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.The length of a nail is 12 cm, correct to the nearest centimetre. Using L for the length of the nail in centimetres, write down the error interval for L.
- 2.The nth term of a sequence is 4n + 2. A term in the sequence has value 30. Work out its position, n, in the sequence.
- 3.A tray holds 8 muffins and 20 cupcakes. Write the ratio of the number of muffins to the number of cupcakes in its simplest form.
- 4.In a kite, one pair of opposite angles are equal in size. In kite WXYZ, angle X = 40° and angle Z = 100° are the two angles that are NOT equal to each other. The other two angles, W and Y, are equal to each other. Work out the size of angle W.
- 5.A spinner is divided into sectors of 180°, 120° and 60°, coloured red, blue and green in that order. The spinner is spun 60 times. Work out how many times you would expect it to land on green.
- 6.The table shows the times, t minutes, that 30 pupils took to walk to school. 0 < t ≤ 10: 8 pupils. 10 < t ≤ 20: 12 pupils. 20 < t ≤ 30: 6 pupils. 30 < t ≤ 40: 4 pupils. Write down which average can be given exactly from this table, and give a reason for your answer.
- 7.Which of these statements about −0.7 and −0.25 is true?
- 8.Two numbers have a sum of 24. Their difference is 6. Work out the two numbers.
- 9.A jar contains 24 green sweets and 16 orange sweets. Write the ratio of green sweets to orange sweets in its simplest form.
- 10.Shape S has an area of 48 cm². It is enlarged by a scale factor of 1/4 to give shape T. Work out the area of shape T.
- 11.The probability that a pupil chosen at random has a nut allergy is 1/10. There are 30 pupils in a class. Work out how many of the 30 pupils would be expected to have a nut allergy.
- 12.Work out 2 3/4 − 1 5/6. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 13.y = 5x − 1. Work out the value of y when x = 3.y = 5x − 1
- 14.A tin of beans has a mass of 400 g. A tin of soup has a mass of 500 g. Write the mass of the tin of beans as a fraction of the mass of the tin of soup, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 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.
- 16.A country has an area of 25,000,000 hectares. Write this area in standard form.
- 17.Solve x² + 3x − 10 = 0.
- 18.A block of wood has a mass of 60 g and a volume of 100 cm³. Work out the density of the block, in g/cm³.
- 19.A cinema has 21 rows of seats with 29 seats in each row. Work out an estimate for the number of people the cinema can hold, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
- 20.A garden centre has 90 rose bushes in stock. It receives a delivery that increases its stock of rose bushes by 20%. In the same week it sells 150 lavender bushes. Work out the new number of rose bushes, then write it as a fraction of the number of lavender bushes sold, giving your answer in its simplest form.
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.