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.Chloe wants to work out 3 1/4 − 1 2/3. She converts both mixed numbers to twelfths, then subtracts the whole numbers and the fraction parts separately, without checking whether she needs to exchange first. Work out the correct value of 3 1/4 − 1 2/3, giving your answer as a mixed number in its simplest form.
- 2.The first four terms of a sequence are 9, 14, 19, 24. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 3.Aisha invests £3200 in Account A, which pays 5% compound interest each year. She also invests £3200 in Account B, which pays 3% simple interest each year. Work out how much more Account A is worth than Account B after 2 years.
- 4.A shape is translated by the vector and then by the vector . Write down the single column vector that has the same effect as those two translations together.
- 5.At a quiz night, each team's result is a win, a draw or a loss, and no team can have more than one of these results. The probability that a team wins is 42% and the probability that a team draws is 18.5%. Work out the probability, as a percentage, that a team does not win and does not draw.
- 6.A sports centre in Ipswich has 2,000 members. It wants to know what its members think of its opening hours, so it asks a random sample of 100 of them. Write down what the population is in this survey.
- 7.Round 0.006482 to 2 significant figures.
- 8.Work out the equation of the straight line that passes through (−2, 3) and (4, −9).
- 9.A laptop priced at £520 is first increased by 15%, and then the new price is decreased by 20%. Work out the final price of the laptop.
- 10.Point B is at (3, 5). It is reflected in the line y = 2. Work out the coordinates of the image of point B.
- 11.A garage tested 200 cars in one week. 70% of the cars were more than 3 years old and the rest were 3 years old or less. Of the cars more than 3 years old, 1 in 4 failed the test. 12 of the cars that were 3 years old or less failed the test. Work out how many of the 200 cars failed the test altogether.
- 12.On a number line, point A is at −1. Point B is 4 units from point A. Write down the two possible positions of point B.
- 13.A sequence starts at 2. Each term after that is found using the rule "double the previous term, then add 1". Work out the 4th term of the sequence.
- 14.A plan is drawn to a scale of 1 : 25. A real fence is 10 m long. Work out the length of the fence on the plan, in centimetres.
- 15.A circle has two straight radii drawn from the centre to the edge, together with the arc between them. Write down the name of the region enclosed by these two radii and the arc.
- 16.Work out 35% of 180.
- 17.A rule multiplies the input by a fixed number and then adds a fixed number. An input of 1 gives an output of 5, and an input of 3 gives an output of 11. Work out the rule, writing the input as x and the output as y.
- 18.y is directly proportional to x. When x = 4, y = 10. Work out the value of y when x = 6.
- 19.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?
- 20.Which of these ratios is equivalent to 5 : 4?
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.