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.Which of these numbers is the largest: −9, −7, −4, −2?
- 2.A sequence begins at 60, and each term after that is found by subtracting 7 from the term before it. Work out the 5th term of the sequence.
- 3.y is directly proportional to x. When x = 8, y = 20. Work out the value of y when x = 12.
- 4.A cyclist's journey from her house to the shop is represented by the column vector with top number 2 and bottom number 5, where each unit is 1 km east and 1 km north. She then cycles from the shop to the park, represented by the column vector with top number 4 and bottom number −3. What single column vector represents her journey from her house directly to the park?
- 5.At a leisure centre, 50 members are asked which activities they do. 32 do yoga, 24 do pilates, and 11 do both. Work out how many members do yoga only, and not pilates.
- 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.A quiz has 50 questions. Freya answers 10% of them incorrectly. Work out how many questions she answers incorrectly.
- 8.A taxi charges a fixed fee of £3 plus £2 for every mile travelled. The journey is m miles. Write down an expression for the total cost, in pounds.
- 9.A jug of squash is made by mixing water and syrup in the ratio 6:1. Nia wants to make 8.4 litres of squash. Work out how much syrup she needs, in litres.
- 10.A polygon has 9 sides. What is the name of this polygon?
- 11.Priya spins a fair spinner with P(red) = 0.3, and separately flips a fair coin with P(heads) = 0.5. Using a tree diagram, work out the probability that she gets red AND heads.
- 12.Work out −4.5 + 2.8.
- 13.Which of these statements is an equation with exactly one solution?
- 14.A metal block has a mass of 270 g and a volume of 30 cm³. Work out the density of the block, in g/cm³.
- 15.A trapezium-shaped allotment plot has two parallel sides that face each other, and two sloping sides that are equal in length (an isosceles trapezium). One of the angles next to the shorter parallel side is 118°. Work out the angle next to the other end of the same shorter parallel side.
- 16.Simplify x⁶ ÷ x²
- 17.Work out the value of 5a + 2 when a = 3
- 18.y is directly proportional to x, and y = 7x. Work out the value of x when y = 35.y = 7x
- 19.Work out an estimate for 588 ÷ 31, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
- 20.Three business partners share a profit of £48,000 in the ratio 3:5:4. Work out how much the partner with 5 parts receives.
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.