Sample paper · GCSE Foundation · grades 1–5
GCSE Foundation sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)
The real Paper 1 is 1.5 hour 30 minutes and 80 marks, non-calculator, and all three papers carry equal weight. This sample is 20 original questions in the same content proportions as the Foundation qualification — number 25%, algebra 20%, ratio, proportion and rates of change 25%, geometry and measures 15%, probability 7.5%, statistics 7.5% — with no calculator-only items. AO1 / AO2 / AO3 at this tier: 50% / 25% / 25%.
GCSE Foundation sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)
- 1.3.4 × 10⁵ is written as an ordinary number. Work out this number.
- 2.Two numbers have a sum of 24. Their difference is 6. Work out the two numbers.
- 3.The ratio of the number of pages Mia has read to the number of pages Leo has read is 7 : 4. Mia has read 84 pages. Work out how many pages they have read altogether.
- 4.An angle is measured with a protractor as 47°. What type of angle is this?
- 5.The probability that a pupil chosen at random has a nut allergy is 1/10. There are 30 pupils in a class. Work out how many of the 30 pupils would be expected to have a nut allergy.
- 6.A vertical line chart shows the number of goals scored by a football team in each of its 20 matches: 0 goals in 4 matches, 1 goal in 7 matches, 2 goals in 6 matches and 3 goals in 3 matches. Write down the modal number of goals.
- 7.Write down the reciprocal of 0.2
- 8.The point A lies on the x-axis. Which statement about A must be true?
- 9.Two cars travel at constant speeds. Car A travels 150 km in 3 hours. Car B travels 180 km in 4 hours. Which car is faster, and what is its speed?
- 10.A square-based pyramid has a square base and four identical triangular sloping faces, with its apex directly above the centre of the base. How many planes of symmetry does it have?
- 11.A frequency tree records how 90 pupils travel to school and whether they were late. The first pair of branches splits the 90 pupils into 50 who walk and 40 who do not walk. On the walking branch, 6 were late and 44 were not. On the other branch, 10 were late and 30 were not. One of the 90 pupils is chosen at random. Work out the probability that the pupil walks to school and was late.
- 12.Work out (−36) ÷ (−6) × 2
- 13.Solve the simultaneous equations x + y = 1 and 2x + y = 5.
- 14.A map has a scale of 1 : 100. A path measures 5 cm on the map. Work out the real length of the path, in metres.
- 15.A cylinder has a volume of 942 cm³ and a height of 12 cm. Using π = 3.14, work out the radius of the cylinder.
- 16.A tin of soup has a mass of 450 g. A bag of potatoes has a mass of 2.6 kg. Work out the total mass, in kilograms.
- 17.A box contains 6 chocolates. Write down an expression for the total number of chocolates in c boxes.
- 18.In a mix of mortar the ratio of the mass of sand to the mass of cement is 5 : 2. Write the mass of cement as a fraction of the total mass of the mix.
- 19.Write 0.06 as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 20.1 metre = 100 cm. Work out how many square centimetres there are in 1 square metre.
How the 20 questions are shared out
- Number — 5 questions (25% of the qualification)
- Algebra — 4 questions (20% of the qualification)
- Ratio, proportion and rates of change — 5 questions (25% of the qualification)
- Geometry and measures — 3 questions (15% of the qualification)
- Probability — 2 questions (7.5% of the qualification)
- Statistics — 1 question (7.5% of the qualification)
Where an area has fewer printable questions than its share, the shortfall is filled from the other areas. These are original questions, not past papers.