Progressing from additive to multiplicative thinking is a key outcome of school mathematics, making ratios an essential topic of study in junior secondary. In this study, 15 Australian Year 8 students were administered a ratio test followed by semi-structured interviews to explore their conceptions of ratio prior to formal instruction. In this paper, students' responses to one of the ratio questions are analysed in detail. Analysis of incorrect responses was conducted using a modified version of Radatz's (1979) framework. Analysis of correct responses revealed that some students worked proficiently with ratio without formal instruction.