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.Jack buys 3 books, each costing £4.25, and pays with a £20 note. Work out how much change he receives.
- 2.Work out the gradient of the straight line with equation y = (2x/5) − 3.
- 3.A cordial drink is made by mixing cordial concentrate and water in the ratio 1 : 6. Freya says that a 700 ml jug of this drink contains 100 ml of concentrate. Is she correct? Give a reason for your answer.
- 4.A shape is translated by the vector and then by the vector . Write down the single column vector that has the same effect as those two translations together.
- 5.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.
- 6.Work out the median of these five numbers: 2, 4, 7, 12, 26
- 7.Which statement about the number 91 is correct?
- 8.How many turning points does the graph of y = x² − 7x + 10 have?y = x² − 7x + 10
- 9.A car travels 180 miles in 3 hours. A lorry travels 160 miles in 4 hours. Write the car's average speed as a fraction of the lorry's average speed, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 10.A shop stacks identical storage crates in a display. The diagram shows the plan of the floor positions used, with one corner position marked. Every floor position is filled with crates stacked 3 high, except the marked corner position, which is left completely empty. Work out how many crates are used in total.
- 11.The probability that a seed fails to germinate is 1/5. Three seeds are planted independently. Work out the probability that at least one of the three seeds germinates.
- 12.In a choir, 2/9 of the members are boys and the rest are girls. Write down the ratio of girls to boys, in its simplest form.
- 13.A cyclist's distance-time graph shows the following: she travels 12 km in the first 30 minutes at a steady speed, then rests for 30 minutes, then travels a further 8 km in the next 15 minutes. Work out her average speed, in km/h, for the whole journey.
- 14.A laptop priced at £520 is first increased by 15%, and then the new price is decreased by 20%. Work out the final price of the laptop.
- 15.In this question, a curved surface counts as a face. How many faces does a sphere have?
- 16.A cycle route is 350 m long. A footpath runs alongside it for 3/7 of that length. Work out the length of the footpath.
- 17.Write down the expression that means the same as m² × m × 3.
- 18.A necklace is made using gold beads and silver beads in the ratio 7:3. There are 40 more gold beads than silver beads. Work out the total number of beads in the necklace.
- 19.Work out an estimate for 312 × 19, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
- 20.£120 is shared between three cousins in the ratio 3:4:5. Work out the largest share.
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.