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.Work out 1 1/2 ÷ 3/4 exactly, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 2.The first five terms of a sequence are 6, 10, 14, 18, 22. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 3.Ollie says that the ratio 6 : 15 is equivalent to the ratio 2 : 5. Is he correct? Give a reason for your answer.
- 4.p is the column vector with top number 5 and bottom number 2. q is the column vector with top number 1 and bottom number 6. Work out p + q, giving your answer as a column vector in the form (top, bottom).
- 5.At a fun run, a raffle stall charges £1.50 per ticket. The probability that any one ticket wins a prize worth £8 is 0.12, and a losing ticket wins nothing. Nadia buys 25 tickets. Work out how much money Nadia should expect to lose in total.
- 6.A scatter graph of the number of ice creams sold at a seaside kiosk in Bournemouth and the number of sunburn cases treated at a nearby pharmacy, recorded on the same 30 days, shows strong positive correlation. Which statement about this correlation is correct?
- 7.Work out the value of ∛8.
- 8.Make a the subject of the formula b = 20 − a.
- 9.Two mathematically similar rectangles have lengths in the ratio 3 : 5. The area of the smaller rectangle is 27 cm². Work out the area of the larger rectangle.
- 10.A ramp is built from two straight metal supports that rest on the flat ground and meet each other at the top, forming a triangle with the ground. One support meets the ground at 34°. The angle between the two supports where they meet is 71°. Work out the angle between the second support and the ground.
- 11.Four students each drop a drawing pin repeatedly to estimate the probability that it lands point-up. Freya makes 20 drops, Malik makes 50 drops, Priya makes 200 drops and Tom makes 80 drops. Which student's relative frequency is likely to give the best estimate of the true probability?
- 12.Work out 36 ÷ (2 × 3)
- 13.The point A lies on the x-axis. Which statement about A must be true?
- 14.The population of a village is 1200. It is predicted to grow by 5% next year. Work out the predicted population after 1 year, to the nearest whole number.
- 15.p is the column vector with top number 5 and bottom number 1. q is the column vector with top number −2 and bottom number 3. Work out p − 2q, giving your answer as a column vector in the form (top, bottom).
- 16.A metal cube has a mass of 540 g and a volume of 60 cm³. Work out its density in g/cm³.
- 17.Make x the subject of the formula y = 4(x − 6).
- 18.A map has a scale of 2 cm : 5 km. A footpath measures 8 cm on the map. Work out the real length of the footpath, in kilometres.
- 19.Work out the highest common factor of 15 and 25.
- 20.Write the ratio 6a : 9a in its simplest form, where a is a positive number.
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.