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.A number is multiplied by 4, then 8 is added, giving the result 40. Work out the number.
- 2.Amelia's mother is three times as old as Amelia. Four years ago her mother was five times as old as Amelia was then. Work out Amelia's age now.
- 3.A scale drawing states '1 cm represents 25 m'. Which of these is the correct way to write this scale in the form 1 : n?
- 4.A survey team measures the angle between two fences with a protractor and gets a reading of 254°. What type of angle is this?
- 5.Oliver flips three fair coins at the same time. Work out the probability that exactly two of the three coins land on heads.
- 6.A pie chart of the favourite hobby of a group of pupils has three sectors: reading 50%, sport 25% and music 25%. Write down, as a fraction in its simplest form, the share of the pie chart taken up by the reading sector.
- 7.Write down the symbol that makes this statement true: 3/10 ___ 0.3
- 8.A table shows y = x² − 6x + 5 at these points (x, y): (0, 5), (1, 0), (2, −3), (3, −4), (4, −3), (5, 0), (6, 5). Using the symmetry shown, write down the x-coordinate of the turning point.y = x² − 6x + 5
- 9.A road sign 3 m tall casts a shadow 5 m long. At the same time, a nearby lamppost casts a shadow 10 m long. Work out the height of the lamppost.
- 10.In a right-angled triangle, the two shorter sides are a and b, and the hypotenuse is c. Write down the correct statement of Pythagoras' theorem.
- 11.In a survey of 45 students, 22 said they like reading, 18 said they like gaming, and 6 said they like both. Work out how many students like exactly one of reading or gaming.
- 12.Work out an estimate for 312 × 19, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
- 13.Solve 3x + 14 = 8x − 6
- 14.Two quantities x and y are inversely proportional. When x = 2, the value of y is 15. Work out the value of y when x = 5.
- 15.The midpoint of the line segment AB is (3, 5). A is the point (1, 3). Work out the coordinates of B.
- 16.A circle has a diameter of 10 cm. Work out the exact circumference of the circle, in terms of π.
- 17.The graph of t = 240 ÷ s shows how the time, t hours, taken for a car journey of 240 miles depends on its average speed, s mph. Use the relationship to work out the time taken when the average speed is 48 mph.
- 18.A shop sells fruit juice concentrate that must be diluted with water in the ratio 2 : 5 (concentrate : water) to make squash. Priya has 8 litres of concentrate. Work out how much water she needs to keep the same ratio.
- 19.Postage on a parcel is calculated as £4.60, correct to the nearest 20p. Which of these could not be the actual cost of the postage?
- 20.Write 3/4 as a percentage.
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.