GCSE Foundation · grades 1–5 · 20% of marks
GCSE Foundation — Algebra
Every algebra statement a GCSE Foundation student may be asked is here; together they are 20% of the assessment. There are 21 algebra statements to cover. Working through them one at a time beats mixed practice while a topic is still shaky — mixed practice tells you that something is wrong, not what. Expect algebraic notation, substitution into formulae, expressions, equations, formulae, identities and inequalities, simplifying, expanding and factorising, rearranging formulae and identities, equivalence and algebraic proof. None of this is Higher-only material: it is the shared content both tiers sit. Only 50% of the paper is straight technique (AO1); 50% asks you to reason, interpret or solve a problem in context, and those marks are won by setting the work out clearly. The bulk of it sits comfortably on the non-calculator paper; a calculator quietly hides the gap until the exam.
- A1 — Algebraic notation
- A2 — Substitution into formulae
- A3 — Expressions, equations, formulae, identities and inequalities
- A4 — Simplifying, expanding and factorising
- A5 — Rearranging formulae
- A6 — Identities, equivalence and algebraic proof
- A7 — Functions, inverse and composite functions
- A8 — Coordinates in all four quadrants
- A9 — Straight-line graphs and y = mx + c
- A10 — Gradients and intercepts of linear functions
- …and 11 more algebra statements at this tier
Practise
The 21 DfE statements in algebra at Foundation
Higher-only statements are not listed here; statements with a Higher-only part are marked and the part is quoted.
Related
Questions people ask
How much of the GCSE Foundation paper is algebra?
20% of the total marks, and the three papers each carry an equal share of the qualification, so it is spread across all of them rather than concentrated in one.
How many topics are there in algebra at GCSE Foundation?
21 DfE content statements, coded A1 to A25 within this area. Every question in the bank is tagged to one of them.
Is any algebra content on this page Higher only?
No. Foundation pages only show statements a Foundation entry may be asked. The Higher-only algebra material is on the GCSE Higher page for this area.
Can I use a calculator for algebra questions?
Paper 1 is non-calculator; Papers 2 and 3 allow one. Of the 21 statements in this area, 18 are naturally non-calculator and 0 naturally calculator, with the rest workable either way — so practise both.
What kind of marks does algebra carry?
The GCSE Foundation split is 50% AO1 (use and apply standard techniques), 25% AO2 (reason, interpret and communicate) and 25% AO3 (solve problems in and out of context). Questions in this area are set across all three.
Are these past paper questions?
No. Every question at /gcse-foundation is original, written to the DfE content statements and checked before it is published. We do not host past papers or mark schemes.