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.A fruit bowl contains apples, pears and plums in the ratio 3 : 4 : 5. What fraction of the fruit are not plums?
- 2.Solve 2(x + 3) = 10
- 3.Write the ratio 2 : 1/4 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
- 4.Triangle PQR has vertices P(0, 0), Q(6, 0) and R(0, 8). Work out the perimeter of the triangle.
- 5.A cinema sold 150 tickets for a Saturday screening. A frequency tree records the sales: 90 of the tickets were bought by adults and the rest by children. Of the adult tickets, 54 were for the 3D showing and the rest were for the standard showing. Work out how many adult tickets were for the standard showing.
- 6.The mean of 5 numbers is 8. Work out the total of the 5 numbers.
- 7.Work out an estimate for 89 + 52, by rounding each number to the nearest 10.
- 8.Isla says that the lines y = 2x + 1 and y = −2x + 3 are parallel. Write down the statement that gives the correct answer for the correct reason.y = 2x + 1y = -2x + 3
- 9.Which of these ratios is equivalent to 2:3?
- 10.Triangles LMN and XYZ have LM = XY, MN = YZ and LN = XZ. Give a reason why triangle LMN is congruent to triangle XYZ.
- 11.A card is taken at random from an ordinary pack of 52 playing cards. The pack contains 4 aces and 4 kings. Work out the probability that the card is an ace or a king.
- 12.Insert one pair of brackets into 2 + 3 × 5 − 1 so that the calculation is equal to 24. Which calculation is correct?
- 13.Work out the equation of the straight line through the points (−3, 4) and (1, −8).
- 14.£5000 is invested in an account paying 4% compound interest each year. Work out the total interest earned after 3 years.
- 15.A tangent to a circle with centre O touches the circle at point P, where OP = 5 cm. Point Q lies on the tangent so that PQ = 12 cm. Using the fact that a tangent is perpendicular to the radius at the point of contact, work out the length OQ.
- 16.Find the missing number: 17 × ▢ = 391
- 17.A currency conversion graph shows that £4 is equivalent to 5 US dollars. Use this to work out how many US dollars are equivalent to £24.
- 18.A shop sells fruit juice concentrate that must be diluted with water in the ratio 2 : 5 (concentrate : water) to make squash. Priya has 8 litres of concentrate. Work out how much water she needs to keep the same ratio.
- 19.Work out 4368 ÷ 12.
- 20.At a youth club the ratio of juniors to seniors is 3:5. There are 40 members altogether. Work out how many seniors there are.
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.