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.The population of a planet is 8 × 10⁹. Write this population as an ordinary number.
- 2.Make p the subject of the formula n = p/3.
- 3.A graph shows y plotted against x. The graph is a curve that gets closer to both axes but never touches them, and y decreases as x increases. Write down whether this graph could show direct proportion, inverse proportion, or neither.
- 4.A straight line is drawn from the centre of a circle to a point on the circle. Write down the name of this line.
- 5.A bag contains 3 yellow counters and 2 green counters. Sophie takes one counter at random and does not put it back. She then takes a second counter at random. Work out the probability that the first counter is yellow and the second is green.
- 6.A bar chart shows the highest temperature recorded on each of five days. The temperatures were Monday 20 °C, Tuesday 22 °C, Wednesday 18 °C, Thursday 25 °C and Friday 23 °C. Write down the day on which the temperature was highest.
- 7.A country has an area of 25,000,000 hectares. Write this area in standard form.
- 8.The point P has coordinates (0, 12). Write down the axis that P lies on and the y-coordinate of P.
- 9.Write 75p : £1.50 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
- 10.A parallelogram has an area of 54 cm² and a base of 9 cm. Work out its perpendicular height.
- 11.A card is taken at random from an ordinary pack of 52 playing cards. The pack contains 4 aces and 4 kings. Work out the probability that the card is an ace or a king.
- 12.A tin of soup has a mass of 450 g. A bag of potatoes has a mass of 2.6 kg. Work out the total mass, in kilograms.
- 13.A point has coordinates (x, y), where x + y = 0 and x is not 0. In which two quadrants could this point lie?
- 14.A river 120 km long is drawn as a line 6 cm long on a map. Work out the scale of the map.
- 15.A water tank holds 2.5 m³. Work out this volume in cm³.
- 16.£60 is shared between Amir, Bo and Chen in the ratio 1:2:3. Work out the fraction of the £60 that Amir and Bo receive together.
- 17.The triangular numbers begin 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ... Work out the next term in the sequence.
- 18.Write 1/5 as a percentage.
- 19.Priya adds 3.6 and 0.45 on paper and writes down 3.65 as her answer. Work out the correct value of 3.6 + 0.45.
- 20.Work out the difference between 45% of 70 and 35% of 80.
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.