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%.

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GCSE Foundation sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)

Maths · GCSE Foundation · Paper 1 · Non-calculator · 20 questions

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1.A cake recipe needs 3/4 of a kilogram of sugar. Aisha wants to make half the recipe. Work out how much sugar she needs, giving your answer as a fraction of a kilogram in its simplest form.
(a)5/4
(b)3/4
(c)3/2
(d)3/8
2.Work out the coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment joining (−3, 5) and (7, 9).
(a)(2, 7)
(b)(4, 14)
(c)(5, 2)
(d)(2, 9)
3.y is always the same multiple of x. When x = 6, y = 15. Work out the value of y when x = 10.
(a)4
(b)15
(c)25
(d)19
4.A plan of a car park is drawn to a scale of 1 : 500. A parking bay is drawn as a rectangle measuring 1.2 cm by 0.6 cm. The real width of the bay corresponds to the 0.6 cm side. What is the real width of the bay, in metres?
(a)0.3
(b)3
(c)6
(d)30
5.On Amelia's walk to school there are two sets of traffic lights. The probability that the first set is green when she reaches it is 0.4. The probability that the second set is green when she reaches it is 0.5. The two sets work independently of each other. Work out the probability that both sets are green.
(a)0.2
(b)0.1
(c)0.45
(d)0.9
6.Five pupils spent these numbers of minutes on their homework: 50, 65, 55, 90, 60. Work out the median time.
(a)64 minutes
(b)40 minutes
(c)60 minutes
(d)70 minutes
7.Write the mixed number 2 1/4 as an improper fraction.
(a)7/4
(b)9/4
(c)3/4
(d)5/4
8.A statement contains an equals sign and one unknown letter, and it is only true for particular value(s) of that letter. What is this type of statement called?
(a)a formula
(b)an expression
(c)an identity
(d)an equation
9.A map has a scale of 1:25000. A road on the map is 6 cm long. Work out the real-life length of the road, giving your answer in kilometres.
(a)1500 km
(b)1.5 km
(c)15 km
(d)0.15 km
10.p is the column vector with top number 4 and bottom number −3. Work out 2p, giving your answer as a column vector in the form (top, bottom).
(a)(8, −3)
(b)(8, −6)
(c)(4, −6)
(d)(8, 6)
11.Ellie drops a bottle top and records whether it lands open end up. In her first 20 drops it lands open end up 13 times. She carries on, and after 200 drops in total it has landed open end up 84 times. Work out the best estimate of the probability that the bottle top lands open end up.
(a)0.650
(b)0.580
(c)0.535
(d)0.420
12.A concert hall has 300 seats. 20% of the seats are in the balcony. Work out how many of the seats are in the balcony.
(a)15
(b)6
(c)30
(d)60
13.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
(a)x = 1
(b)x = 5
(c)x = 6
(d)x = 3
14.A recipe uses flour, sugar and butter in the ratio 8 : 3 : 5. Write the ratio of flour to the rest of the mixture (sugar and butter combined) in its simplest form.
(a)3 : 5
(b)8 : 3
(c)1 : 2
(d)1 : 1
15.Triangle ABC has AB = 9 cm, BC = 6 cm and angle A = 35°. Triangle DEF has DE = 9 cm, EF = 6 cm and angle D = 35°. Which of the following correctly identifies the condition shown here?
(a)SSA - not sufficient to prove congruence
(b)ASA - two angles and the included side equal
(c)SAS - two sides and the included angle equal
(d)AAS - two angles and a non-included side equal
16.A bag of flour is labelled 1.5 kg, correct to the nearest 0.1 kg. The true mass of the flour is m kg. Which inequality gives all the possible values of m?
(a)1.4 ≤ m < 1.6
(b)1.45 ≤ m < 1.55
(c)1.45 < m ≤ 1.55
(d)1.45 ≤ m ≤ 1.55
17.The graph of y = x² − 7x + 2 crosses the x-axis at two points. One root, read from the graph, is approximately x = 0.30. Using the fact that the sum of the two roots of x² − 7x + 2 = 0 is 7, estimate the other root, correct to 2 decimal places.
y = x² − 7x + 2
(a)x ≈ 6.70
(b)x ≈ 6.30
(c)x ≈ 7.30
(d)x ≈ 0.70
18.A sofa costs £800. Its price is increased by 25%. Work out the new price of the sofa.
(a)£1,000
(b)£600
(c)£825
(d)£200
19.Work out 1 1/2 ÷ 3/4 exactly, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)9/8
(b)2/3
(c)2
(d)1/2
20.Two quantities x and y are in direct proportion. When x = 8, the value of y is 20. Work out the value of y when x = 14.
(a)26
(b)5.6
(c)28
(d)35

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.