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

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GCSE Foundation sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)

Maths · GCSE Foundation · Paper 1 · Non-calculator · 20 questions

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1.Write 0.25 as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)1/40
(b)1/25
(c)2/5
(d)1/4
2.A rectangular photo has length (x + 3) cm and width x cm. Its area is 40 cm². Work out the value of x.
(a)x = −8
(b)x = 5
(c)x = 5 or x = −8
(d)x = 4
3.Three business partners share a profit of £48,000 in the ratio 3:5:4. Work out how much the partner with 5 parts receives.
(a)£20,000
(b)£12,000
(c)£4,000
(d)£16,000
4.In this question, a curved surface counts as a face. How many faces does a sphere have?
(a)0
(b)2
(c)1
(d)3
5.A factory finds that the probability a randomly chosen light bulb is defective is 0.035. In a batch of 4,000 bulbs, work out how many bulbs you would expect to work correctly.
(a)3,860
(b)4,000
(c)386
(d)140
6.The rainfall, in millimetres, was recorded in Cambridge on six days: 12, 5, 9, 15, 3 and 11. Work out the range of the rainfall.
(a)12 mm
(b)3 mm
(c)15 mm
(d)10 mm
7.Work out 2⁵.
(a)10
(b)16
(c)32
(d)25
8.Which of these equations gives a graph with two separate curved branches — one where x and y are both positive, and one where x and y are both negative?
(a)y = 2x + 1
(b)y = 1/x
(c)y = x²
(d)y = x³
9.5 tins of soup cost £8 in total. Work out the multiplier that changes the number of tins into the total cost in pounds.
(a)0.625
(b)40
(c)1.6
(d)3
10.A stained-glass window panel is designed as a kite. Two adjacent sides are each 25 cm, and the other two adjacent sides are each 40 cm. A frame is fitted around the whole panel. The frame costs £2.50 per metre, sold only in whole metres. Work out the total cost of the frame.
(a)£2.50
(b)£5.00
(c)£325.00
(d)£3.25
11.180 people entered a fun run. A frequency tree splits them into 108 adults and the rest children. It then splits each of those groups into those who finished and those who did not. 99 of the adults finished, and 153 of the 180 people finished altogether. Work out how many children did not finish.
(a)9
(b)54
(c)27
(d)18
12.Write '3.2 million' as a number in figures.
(a)320,000
(b)3,002,000
(c)32,000,000
(d)3,200,000
13.A rectangle has length (2x + 5) cm and width (x − 2) cm. Work out an expression, in terms of x, for the perimeter of the rectangle. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)4x² + 2x − 20
(b)6x + 6
(c)6x + 14
(d)3x + 3
14.A coach travels 210 miles at an average speed of 70 mph. Work out how long the journey takes.
(a)14700 hours
(b)140 hours
(c)3 hours
(d)280 hours
15.Point M lies exactly halfway between point A and point B, with A, M and B all on the same straight line. Which term correctly describes point M?
(a)A perpendicular of AB
(b)A plane of AB
(c)The midpoint of AB
(d)The vertex of AB
16.Work out 35% of 180.
(a)45
(b)63
(c)145
(d)126
17.A number machine adds 1 to its input. Isla says that an input of 5 gives an output of 6. Which statement is correct?
(a)Isla is wrong, because 5 − 1 = 4
(b)Isla is wrong, because 5 × 1 = 5
(c)Isla is right, because the machine adds 1 to its output
(d)Isla is right, because 5 + 1 = 6
18.Work out how many seconds there are in 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
(a)200 seconds
(b)320 seconds
(c)180 seconds
(d)23 seconds
19.Work out −4.5 + 2.8.
(a)1.7
(b)−7.3
(c)−2.3
(d)−1.7
20.Two mathematically similar jugs have heights 8 cm and 12 cm. The smaller jug holds 200 ml when it is full. Work out how much the larger jug holds when it is full.
(a)675 ml
(b)300 ml
(c)450 ml
(d)900 ml

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.