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 concert hall has 300 seats. 20% of the seats are in the balcony. Work out how many of the seats are in the balcony.
- 2.A lift has a weight limit: it must carry no more than 630 kg. Let w be the total weight, in kg, carried by the lift. Which inequality describes this?
- 3.A company's profit this year is 130% of last year's profit. Last year's profit was £40,000. Work out this year's profit.
- 4.A translation is described by the column vector . Write down a description of this translation in words, stating the horizontal and vertical movement.
- 5.In Manchester the probability of rain on any day in November is taken to be 0.3, and whether it rains on one day is independent of whether it rains on the next. Work out the probability that it rains on both the 10th and the 11th of November.
- 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.At a swimming pool the ratio of adults to children is 3 : 5. Of the children, 2/5 are boys. What fraction of the people at the pool are boys?
- 8.The diagram shows the graph of the cost, in pounds, of a taxi journey plotted against the distance travelled, in miles, for journeys of up to 4 miles. The same fixed charge and the same cost per mile apply to longer journeys. Work out the cost of a 6-mile journey.
- 9.A box holds 60 crayons. 25 of the crayons are broken and the rest are unbroken. Write the number of unbroken crayons as a fraction of the number of broken crayons. Give your answer in its simplest form.
- 10.Shape S has an area of 48 cm². It is enlarged by a scale factor of 1/4 to give shape T. Work out the area of shape T.
- 11.A fair spinner is divided into 5 equal sections, 2 labelled win and 3 labelled lose. Zara spins it twice, and the two spins are independent. Work out the probability that she wins on the first spin and loses on the second spin.
- 12.Four locations each record a temperature one winter morning. Which of these temperatures is the coldest?
- 13.In which quadrant does the point (−3, 0.5) lie?
- 14.y is inversely proportional to x, and y = 20 ÷ x. Work out the value of y when x = 4.
- 15.The midpoint of the line segment AB is (3, 5). A is the point (1, 3). Work out the coordinates of B.
- 16.A number is multiplied by 4, then 8 is added, giving the result 40. Work out the number.
- 17.A number machine adds 5 to its input. Work out the output when the input is 0.
- 18.A sofa costs £800. Its price is increased by 25%. Work out the new price of the sofa.
- 19.Zoe worked out 3/8 + 1/8 by adding the numerators and the denominators, and got 4/16. Work out the correct value of 3/8 + 1/8, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 20.300 g of a salt solution of concentration 10% is poured into 200 g of a salt solution of concentration 25%. Work out the concentration of salt in the mixture.
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.