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.Ava measures a metal rod and records its length as 15 cm, correct to the nearest centimetre. Ben measures the same rod and records its length as 14.8 cm, correct to the nearest 0.1 cm. Decide whether both records can be correct, and give a reason for your answer.
- 2.A straight line has equation y = 4 − 3x. Work out the gradient of the line.
- 3.A plumber's charge, C pounds, for a job lasting h hours is shown on a straight-line graph. The line passes through the points (1, 45) and (3, 85). Work out what the gradient of this line represents, in context.
- 4.A ramp rises at 30° to the horizontal. Its sloping surface is 4.8 m long. Safety rules say the vertical rise of a ramp must be no more than 2.5 m. Work out how far below that limit the rise of this ramp is.
- 5.Spinner E has 4 equal sections, numbered 1 to 4. Spinner F has 6 equal sections, numbered 1 to 6. Both spinners are spun once. Work out the probability of getting at least one 3.
- 6.In a scatter graph of the age, in years, and the wingspan, in cm, of 20 birds of the same species, all the points lie close to a rising line of best fit except one, which lies a long way below the line. That bird was later found to have a damaged wing. Give a reason why this point should not be used when drawing the line of best fit.
- 7.A metal cube has a mass of 540 g and a volume of 60 cm³. Work out its density in g/cm³.
- 8.A sequence starts at 2. Each term after that is found using the rule "double the previous term, then add 1". Work out the 4th term of the sequence.
- 9.A laptop priced at £520 is first increased by 15%, and then the new price is decreased by 20%. Work out the final price of the laptop.
- 10.Every diameter of a circle is an example of a more general type of straight line joining two points on the circle. Which term names that more general type of line?
- 11.A basketball player has a free-throw success probability of 0.75. She wants to expect to score 60 successful free throws. Work out how many free throws she needs to attempt.
- 12.A cinema has 21 rows of seats with 29 seats in each row. Work out an estimate for the number of people the cinema can hold, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
- 13.Solve 2x² − 32 = 0.
- 14.A force of 250 N acts on an area of 0.5 m². Using pressure = force ÷ area, work out the pressure, in pascals.
- 15.Two straight lines cross at a point. Which statement about a pair of vertically opposite angles is always true?
- 16.Write the fraction 3/4 as a decimal.
- 17.Priya buys b balloons for a party. Each balloon costs 15p. Write down an expression for the total cost, in pence.
- 18.3 kg of apples cost £6. Work out the cost of 5 kg of the same apples.
- 19.A bag holds 5 different sweets. Noah takes 2 of the sweets out of the bag together, so the order in which he takes them does not matter. Work out how many different pairs of sweets he could take.
- 20.A crate exerts a force of 84 N on the floor through a base with an area of 2.4 m². Work out the pressure on the floor, in N/m².
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.