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.Write down the symbol that makes this statement true: 3/10 ___ 0.3
- 2.A geometric sequence begins 80, 40, 20, 10, ... Work out the next term in the sequence.
- 3.A block of wood has a mass of 60 g and a volume of 100 cm³. Work out the density of the block, in g/cm³.
- 4.Triangle XYZ has angle X = 90°. Angle Y = 34°. Work out angle Z.
- 5.On the probability scale from 0 to 1, which word best describes an event with probability 0.9?
- 6.A café sold 10 sandwiches on each of four days: 10, 10, 10, 10. Work out the range of the numbers sold.
- 7.Work out 8% of £250.
- 8.A sequence has the position-to-term rule n² + 1, where n is the position number. Work out how much bigger the 5th term is than the 4th term.
- 9.Write the ratio 0.75 : 2 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
- 10.Triangle T has a vertex at (8, 4). It is enlarged by a scale factor of 1/2, centre (2, 4). Work out the coordinates of the image of this vertex.
- 11.The probability that a spinner lands on blue is 2/5. Write this probability as a percentage.
- 12.A rectangular field measures 19.6 m by 48.3 m. Work out an estimate for the area of the field, by rounding each length to 1 significant figure.
- 13.A scout leader is 44 years old and one of the scouts is 16 years old. Work out how many years it will be until the leader is exactly twice as old as the scout.
- 14.A film lasts 105 minutes. A documentary lasts 45 minutes. Write the length of the film as a fraction of the length of the documentary. Give your answer in its simplest form.
- 15.Write down how many right angles a rectangle has.
- 16.At midday the temperature in the Lake District was 3 °C. By midnight it had fallen to −6 °C. Work out the fall in temperature.
- 17.To solve 5x − 4 = 2x + 8, Chloe's working is shown. Line 1: 5x − 4 = 2x + 8. Line 2: 3x − 4 = 8. Line 3: 3x = 4. Line 4: x = 4/3. Chloe has made a mistake in her working. Which line contains the mistake?
- 18.A salt solution has a concentration of 10%. The solution contains 50 g of salt. Work out the total mass of the solution.
- 19.Work out (2/3)² + (1/2)². Give your answer as a fraction.
- 20.Write the ratio 2 : 1/4 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
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.