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%.
Non-calculatorGCSE Foundation
GCSE Foundation sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)
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- 1.Work out how many factors 100 has.
- 2.Simplify 2b − 1 + 2b − 4 + 2b
- 3.Simplify the ratio 45 : 30 : 75 to its simplest form.
- 4.In quadrilateral WXYZ, which of the following correctly names the angle at vertex Y using standard notation?
- 5.Two games at a school fete are played independently. The probability of winning game X is 3/8. The probability of winning game Y is 0.4. Which statement correctly compares the two games?
- 6.A café owner in Brighton records the midday temperature, x °C, and the number of hot chocolates sold, y, on 12 days. The temperatures recorded run from 4 °C to 18 °C, and the line of best fit is y = −3x + 74. The forecast for tomorrow gives a midday temperature of 12 °C. Work out the number the line of best fit predicts, and write down how much confidence the owner can have in it.y = -3x + 74
- 7.The number 36 can be written as 2² × 3², and the number 84 can be written as 2² × 3 × 7. Work out the highest common factor of 36 and 84.
- 8.Look at the statement 2x + 5 = 17. Considering whether it is an expression, an equation, a formula, or an identity, which classification is correct?
- 9.Jamal is paid £54 for working 6 hours. Work out his rate of pay, in £ per hour.
- 10.A solid is built from centimetre cubes standing on a table. Seen from the front, the left-hand column is 2 cubes high, the middle column is 2 cubes high and the right-hand column is 1 cube high. Work out how many squares make up the front elevation.
- 11.Isla travels to school by bus, by bike, on foot or by car, and never by more than one of these on the same day. The probability that she travels by bus is 0.2, the probability that she travels by bike is 0.3 and the probability that she travels on foot is 0.1. Work out the probability that she travels to school by bus, by bike or on foot.
- 12.Work out 2 × 3 × 5 + 1 and decide whether the result is a prime number.
- 13.A geometric sequence has first term 3 and common ratio 2. Work out the 5th term of the sequence.
- 14.Last week Priya worked 5 shifts of 7 hours. This week she worked 4 shifts of 8 hours. Write the number of hours she worked last week as a fraction of the number of hours she worked this week.
- 15.Write down the number of lines of symmetry a rhombus has.
- 16.In a class, 1/3 of the pupils are girls. There are 12 girls in the class. Work out how many pupils are in the class.
- 17.A sequence has the position-to-term rule n² + 2, where n is the position number. Work out the 6th term.
- 18.A prize fund of £240 is shared between two winners in the ratio 3 : 5. Write the smaller winner's share as a fraction of the whole prize fund.
- 19.Amelia has 49 boxes of apples with 21 apples in each box. Work out an estimate for the total number of apples, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
- 20.Freya buys three items whose prices are in the ratio 2:3:5. Altogether she pays £400. Work out the price of the most expensive item.
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.