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.Write down the reciprocal of 5/8
- 2.A rule turns each input x into an output y. The inputs are x = −1, 0, 1, 2 and the matching outputs are y = 5, 3, 1, −1. Work out the rule.
- 3.It takes 2 identical pumps 10 hours to empty a flooded basement. Working at the same rate, work out how many hours 5 of these pumps would take to empty the same basement.
- 4.Three angles lie on a straight line. They measure 38°, 95° and x°. Work out the value of x.
- 5.A bag contains 45 sweets. 18 of the sweets are lemon flavour and the rest are orange. A sweet is taken at random, its flavour is recorded, and it is put back in the bag. This is repeated 200 times. Work out how many times you would expect an orange sweet to be taken.
- 6.A council in Leeds wants to know what local people think about letting shops stay open later in the evening. It rings landline telephone numbers between 10 am and 2 pm on a Tuesday. Write down which group is most likely to be under-represented in the sample, and give a reason for your answer.
- 7.Round 3.947 to 2 decimal places.
- 8.The graph of y = x² + 2x − 15 crosses the x-axis at two points. By factorising, work out the x-coordinates of these two points.y = x² + 2x − 15
- 9.A force of 250 N acts on an area of 0.5 m². Using pressure = force ÷ area, work out the pressure, in pascals.
- 10.The perimeter of a square is 20 cm. Work out the area of the square.
- 11.A fair spinner has 10 equal sections, numbered 1 to 10. The spinner is spun 150 times. Work out how many times you would expect it to land on a number greater than 7.
- 12.Write down the symbol that makes this statement true: −2/3 ___ −5/6
- 13.Solve x² − 100 = 0.
- 14.300 g of a salt solution of concentration 10% is poured into 200 g of a salt solution of concentration 25%. Work out the concentration of salt in the mixture.
- 15.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).
- 16.The population of a planet is 8 × 10⁹. Write this population as an ordinary number.
- 17.The first four terms of a sequence are 4, 6, 8, 10. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 18.Two numbers are in the ratio 5 : 8. The larger number is 40. Work out the smaller number.
- 19.Estimate the value of √45, giving your answer to the nearest whole number.
- 20.£1 is worth 1.25 US dollars. Write the ratio of pounds to dollars in its simplest form, using whole numbers.
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.