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%.

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GCSE Foundation sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)

Maths · GCSE Foundation · Paper 1 · Non-calculator · 20 questions

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1.A tin of beans has a mass of 650 g. A bag of rice has a mass of 1.35 kg. Work out the total mass, in kilograms.
(a)651.35 kg
(b)0.70 kg
(c)2.00 kg
(d)7.85 kg
2.Two numbers have a sum of 50. The larger number is twice the smaller number. Work out the smaller number.
(a)100/3
(b)25
(c)24
(d)50/3
3.A box contains 12 red counters and 18 blue counters. Write the number of red counters as a fraction of the number of blue counters. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)1/2
(b)3/2
(c)2/3
(d)2/5
4.A triangle has vertices X, Y and Z, with a right angle at Y. Side XY is twice as long as side YZ. Which of the following correctly describes this triangle?
(a)A right-angled isosceles triangle
(b)A right-angled triangle
(c)An isosceles triangle
(d)An equilateral triangle
5.A garden centre recorded 240 plant sales using a frequency tree. The first stage splits the sales into three types: shrubs, bedding plants and trees. 96 sales were shrubs, 114 were bedding plants and the rest were trees. Work out the probability that a sale chosen at random from these 240 was a tree.
(a)2/5
(b)1/8
(c)19/40
(d)3/40
6.A quality inspector weighs a random sample of 50 packets of crisps from one day's production and finds their mean mass is 32.4 g. The factory makes 20,000 packets that day. Work out an estimate for the total mass, in kg, of all the packets made that day.
(a)648,000 kg
(b)32.4 kg
(c)1.62 kg
(d)648 kg
7.A piece of ribbon is 2.4 metres long. Kim cuts 40 cm from it. Work out the length of ribbon left, in millimetres.
(a)2800 mm
(b)200 mm
(c)2000 mm
(d)2360 mm
8.The graph of y = (x − 4)(x + 1) crosses the x-axis. Which pair gives the correct roots and reasoning?
(a)x = −4 and x = −1, because the roots are always the negative of the numbers shown in the brackets.
(b)x = 4 and x = 1, because both brackets must be positive at the roots.
(c)x = 4 and x = −1, because the graph crosses the x-axis where x − 4 = 0 or x + 1 = 0.
(d)x = −4 and x = 1, because the signs inside the brackets must be reversed to solve them.
9.A cyclist travels 45 km in 3 hours at a constant speed. Work out the cyclist's average speed, in km/h.
(a)15 km/h
(b)135 km/h
(c)48 km/h
(d)42 km/h
10.Two similar triangular tiles have lengths in the ratio 3 : 5. The longest side of the smaller tile is 9 cm. Work out the length of the longest side of the larger tile.
(a)27 cm
(b)45 cm
(c)15 cm
(d)11 cm
11.A basketball player takes two free throws, and the throws are independent. The probability of scoring on each throw is 0.6, and the probability of missing is 0.4. Work out the probability that she scores exactly one of the two throws.
(a)0.48
(b)0.84
(c)0.24
(d)0.36
12.Work out the highest common factor of 15 and 25.
(a)75
(b)5
(c)15
(d)3
13.A rectangular field has length (3a + 2) metres and width (a − 1) metres. Write a simplified expression for the perimeter of the field.
(a)12a + 8
(b)8a + 6
(c)8a + 2
(d)5a
14.A straight-line graph shows the cost, C pounds, of hiring a bike for h hours. The line passes through the points (1, 12) and (4, 27). Which of these statements about the line is true?
(a)The hourly rate is £5 and the fixed fee is £7
(b)The hourly rate is £5 and the fixed fee is £12
(c)The hourly rate is £7 and the fixed fee is £5
(d)The hourly rate is £15 and the fixed fee is £7
15.A straight line crosses a pair of parallel lines. At one of the crossing points, one of the four angles measures 55°. Work out the size of the angle next to it on a straight line at that crossing point.
(a)90°
(b)55°
(c)35°
(d)125°
16.A box holds 140 pens. 25% of the pens are red. Work out how many of the pens are red.
(a)35
(b)105
(c)25
(d)70
17.Write down the expression that means the same as m² × m × 3.
(a)m⁶
(b)m³
(c)3m²
(d)3m³
18.Two hikers' journeys are shown on separate distance-time graphs. Hiker A's graph has gradient 4.5 km/h. Hiker B's graph has gradient 3.2 km/h. Work out how much faster Hiker A walks than Hiker B, in km/h.
(a)1.3
(b)−1.3
(c)7.7
(d)14.4
19.In a chess club, 3/8 of the members are girls and the rest are boys. Write down the ratio of girls to boys.
(a)5 : 3
(b)3 : 8
(c)3 : 5
(d)8 : 3
20.A 750 g box of cereal costs £2.70. A 500 g box of the same cereal costs £1.95. Work out which box is better value, and its cost per 100 g.
(a)The 750 g box, at 54p per 100 g
(b)The 500 g box, because £1.95 is the lower total price
(c)The 500 g box, at 39p per 100 g
(d)The 750 g box, at 36p per 100 g

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.