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.Write 90 as a product of its prime factors.
- 2.Solve 2x² = 18.
- 3.A bag of potatoes has a mass of 3 kg. A bag of carrots has a mass of 5 kg. Write the mass of the potatoes as a fraction of the mass of the carrots.
- 4.A(1, 2), B(5, 2) and C(5, 6) are three of the four vertices of a square ABCD. Work out the coordinates of D.
- 5.Ellie drops a bottle top and records whether it lands open end up. In her first 20 drops it lands open end up 13 times. She carries on, and after 200 drops in total it has landed open end up 84 times. Work out the best estimate of the probability that the bottle top lands open end up.
- 6.A scatter graph plots the number of years, x, that 20 employees have worked at a company against their salary, y. All the plotted points lie between x = 1 and x = 15. Write down the word used to describe an estimate for y made using a value of x that lies between 1 and 15.
- 7.A charity shop buys a coat for £24 and sells it for a profit that is 3/8 of the buying price. Work out the selling price.
- 8.A straight line passes through the points (−1, 2) and (3, 14). Work out the equation of the line.
- 9.1 metre = 100 cm. Work out how many square centimetres there are in 1 square metre.
- 10.In pentagon PQRST, which of the following correctly names the interior angle at vertex R, using standard three-letter angle notation?
- 11.Spinner A has 4 equal sections, numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. Spinner B has 3 equal sections, coloured red, red and blue. Both spinners are spun once. Work out the probability of getting an even number on Spinner A and red on Spinner B.
- 12.Work out (−6) + (−4) × 3
- 13.In which quadrant does the point (−3, 0.5) lie?
- 14.A jug holds 2 litres. Given that 1 litre = 1000 cm³, work out the capacity of the jug in cm³.
- 15.What does the statement AB = CD mean, where A, B, C and D are all points?
- 16.Work out the lowest common multiple of 4 and 6.
- 17.a = 2 and b = 5. Work out the value of ab².
- 18.In a class, 50% of the students study French, 30% study Spanish and the rest study German. Write down the ratio of French : Spanish : German students, in its simplest form.
- 19.Work out −6 × (−3).
- 20.Jamal is paid £54 for working 6 hours. Work out his rate of pay, in £ per hour.
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.