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.To estimate the cost of buying 38.7 m of rope at £21.40 per metre, both numbers are first rounded to 1 significant figure. Work out the estimate.
- 2.Write down the number of terms in the expression 4x² − 7x + 3.
- 3.A car travels 90 km using 6 litres of petrol. Work out how far the car can travel, at the same rate, using 9 litres of petrol.
- 4.Lines PQ and RS are parallel. A straight line crosses PQ at point X and crosses RS at point Y. Angle PXY = 63°. Angle PXY and angle XYS are co-interior (allied) angles, which add up to 180°. Work out the size of angle XYS.
- 5.At a gym, 45 members are surveyed. 24 use the running machines, 20 use the weights machines, and 9 use both. Work out how many of the 45 members use neither machine.
- 6.A netball team scored 50, 83 and 68 points in three matches. Work out the mean number of points scored.
- 7.Work out the value of .
- 8.Make m the subject of the formula w = m − 8.
- 9.Which of these ratios is equivalent to 5 : 4?
- 10.The point A(3, 2) is translated by the vector (−5, 4) to give point B. Work out the coordinates of B.
- 11.A two-way table records 200 members of a gym. 80 of the members are women and the rest are men. 60 of the women attend yoga classes. Work out the percentage of the women who attend yoga classes.
- 12.Work out the lowest common multiple of 9 and 15.
- 13.A curve has equation y = x³ − 4x. Work out the coordinates of the point where the curve crosses the y-axis.y = x
- 14.Three numbers are in the ratio 1:2:3. The three numbers add up to 72. Work out the largest of the three numbers.
- 15.Write down how many right angles a rectangle has.
- 16.Simplify 5⁻² × 5⁴, giving your answer as a single power of 5.
- 17.A point has coordinates (x, y). In which two quadrants is the product x × y positive?
- 18.A journey to school takes 12 minutes. A journey to the gym takes 20 minutes. Write the time for the journey to school as a fraction of the time for the journey to the gym, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 19.Work out (5 + 2) × 3²
- 20.A printer prints pages at a constant rate. It prints 45 pages in 6 minutes. Work out how many pages it prints in 10 minutes.
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.