GCSE maths mock papers — practice by paper structure
Practice built to the real GCSE paper structure — three papers per tier, with the timing and marks to match — plus original paper-style questions with full worked solutions. Choose your tier:
GCSE Foundation (grades 1–5)
Three papers (Paper 1 non-calculator, Papers 2 and 3 calculator) covering the full DfE content every GCSE maths student meets.
3 papers · Practice →
GCSE Higher (grades 4–9)
Three papers (Paper 1 non-calculator, Papers 2 and 3 calculator), all of Foundation plus surds, circle theorems, the sine and cosine rules, and conditional probability.
3 papers · Practice →
Paper structure — every GCSE maths paper
| Tier | Paper | Time | Marks | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Paper 1 | 90 minutes | 80 marks | No |
| Foundation | Paper 2 | 90 minutes | 80 marks | Yes |
| Foundation | Paper 3 | 90 minutes | 80 marks | Yes |
| Higher | Paper 1 | 90 minutes | 80 marks | No |
| Higher | Paper 2 | 90 minutes | 80 marks | Yes |
| Higher | Paper 3 | 90 minutes | 80 marks | Yes |
Structure verified against Ofqual's current GCSE mathematics specifications — identical across Pearson Edexcel (1MA1), AQA (8300) and OCR (J560). A formulae sheet is provided in the exam. Original practice in the format of the GCSE papers — not official exam papers. Past papers and mark schemes belong to the awarding organisations (Pearson Edexcel, AQA, OCR) and are not hosted here.
What's here today
Papers assemble from the question bank as it fills. Topic practice for every GCSE content area is live now — the mock papers and paper-style questions (none published yet) grow alongside it. We would rather show an honest empty state than pad the bank with anything less than original, checked questions.
More GCSE revision tools
- Paper-style questions — multi-part questions in the exam format, with a full worked solution per part
- Formulae sheet — what's given, what you must know, and what you should be able to derive
- GCSE Foundation practice and GCSE Higher practice by content area
Frequently asked questions
How many papers are there in GCSE maths?
Three, for each tier: Foundation has Papers 1, 2 and 3, and Higher has its own Papers 1, 2 and 3. Every paper is 1 hour 30 minutes and worth 80 marks. Paper 1 is non-calculator on both tiers; Papers 2 and 3 allow a calculator.
Are these real GCSE papers?
Original practice in the format of the GCSE papers — not official exam papers. Past papers and mark schemes belong to the awarding organisations (Pearson Edexcel, AQA, OCR) and are not hosted here. The structure — paper count, timing, marks and content-area weighting — matches the real exams, but every question is written from scratch for MathsUK.
What's the difference between Foundation and Higher?
Foundation awards grades 1-5 and covers the DfE content every GCSE maths student must meet. Higher awards grades 4-9 and covers everything on Foundation plus Higher-only content — surds, circle theorems, the sine and cosine rules, and conditional probability among it.
Is the practice free?
Yes. All practice on MathsUK — including the mock papers area and the paper-style questions — is completely free and needs no sign-up.
How is each paper weighted?
Foundation is 50% AO1 (using standard techniques), 25% AO2 (reasoning) and 25% AO3 (problem solving). Higher is 40% AO1, 30% AO2 and 30% AO3 — Higher questions lean harder on reasoning and multi-step problems.