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 number, x, is truncated (not rounded) to 1 decimal place and the result is 6.2. Write down the error interval for x.
- 2.Tom buys 2 notebooks and 6 pencils on Monday, priced at p pence each for a notebook and q pence each for a pencil. On Tuesday he buys 3 more notebooks and 1 more pencil. Write a simplified expression, in pence, for the total amount Tom has spent on notebooks and pencils.
- 3.A recipe for 6 muffins needs 150 g of flour. Aisha wants to make 15 muffins using the same recipe. Work out how much flour she needs.
- 4.A conservatory has a roof panel shaped like a regular octagon. Work out the interior angle of the octagon, then use it to work out the size of the reflex angle at the same vertex, on the outside of the roof panel.
- 5.Two sets, A and B, sit inside a universal set. A region of a Venn diagram is described by the notation A ∩ B′. Work out which of these describes that region.
- 6.A shop sold seven pairs of shoes in these sizes: 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 9. Write down the modal size.
- 7.Write these numbers in order, starting with the smallest: −1.4, 5/4, −6/5, 1.3, 0
- 8.A straight line passes through the points (1, 3) and (2, 5). Work out the equation of the line.
- 9.A rope of length A is 1.5 times as long as a rope of length B. Write the ratio A : B in its simplest form.
- 10.The vector describes a translation. A student writes it as by mistake. Write down what error the student has made.
- 11.A sorting office processes 2,000 letters addressed to one postcode area in a week. The probability that a letter is a bill is 0.15. Work out how many of the letters you would expect to be bills.
- 12.A laptop costs £720. A carrying case for it costs 1/9 of the price of the laptop. Work out the cost of the carrying case.
- 13.Point P has coordinates (2, −5). P is reflected in the x-axis to point Q. Write down the coordinates of Q.
- 14.The ratio of Josh's savings to Mia's savings is 4:7. Mia has £39 more than Josh. Work out Josh's savings.
- 15.P is the point (3, 4) and Q is the point (6, 0). Work out the distance of each point from the origin, and write down which point is closer to the origin.
- 16.A number is divided by 5, then 6 is subtracted, giving the result −1. Work out the number.
- 17.Solve the inequality 3x − 1 ≤ 11.
- 18.A journey to school takes 12 minutes. A journey to the gym takes 20 minutes. Write the time for the journey to school as a fraction of the time for the journey to the gym, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 19.Work out the value of √(16 + 9)
- 20.The number of biscuits, b, that each guest at a party receives is inversely proportional to the number of guests, g. Which equation could show this relationship?
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.