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.Work out 2 × 3 × 5 + 1 and decide whether the result is a prime number.
- 2.Sophie's mother is 34 years old. In x years' time she will be 50 years old. Work out the value of x.
- 3.A post 2 metres tall casts a shadow 3 metres long. At the same time a nearby tree casts a shadow 12 metres long. Work out the height of the tree.
- 4.The diagram shows a solid built from identical cubes. How many squares are in its plan view, the view looking straight down from above?
- 5.Two games at a school fete are played independently. The probability of winning game X is 3/8. The probability of winning game Y is 0.4. Which statement correctly compares the two games?
- 6.The mean of the four numbers 10, 15, 20 and x is 18. Work out the value of x.
- 7.Work out −(−3)⁴ + (−3)³
- 8.Expand and simplify 4(2x − 1) − 3(x + 2) − 5x
- 9.An oven is preheating. Its temperature, T °C, is plotted against time, t minutes, on a straight-line graph. The line passes through the points (2, 60) and (6, 140). Work out the gradient of the line.
- 10.To construct the perpendicular from a point P to a line l, where P is a point above l, an arc centred at P is drawn to cross l at two points, X and Y. What is the correct next step?
- 11.A biased spinner is spun 200 times. It lands on red 70 times, on blue 50 times, and on green 80 times. Using these results, work out the expected number of times the spinner does NOT land on red, in 500 spins of the same spinner.
- 12.Work out 20 − 8 ÷ 2 + 1
- 13.The nth term of a sequence is n² + 3. Work out the first term of the sequence that is greater than 50.
- 14.A train journey takes 2 hours 15 minutes. A bus journey to the same place takes 3 hours 45 minutes. Write the time for the train journey as a fraction of the time for the bus journey, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 15.Write down the exact value of sin 60°.
- 16.At a swimming pool the ratio of adults to children is 3 : 5. Of the children, 2/5 are boys. What fraction of the people at the pool are boys?
- 17.A straight line has gradient −3 and passes through the point (0, 1). Work out the value of y when x = 2.
- 18.A recipe for 6 muffins needs 150 g of flour. Aisha wants to make 15 muffins using the same recipe. Work out how much flour she needs.
- 19.A number line runs from 0 to 1 and is divided into 4 equal parts. Which mark on the line represents 1/4?
- 20.A necklace is made using gold beads and silver beads in the ratio 7:3. There are 40 more gold beads than silver beads. Work out the total number of beads in the necklace.
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.