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.In a choir, 2/9 of the members are boys and the rest are girls. Write down the ratio of girls to boys, in its simplest form.
- 2.A straight line passes through the points (1, 3) and (2, 5). Work out the equation of the line.
- 3.y is always the same multiple of x. When x = 6, y = 15. Work out the value of y when x = 10.
- 4.ABCD is an isosceles trapezium. The sides AB and DC are parallel, and the two sloping sides AD and BC are equal in length. Angle D is 112°. Work out the size of angle B.
- 5.A box contains cards labelled 1, 2 and 3. A card is drawn at random and its number noted, then it is put back. A second card is then drawn at random. Every outcome is listed as an ordered pair, such as (1, 2). Work out how many of the outcomes in the full list have both numbers the same.
- 6.Seven pupils were asked how many books they had read last month. Their answers were 3, 5, 5, 7, 8, 5, 3. Write down the mode.
- 7.Write down the value of 3⁰
- 8.The first five terms of a sequence are 2, 5, 8, 11, 14. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 9.Work out how many seconds there are in 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
- 10.Triangle ABC has AB = 8 cm, BC = 10 cm and CA = 6 cm. Triangle LMN has LM = 10 cm, MN = 6 cm and NL = 8 cm. The two triangles are congruent by SSS. Which of the following correctly matches the corresponding vertices?
- 11.A bag contains 2 white counters and 8 black counters. One counter is taken at random from the bag. Work out the probability that the counter is not black.
- 12.Two bags of mixed nuts are combined. Bag A has peanuts and cashews in the ratio 2 : 3. Bag B has peanuts and cashews in the ratio 1 : 4. Both bags contain the same total number of nuts. Work out the fraction of the combined mixture that is peanuts.
- 13.Make x the subject of the formula y = x/2 − 5.y = x
- 14.Triangle ABC is mathematically similar to triangle PQR, with AB corresponding to PQ and BC corresponding to QR. AB = 6 cm, BC = 8 cm and PQ = 12 cm. Work out the length of QR.
- 15.A rhombus has all four sides equal in length. Which statement about a rhombus is correct?
- 16.A shape is made by joining a rectangle measuring 10 cm by 6 cm to a semicircle of diameter 6 cm along one of the rectangle's shorter sides. Work out the exact area of the shape, in terms of π.
- 17.The solution set of an inequality is x ≥ 7. Write down the value that does NOT satisfy this inequality.
- 18.Triangle A and triangle B are mathematically similar. A side of triangle A is 4 cm long and the corresponding side of triangle B is 10 cm long. Write the ratio of the length in triangle A to the length in triangle B in its simplest form.
- 19.Work out 3 1/5 + 1 2/3. Give your answer as a mixed number in its simplest form.
- 20.A machine fills bottles at a constant rate. It fills 18 bottles in 3 minutes. Working at the same rate, work out how many bottles the machine fills in 8 minutes.
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.