GCSE Foundation maths practice
Foundation tier covers the whole of the DfE subject content that every GCSE maths student must meet, and awards grades 1 to 5. You sit three papers, each 1 hour 30 minutes and worth 80 marks: Paper 1 without a calculator, Papers 2 and 3 with one. The three papers carry equal weight, so a strong non-calculator paper counts for exactly as much as a strong calculator paper. Half the marks (AO1) are for using standard techniques accurately — adding fractions, sharing in a ratio, working out an area — and the other half are split evenly between reasoning and communicating (AO2) and solving problems in and out of context (AO3). Number and ratio are the two heaviest content areas at 25% each, with algebra at 20%, geometry and measures at 15%, and probability and statistics together at 15%. That weighting is why Foundation revision that starts with percentages, ratio and place value tends to move a grade faster than revision that starts with the hardest algebra on the paper.
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What you learn in GCSE Foundation
6 content areas in the programme of study. Each has its own practice page with an explanation, worked examples and graded questions.
- Number: place value, the four operations, factors and multiples, HCF and LCM, indices, standard form, rounding and estimation
- Algebra: notation, substitution, expanding brackets, factorising, linear equations, straight-line graphs, sequences and the nth term
- Ratio, proportion and rates of change: ratio notation, sharing in a ratio, percentage change, direct and inverse proportion, speed and density
- Geometry and measures: angle facts, properties of triangles and quadrilaterals, area and perimeter, volume of prisms, Pythagoras' theorem and the trigonometric ratios, transformations
- Probability: relative frequency, sample spaces, Venn and tree diagrams, independent and dependent events
- Statistics: averages and range, tables and charts, scatter graphs, correlation and lines of best fit
Who this is for
Year 10 and Year 11 students entered for Foundation tier, anyone aiming at a grade 4 or 5, students retaking GCSE maths in a sixth form or college, and parents who want to see what their child is actually being asked.
How to use this level
- Pick a content area you know is weak and work through it by topic rather than by mixed paper — mixed practice only tells you what you already suspect.
- Do a non-calculator set at least once a week. Paper 1 is a third of your marks and it is the paper most students neglect.
- Read the worked answer even when you get the question right; the method that got you there matters more than the tick.
- When you keep losing marks on the same topic, go back to the DfE statement page for that code and start from the simplest version of it.
- Once a topic feels secure, print a worksheet on it and do it under time — recall under mild pressure is what the exam actually tests.
More for GCSE Foundation
Frequently asked questions about GCSE Foundation maths
Which tier should I be entered for?
Your school decides, usually from mock results and classwork, and the deadline sits with the exam entry rather than with you. Foundation is the right call if a grade 5 would be a good outcome: every mark on the paper is within reach, and the paper is built so that a well-prepared Foundation student can answer most of it. Higher suits students already working securely at grade 5 and above, because the bottom of a Higher paper is sparse and an unprepared Higher entry can come away with very little.
Can I get a grade 4 on Foundation?
Yes. Foundation awards grades 1 to 5, so a grade 4 — the standard pass most colleges and employers ask for — is available on Foundation, and so is a grade 5. What Foundation cannot award is a grade 6 or above; if you need one, you need a Higher entry.
Is Paper 1 really without a calculator?
Yes. Paper 1 is non-calculator for both tiers, and it is worth the same 80 marks as each of the other two. That means long multiplication and division, adding and subtracting fractions, percentages of amounts, and estimation all have to be done on paper. Practising them with a calculator to hand quietly hides the gap until the exam.
What's on the formulae sheet?
A formulae sheet is provided in the exam for the lifetime of the current specifications. It gives you things like the volume and surface area of a sphere and a cone and the kinematics formulae. It does not give you the area of a circle, the circumference of a circle, Pythagoras' theorem or the trigonometric ratios — those you still need to know. Our formulae page splits the list into what is given, what you must know, and what you should be able to derive.
How many marks do I need for a grade 4?
Grade boundaries are set after each series by the awarding organisation and move a little each year with the difficulty of the papers, so no honest site can give you a fixed number. Treat the published boundaries from previous series as a rough guide only, and aim to be comfortably above them rather than level with them.
Does it matter whether my school uses Edexcel, AQA or OCR?
For the content, no — every awarding organisation teaches the same DfE subject content, and the three-paper structure is the same. Boards differ in question style and wording, not in what may be asked, so topic practice transfers directly. Pearson Edexcel (1MA1) is the largest by entries, then AQA (8300) and OCR (J560).
Are these past paper questions?
No. Every question here is original, written to the DfE content statements and checked before it goes live. We do not host past papers or mark schemes; those belong to the awarding organisations and are on their own sites.
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Last updated: 2026-09-13 · question bank updated 2026-09-13