset(ProceduralDataset):
             raise IndexError(f"Dataset exhausted at index {idx}. {str(e)}")
 
         return {
-            "question": f"Transform the word ladder '{start}' to '{end}' by changing one letter at a time.",
+            "question": QUESTION_TEMPLATE.format(start=start, end=end),
             "answer": ",".join(path),
             "metadata": {"start_word": start, "end_word": end, "word_length": length, "chain_length": len(path)},
         }
diff --git a/reasoning_gym/arithmetic/basic_arithmetic.py b/reasoning_gym/arithmetic/basic_arithmetic.py
index 156314d9..c72ff143 100644
--- a/reasoning_gym/arithmetic/basic_arithmetic.py
+++ b/reasoning_gym/arithmetic/basic_arithmetic.py
@@ -223,12 +223,15 @@ class BasicArithmeticDataset(ProceduralDataset):
         return expression, result
 
     def _format_question(self, rng: Random, expression: str) -> str:
-        """Format the expression according to config style"""
+        """Format the expression with clear answer positioning"""
+        answer_instruction = "Put your final answer after '=' without additional text."
+
         if self.config.format_style == "simple":
-            return f"{expression} ="
+            return f"{answer_instruction} Calculate {expression} ="
         else:
-            templates = ["What is {0}?", "Calculate {0}", "Solve {0}", "Evaluate the expression: {0}"]
-            return rng.choice(templates).format(expression)
+            templates = ["What is {0} =", "Solve {0}=", "Compute {0} =", "Evaluate: {0} ="]
+            template = rng.choice(templates).format(expression)
+            return f"{answer_instruction} {template}"
 
 
 # Register the dataset
diff --git a/tests/test_basic_arithmetic.py b/tests/test_basic_arithmetic.py
index 3d3d08b5..406e4617 100644
--- a/tests/test_basic_arithmetic.py
+++ b/tests/test_basic_arithmetic.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def test_arithmetic_dataset_format_styles():
 
     config.format_style = "natural"
     dataset = BasicArithmeticDataset(config)
-    assert all("=" not in item["question"] for item in dataset)
+    assert all("=" in item["question"] for item in dataset)
 
 
 def test_arithmetic_dataset_iteration():
diff --git a/tests/test_sentence_reordering.py b/tests/test_sentence_reordering.py
index 9ed5b4da..9348ec04 100644
--- a/tests/test_sentence_reordering.py
+++ b/tests/test_sentence_reordering.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ def test_getitem(dataset, config):
     assert "metadata" in item
     assert item["metadata"]["word_count"] >= config.min_words_in_sentence
     assert item["metadata"]["word_count"] <= config.max_words_in_sentence
+    assert len(item["answer"].split()) == item["metadata"]["word_count"]
 
 
 def test_key_error_in_getitem(dataset):