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%.

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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.Round 6.283 to 1 significant figure.
(a)10
(b)6.3
(c)6
(d)0.6
2.A currency conversion graph shows that £4 is equivalent to 5 US dollars. Use this to work out how many US dollars are equivalent to £24.
(a)30 US dollars
(b)25 US dollars
(c)19.20 US dollars
(d)120 US dollars
3.The price of a cycling helmet rises from £80 to £116. Work out the percentage increase.
(a)45%
(b)145%
(c)36%
(d)31%
4.A locus is described as the set of points exactly 4 cm from a fixed point O. What shape is this locus?
(a)a circle of radius 4 cm, centred at O
(b)a square with sides of 4 cm, centred at O
(c)a straight line 4 cm long, starting at O
(d)two points, each 4 cm from O
5.Five raffle tickets numbered 1 to 5 are in a bag. Two tickets are drawn one after the other and the first is not put back. Work out the probability that ticket 1 is drawn first and ticket 2 is drawn second.
(a)1/25
(b)1/20
(c)2/5
(d)1/10
6.Ben and Chloe each sat five maths tests. Ben's marks were 62, 64, 65, 66 and 68. Chloe's marks were 40, 52, 65, 78 and 90. Both pupils have a mean mark of 65. Their teacher says the mean on its own does not describe the two sets of marks well. Give a reason why the teacher is right.
(a)Chloe's marks are far more spread out than Ben's
(b)The two sets of marks vary by the same amount
(c)Chloe scored far more marks in total than Ben
(d)Ben's marks are far more spread out than Chloe's
7.Which statement about the number 91 is correct?
(a)91 is not prime, because 91 = 7 × 13.
(b)91 is prime, because it is not divisible by 2, 3 or 5.
(c)91 is not prime, because it is divisible by 3.
(d)91 is prime, because it is an odd number ending in 1.
8.Water is poured into a container at a constant rate. A graph of the depth of the water, in cm, against the time since pouring began, in minutes, is a straight line through the origin, and it passes through the point (3, 12). Use the graph to work out the depth of the water after 7 minutes.
(a)16 cm
(b)24 cm
(c)84 cm
(d)28 cm
9.A concrete mix is made from gravel and cement in the ratio 5 : 1 by mass. The mass of cement is c kg and the total mass of the mix is m kg. Write down a formula for m in terms of c.
(a)m = c + 5
(b)m = c/6
(c)m = 6c
(d)m = 5c
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.A bag contains one red counter and one blue counter. Josh takes a counter, notes its colour, puts it back, then takes a counter again. He draws a tree diagram to show every possible pair of colours. Work out how many outcomes are on his tree diagram.
(a)16
(b)2
(c)3
(d)4
12.A country has an area of 25,000,000 hectares. Write this area in standard form.
(a)2.5 × 10⁷
(b)2.5 × 10⁸
(c)25 × 10⁶
(d)2.5 × 10⁻⁷
13.A car's speed-time graph shows the following: its speed increases steadily from 0 m/s to 20 m/s over the first 10 seconds, then stays constant at 20 m/s for the next 15 seconds. Work out the total distance travelled in the first 25 seconds.
(a)500 m
(b)300 m
(c)200 m
(d)400 m
14.A sum of £150 is divided between Ben and Chloe in the ratio 2:3. Work out Chloe's share.
(a)£60
(b)£75
(c)£90
(d)£30
15.A water tank is a cube with edges of length 2 m. Work out how many cubic centimetres the tank holds when it is full.
(a)8,000,000 cm³
(b)8,000 cm³
(c)8 cm³
(d)80,000 cm³
16.Which of these numbers is the largest: −9, −7, −4, −2?
(a)−7
(b)−4
(c)−2
(d)−9
17.The volume of a cuboid is given by the formula V = lwh. Work out V, in cm³, when l = 2, w = 3 and h = 6.
(a)11 cm³
(b)24 cm³
(c)18 cm³
(d)36 cm³
18.Ffion is paid £11.20 per hour. She works 6 hours on Monday and 4.5 hours on Tuesday. Work out her total pay for the two days.
(a)£67.20
(b)£50.40
(c)£106.40
(d)£117.60
19.Amelia estimates 48 × 21 by working out 50 × 20 = 1,000. Work out whether her estimate is an under-estimate or an over-estimate, and by how much.
(a)An over-estimate, by 19
(b)Neither — the estimate is exactly right
(c)An under-estimate, by 8
(d)An over-estimate, by 8
20.Two mathematically similar rectangles have lengths in the ratio 3 : 5. The area of the smaller rectangle is 27 cm². Work out the area of the larger rectangle.
(a)675 cm²
(b)75 cm²
(c)125 cm²
(d)45 cm²

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.