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 these fractions in order, starting with the smallest: 2/3, 3/5, 5/6, 1/2
- 2.Make b the subject of the formula a = 5b.
- 3.An oven is preheating. Its temperature, T °C, is plotted against time, t minutes, on a straight-line graph. The line passes through the points (2, 60) and (6, 140). Work out the gradient of the line.
- 4.Triangle ABC has AB = (2x + 3) cm, BC = 11 cm and angle B = 90°. Triangle DEF has DE = 13 cm, EF = 11 cm and angle E = 90°. Given that the two triangles are congruent by SAS, work out the value of x.
- 5.A garage tested 200 cars in one week. 70% of the cars were more than 3 years old and the rest were 3 years old or less. Of the cars more than 3 years old, 1 in 4 failed the test. 12 of the cars that were 3 years old or less failed the test. Work out how many of the 200 cars failed the test altogether.
- 6.A quality inspector weighs a random sample of 50 packets of crisps from one day's production and finds their mean mass is 32.4 g. The factory makes 20,000 packets that day. Work out an estimate for the total mass, in kg, of all the packets made that day.
- 7.A minibus can carry 16 passengers. A school is taking 179 pupils on a trip. By rounding 179 to the nearest 10, work out an estimate for the number of minibuses needed, given that the school cannot hire part of a minibus.
- 8.Oliver buys b pens. Each pen costs £2. Write down an expression for the total cost, in pounds.
- 9.Two quantities, P and Q, are in inverse proportion. A graph is drawn with P on the vertical axis and Q on the horizontal axis. Write down which description fits the shape of this graph.
- 10.The bearing of a campsite B from a walker's position A is 070°. What is the bearing of A from B?
- 11.A sorting office processes 2,000 letters addressed to one postcode area in a week. The probability that a letter is a bill is 0.15. Work out how many of the letters you would expect to be bills.
- 12.Freya uses her calculator to work out 7² and writes down 14. Work out the correct value of 7².
- 13.A currency conversion graph shows that £4 is equivalent to 5 US dollars. Use this to work out how many US dollars are equivalent to £24.
- 14.A bag contains 7 red counters and 15 blue counters. Write down the ratio of red counters to blue counters in its simplest form.
- 15.A quadrilateral has two pairs of parallel sides. All four of its interior angles are right angles, but its sides are not all the same length. Which quadrilateral is this?
- 16.A coach journey has a 55 minute first leg, a 20 minute break and a 40 minute second leg. The coach leaves at 13:25. Work out the arrival time, using the 24-hour clock.
- 17.Write down the gradient of the line with equation y = 6 + 4x.
- 18.A shop sells identical pens. The total cost, C pence, of n pens is given by C = 12n. Write the ratio n : C in its simplest form.
- 19.Write 0.25 as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 20.The ratio of y to x is always 3 : 4. Write down which equation could represent this relationship.
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.