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 the highest common factor of 12 and 18.
- 2.Simplify 2b − 1 + 2b − 4 + 2b
- 3.A water tank is a cuboid measuring 30 cm × 20 cm × 10 cm. The tank is full of water. Work out how many litres of water it holds.
- 4.A line segment joins two points on the circumference of a circle, without necessarily passing through the centre. Write down the general term for this line segment.
- 5.The probability that Kofi passes his driving test on any attempt is 0.6, and each attempt is independent of the others. Work out the probability that he fails both his first two attempts.
- 6.The number of pets owned by each of 19 pupils in a class is recorded: 0 pets — 7 pupils, 1 pet — 3 pupils, 2 pets — 4 pupils, 3 pets — 5 pupils. Work out the median number of pets.
- 7.Freya uses her calculator to work out 7² and writes down 14. Work out the correct value of 7².
- 8.A sequence has the position-to-term rule: the nth term is 3n. Write down the first four terms of the sequence.
- 9.A recipe for pastry uses flour and butter in the ratio 3:2. A baker has 180 g of butter and wants to make pastry using all of it. Work out the total mass of pastry the baker can make.
- 10.A circle has a diameter of 4 cm. Work out the radius of the circle.
- 11.Priya and Ben each want to estimate the probability that a coin lands on heads. Priya flips the coin 50 times and works out her relative frequency. Ben flips the same coin 500 times and works out his relative frequency. Whose relative frequency is more likely to be close to the true probability? Give a reason for your answer.
- 12.Work out 250 ÷ 1000.
- 13.Work out the distance of the point (−6, 4) from the x-axis.
- 14.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.
- 15.A textbook contains the instruction 'Draw AB' and, on the next line, the statement 'AB = 5 cm'. Which statement about the notation AB is correct?
- 16.Work out 5 + 3 × (9 − 6)
- 17.Oliver has m stickers and gives 5 of them away. The number he has left is L = m − 5. Work out L when m = 8.
- 18.A map has a scale of 1 : 100 000. Two railway stations are 8 km apart in real life. Work out the distance between the stations on the map, in centimetres.
- 19.A newspaper reports that 48,000 people attended a festival. The figure is correct to the nearest thousand. Which statement about the number of people who attended must be true?
- 20.y is always the same multiple of x. When x = 6, y = 15. Work out the value of y when x = 10.
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.