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.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?
- 2.A box contains 6 chocolates. Write down an expression for the total number of chocolates in c boxes.
- 3.A charity collects donations from adults and children in the ratio 5:2. Altogether, £238 is collected. Work out how much more the adults donate than the children.
- 4.The three angles of a triangle are 10°, 58° and 112°. Write down the name that describes this triangle.
- 5.Ellie drops a bottle top and records whether it lands open end up. In her first 20 drops it lands open end up 13 times. She carries on, and after 200 drops in total it has landed open end up 84 times. Work out the best estimate of the probability that the bottle top lands open end up.
- 6.Five pupils spent these numbers of minutes on their homework: 50, 65, 55, 90, 60. Work out the median time.
- 7.Write down the symbol that makes this statement true: 6/11 ___ 4/11
- 8.A student says that 5(x + 2) is equivalent to 5x + 2. Which statement explains why the student is wrong?
- 9.A jar contains 24 green sweets and 16 orange sweets. Write the ratio of green sweets to orange sweets in its simplest form.
- 10.Triangle ABC has AB = 6 cm and BC = 9 cm, with angle A = 40°. Triangle DEF has DE = 6 cm and EF = 9 cm, with angle D = 40°. Meera says these facts prove the triangles are congruent by SAS. Is Meera correct?
- 11.Spinner A has 4 equal sections, numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. Spinner B has 5 equal sections, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Both spinners are spun once, and the two numbers are multiplied together. Work out the probability that the product is 12.
- 12.Write 0.45 as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 13.Solve x² − x − 12 = 0.
- 14.Write 0.25 as a percentage.
- 15.A bead starts at position (2, −1) on a grid, in centimetres. It is moved by the column vector u, with top number 3 and bottom number 5, and then moved by the column vector v, with top number −7 and bottom number 2. Work out the coordinates of the bead's final position.
- 16.Work out (−2)² − 3
- 17.A student says 4(2x − 3) is equivalent to 8x − 3. Which statement gives the correct verdict and reason?
- 18.The ratio of two lengths is 0.6 : 1.5. Write this ratio in its simplest whole-number form.
- 19.A coach journey has a 55 minute first leg, a 20 minute break and a 40 minute second leg. The coach leaves at 13:25. Work out the arrival time, using the 24-hour clock.
- 20.Aisha invests £3200 in Account A, which pays 5% compound interest each year. She also invests £3200 in Account B, which pays 3% simple interest each year. Work out how much more Account A is worth than Account B after 2 years.
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.