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.Amelia estimates 48 × 21 by working out 50 × 20 = 1,000. Work out whether her estimate is an under-estimate or an over-estimate, and by how much.
- 2.Solve the inequality 4x + 1 > 2x + 9.
- 3.A car uses 6 litres of petrol to travel 90 km. Write the ratio of the distance travelled in km to the amount of petrol used in litres, in its simplest form.
- 4.In triangle ABC, angle A is 2x°, angle B is 3x° and angle C is 4x°. Work out the size of angle B.
- 5.120 people took a driving theory test. A frequency tree records the results. The first pair of branches splits the 120 people into 70 men and 50 women. On the men's branch, 45 passed and the rest failed. On the women's branch, 38 passed and the rest failed. Work out how many of the 120 people failed the test.
- 6.Work out the median of these six numbers: 13, 21, 22, 36, 37, 47
- 7.Work out 2/3 × 3/4 exactly, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 8.y = 5 − 2x. Work out the value of x when y = 11.
- 9.Write the ratio 2/3 : 1/2 as a ratio of whole numbers, in its simplest form.
- 10.Which pair of points lies on a horizontal line when the points are plotted on a coordinate grid?
- 11.A fair coin is flipped three times. Work out the probability of getting at least one head.
- 12.In the number 3.472, work out the value of the digit 7.
- 13.How many turning points does the graph of y = x² − 7x + 10 have?y = x² − 7x + 10
- 14.A jug holds 2 litres. Given that 1 litre = 1000 cm³, work out the capacity of the jug in cm³.
- 15.A solid has 10 vertices and 15 edges. Using the formula F + V − E = 2, work out how many faces it has.
- 16.Work out 3 1/5 + 1 2/3. Give your answer as a mixed number in its simplest form.
- 17.Which expression means 'add 3 to n, then multiply the result by 4'?
- 18.A printer prints at a constant rate. The time taken to print a batch of forms is inversely proportional to the printer's speed, in pages per minute. Printing at 20 pages per minute takes 15 minutes. Work out how long the same batch takes to print at 25 pages per minute. Give your answer in minutes.
- 19.A photography studio offers 4 backdrops and 3 outfits for a portrait session. The plain grey backdrop, one of the 4 backdrops, cannot be used with the formal suit outfit, one of the 3 outfits. Work out how many different backdrop-and-outfit combinations are possible.
- 20.A hosepipe fills a paddling pool at a constant rate. The volume of water in the pool increases by 15 litres every 3 minutes. Write down the gradient of the graph of volume against time.
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.