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.Simplify x⁵ × x³ ÷ x², giving your answer as a single power of x.
- 2.A quadratic curve has a root at x = −2 and its turning point has x-coordinate 3. Work out the curve's other root, using the symmetry of the graph.
- 3.A worker is paid £13.20 per hour. Work out this rate of pay in pence per minute.
- 4.A fish tank is a cuboid measuring 40 cm long, 25 cm wide and 30 cm high. Water is poured in to a depth of 20 cm. Work out the volume of water in the tank, in litres.
- 5.A bag contains 5 letter tiles spelling the word MATHS, with one letter on each tile. Two tiles are drawn at random, one after the other, without the first tile being put back. Work out the probability that both tiles drawn are consonants.
- 6.A bar chart shows the highest temperature recorded on each of five days. The temperatures were Monday 20 °C, Tuesday 22 °C, Wednesday 18 °C, Thursday 25 °C and Friday 23 °C. Write down the day on which the temperature was highest.
- 7.Write down the symbol that makes this statement true: −2/3 ___ −5/6
- 8.Factorise fully 56x − 24
- 9.A recipe for 4 people needs 300 g of rice. Work out how much rice is needed for 6 people, assuming the amount is in direct proportion to the number of people.
- 10.A straight line crosses two parallel lines. One of the angles formed is (2x + 10)°, and the angle alternate to it is 74°. Work out the value of x.
- 11.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.
- 12.A cake recipe needs 3/4 of a kilogram of sugar. Aisha wants to make half the recipe. Work out how much sugar she needs, giving your answer as a fraction of a kilogram in its simplest form.
- 13.Write down the y-intercept of the line with equation y = 3x + 8.y = 3x + 8
- 14.An acid solution has a concentration of 20%. The solution contains 40 g of acid, and the rest of the solution is water. Work out the mass of water in the solution.
- 15.A shape is made by joining two rectangles edge to edge, with no overlap. One rectangle measures 12 cm by 4 cm and the other measures 4 cm by 8 cm. Work out the total area of the shape.
- 16.Write down the value of 3⁰
- 17.Write down the first four terms of the sequence with nth term 6n − 5.
- 18.A shop's takings were £4500 in May. In June the takings fell by £900. Write the June takings as a fraction of the May takings, in its simplest form.
- 19.In a photo album the ratio of colour photos to black-and-white photos is 9 : 4. Work out the number of black-and-white photos as a fraction of the number of colour photos.
- 20.Isla and her brother share £60 in the ratio 1:2. Work out Isla's 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.