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 8% of £250.
- 2.In a shop a shirt costs £x and a pair of trousers costs £(2x + 30). Together the two items cost at least £150. Work out the lowest possible price of the shirt.
- 3.Write the ratio 6a : 9a in its simplest form, where a is a positive number.
- 4.Triangle ABC has a right angle at B. Triangle DEF has a right angle at E. The hypotenuse of triangle ABC equals the hypotenuse of triangle DEF, and side AB equals side DE. Which condition proves that the two triangles are congruent?
- 5.A fair six-sided dice is rolled 90 times. Work out how many more times you would expect it to land on a number less than 4 than on a 6.
- 6.Priya wants to find out the favourite sport of the 900 pupils at her school. She asks 5 pupils, chosen at random. Give a reason why her sample may not give a reliable result.
- 7.Work out the value of .
- 8.A sequence begins at 7. Each term after the first is found by adding 6 to the term before it. Work out the 6th term of the sequence.
- 9.A plan is drawn to a scale of 1 : 500. Work out how many metres are represented by 1 cm on the plan.
- 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.The probability that Amelia's bus is late on a school morning is 9/10. Write this probability as a percentage.
- 12.Which of these is equal to 5³?
- 13.n = 3. Work out the value of (2n)².
- 14.Two numbers a and b are in the ratio a : b = 3 : 4. Given that a = 15, work out the value of b.
- 15.Angle ABC is 130°. The line BF divides angle ABC into two equal parts. Work out the size of angle FBC.
- 16.Write these fractions in order, starting with the smallest: 2/3, 3/5, 5/6, 1/2
- 17.A phone company works out a monthly bill, £B, using the formula B = 18 + 0.05t, where £18 is the fixed monthly charge and t is the number of extra text messages sent beyond the free allowance, each charged at 5p. Farida's bill for one month is £24.50. Work out the number of extra text messages, t, she sent.
- 18.A scale drawing of a playground is drawn to a scale of 1 : 300. A slide measures 4 cm on the drawing. Work out the real length of the slide, in centimetres.
- 19.A van has a mass of 2,000 kg, correct to 1 significant figure. Using m for the mass of the van in kilograms, write down the error interval for m.
- 20.A film runs for 2.25 hours. Work out the length of the film in minutes.
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.