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 these three numbers in order of size, starting with the smallest: 0.7, 3/4, 0.72
- 2.Work out the value of 3n − 2 when n = 1
- 3.Which of these ratios is equivalent to 2:3?
- 4.The midpoint of the line segment AB is (3, 5). A is the point (1, 3). Work out the coordinates of B.
- 5.The probability that Amelia's bus is late on a school morning is 9/10. Write this probability as a percentage.
- 6.Noah wrote down the numbers 9, 3, 7, 1, 5 and said, “The median is 7, because 7 is in the middle of my list.” Is Noah right? Give a reason for your answer.
- 7.In a classroom the ratio of boys to girls is 3 : 4. What fraction of the class are boys?
- 8.A company's profit was £2000 in its first year. Each following year, the profit increases by £800. Work out the first year in which the profit is more than £7000.
- 9.It takes 8 painters 6 days to paint a fence. Working at the same rate, work out how many days 4 painters would take to paint the same fence.
- 10.In pentagon PQRST, which of the following correctly names the interior angle at vertex R, using standard three-letter angle notation?
- 11.Two ordinary fair dice are rolled. Work out the probability that the difference between the two scores is 1.
- 12.A semicircle has a diameter of 8 cm. Work out the exact area of the semicircle, in terms of π.
- 13.Factorise fully 56x − 24
- 14.A map has a scale of 2 cm : 5 km. A footpath measures 8 cm on the map. Work out the real length of the footpath, in kilometres.
- 15.A cylindrical drum and a cuboid box are being wrapped for a display. A shop assistant wraps only the flat faces of each item, not any curved surface. How many flat faces in total does the assistant wrap across both items?
- 16.Four students work out 6 + 2 × 3. Which student has worked it out correctly?
- 17.A formula is F = 4s. A pupil says that when s = 5 the value of F is 9, because they added 4 and 5 instead of multiplying. Work out the correct value of F when s = 5.
- 18.A room plan is drawn to a scale of 1 : 50. A wall in the room is 4 m long in real life. Work out the length of the wall on the plan, in centimetres.
- 19.A quarter-circle has a radius of 6 cm. Work out the exact perimeter of the quarter-circle, giving your answer in terms of π.
- 20.Work out 25% of 200.
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.