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)
MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk
- 1.A lift has a safe working load of 500 kg. Four people get in the lift and the lift's display records their total mass as 493 kg, correct to the nearest kg. Decide whether the four people are definitely within the safe working load.
- 2.A square has sides of length y cm. Write down an expression for the perimeter of the square.
- 3.A shop's takings were £4500 in May. In June the takings fell by £900. Write the June takings as a fraction of the May takings, in its simplest form.
- 4.A tangent to a circle touches the circle at exactly one point, P. Work out the size of the angle between the tangent and the radius drawn to P.
- 5.A bag contains one red counter and one blue counter. Josh takes a counter, notes its colour, puts it back, then takes a counter again. He draws a tree diagram to show every possible pair of colours. Work out how many outcomes are on his tree diagram.
- 6.Seven pupils were asked how many books they had read last month. Their answers were 3, 5, 5, 7, 8, 5, 3. Write down the mode.
- 7.Which one of these statements about negative numbers is true?
- 8.The first five cube numbers are 1, 8, 27, 64, 125. Write down the next cube number in the sequence.
- 9.Work out the time taken to travel 120 km at an average speed of 60 km/h.
- 10.A square-based pyramid is cut by a flat plane parallel to its base, partway up between the base and the apex. What shape is the cross-section?
- 11.A box contains 1 white bead, 4 purple beads and 4 red beads. One bead is taken at random from the box. Work out the probability that the bead is white or purple.
- 12.Work out 18 − 4 × 2
- 13.Expand 4(2x − 3).
- 14.£1 is worth 1.25 US dollars. Write the ratio of pounds to dollars in its simplest form, using whole numbers.
- 15.The interior angles of a pentagon are 100°, 110°, 120°, x° and x°. Work out the size of each of the two angles marked x°.
- 16.A pizza is cut into 12 equal slices. Ben eats 5 slices and Mia eats 3 slices. What fraction of the pizza is left, giving your answer in its simplest form?
- 17.Write down 0.2x with its coefficient written as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 18.1 metre = 100 cm. Work out how many square centimetres there are in 1 square metre.
- 19.Work out the value of .
- 20.x × y is used to test whether two quantities are in inverse proportion. For the pairs x = 4, y = 15 and x = 6, y = 10, which statement is correct?
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.