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)
MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk
- 1.Write 0.005 in standard form.
- 2.A taxi firm charges a fixed fee of £3.50 plus £2.20 per mile. Work out the total cost of a journey of 6 miles.
- 3.A jug holds 2 litres. Given that 1 litre = 1000 cm³, work out the capacity of the jug in cm³.
- 4.A circle has a radius of 1 cm. Work out the circumference of the circle. Give your answer in terms of π.
- 5.120 members of a sports club were asked whether they play football or netball; each member plays exactly one of the two sports. 70 of the members are male. 45 of the male members play football. 38 of the female members play netball. Work out how many female members play football.
- 6.Amelia's mean mark over four tests is 29. Her first three marks are 31, 26 and 26. Work out her fourth mark.
- 7.The length of a pencil is 8.4 cm, correct to 1 decimal place. Using L for the length of the pencil in centimetres, write down the error interval for L.
- 8.Which of these equations is equivalent to 5x − 2 = 3x + 8?
- 9.In one batch of shortbread, a bakery uses 240 g of butter and 160 g of sugar. Another batch, made in the same ratio, uses 90 g of sugar. Work out how much butter is needed for the second batch.
- 10.The point (0, −5) lies on one of the two coordinate axes. Write down which axis this is.
- 11.A drawer contains 4 red socks and 2 blue socks. Two socks are taken out at random, one after the other, without the first being put back. Work out the probability that both socks are the same colour.
- 12.Work out ∛(−27) + ∛8
- 13.A straight line passes through the points (2, 7) and (5, 16). Work out the value of y when x = 0.
- 14.A furniture designer makes a scale model of a wardrobe using a scale of 1 : 8. The real wardrobe is 2.4 m tall and 1.2 m wide. Work out the perimeter of the front face of the model wardrobe, in centimetres.
- 15.Triangle T has a vertex at (2, 1). It is enlarged by a scale factor of 3, centre (0, 0). Work out the coordinates of the image of this vertex.
- 16.Work out (−2/5) × (−10/3). Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 17.Which of these equations describes a vertical line?
- 18.Two quantities are connected by the formula y = 0.8x. Write down the ratio y : x in its simplest form.y = 0.8x
- 19.A concrete mix is made from cement and sand in the ratio 3 : 5 by mass. A builder mixes 96 kg of concrete. Work out the mass of cement in the mix.
- 20.A sculptor makes two mathematically similar statues. The smaller statue is 20 cm tall and 80 ml of varnish covers its surface. The larger statue is 50 cm tall. Work out how much varnish is needed to cover the surface of the larger statue.
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.