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.Four students work out 6 + 2 × 3. Which student has worked it out correctly?
- 2.The formula connecting distance (d), speed (s) and time (t) is d = st. Make s the subject of the formula.
- 3.A ratio is 3 : 5. Write the first part of the ratio as a fraction of the whole.
- 4.A hexagonal prism lies on a table. A flat cut is made straight across it, at right angles to its length (so the cut is parallel to the two identical end faces). What shape is the cross-section?
- 5.The probability that a plant grown from a seed packet germinates is 7/10. Work out the probability that it does not germinate.
- 6.A scatter graph has 50 points. Most of them lie close to a rising line of best fit, but two of them lie a long way from that line. Write down how those two points should be treated.
- 7.A charity raises money from a raffle and a cake sale in the ratio 5 : 3. Altogether the charity raises £320. Work out how much money the cake sale raised.
- 8.Priya buys b balloons for a party. Each balloon costs 15p. Write down an expression for the total cost, in pence.
- 9.Two quantities, P and Q, are in inverse proportion. A graph is drawn with P on the vertical axis and Q on the horizontal axis. Write down which description fits the shape of this graph.
- 10.Vertex X of a triangle is at (−3, 5). After a translation, the image of X is at (2, −1). Write down the column vector of this translation.
- 11.At a gym, 70 members are asked whether they use the pool or the sauna. 38 use the pool, 30 use the sauna, and 12 use neither. Work out n(P ∩ S), the number of members who use both the pool and the sauna.
- 12.Work out −7 − (−3).
- 13.A tank already contains some water and is then filled at a constant rate. After 2 minutes it contains 50 litres in total; after 7 minutes it contains 150 litres in total. Work out the rate at which water is added, in litres per minute.
- 14.Grace's mean mark in her maths tests rises from 70 to 84. Work out the percentage increase in her mean mark.
- 15.In the RHS congruence condition, which three facts must be true about two triangles for RHS to prove they are congruent?
- 16.Work out 15% of £40, using 10% and 5%.
- 17.A plumber charges a £35 call-out fee plus £20 for each hour worked, h. On a certain job the total charge was £115. Work out how many hours the plumber worked.
- 18.A footpath is drawn 3 cm long on a map with a scale of 1 : 50 000. Work out the real length of the footpath, in metres.
- 19.A florist has 60 red roses and 84 white roses. She wants to make identical bunches using all the flowers, with the greatest possible number of bunches. Work out how many red roses will be in each bunch.
- 20.5 decorators paint 3 rooms in 6 hours. All the decorators work at the same rate. Work out how long it takes 10 decorators to paint 5 rooms.
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.