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.A charity raises money from a raffle and a cake sale in the ratio 5 : 3. Altogether the charity raises £320. Work out how much money the cake sale raised.
- 2.The point P has coordinates (0, 12). Write down the axis that P lies on and the y-coordinate of P.
- 3.Two numbers are in the ratio 2 : 3. The smaller number is 8. Work out the larger number.
- 4.Write down the name given to a triangle whose three sides are all the same length.
- 5.Two fair coins are thrown together 400 times. Work out how many of the 400 throws you would expect to give one head and one tail.
- 6.Two classes sat the same test. The 30 pupils in Class A had a mean mark of 72. The 20 pupils in Class B had a mean mark of 82. Work out the mean mark of all 50 pupils.
- 7.Write 260,000 in standard form.
- 8.Solve the inequality 3x + 6 ≤ 0.
- 9.Two mathematically similar logos are printed on a poster. They have areas 20 cm² and 45 cm². Nadia says that the length scale factor from the smaller logo to the larger logo is 45 ÷ 20 = 2.25. Give a reason why Nadia is incorrect, and work out the correct length scale factor.
- 10.Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic conditions used to prove two triangles are congruent?
- 11.A card is taken at random from an ordinary pack of 52 playing cards. The pack contains 4 aces and 4 kings. Work out the probability that the card is an ace or a king.
- 12.During one night on a mountain, four hikers each recorded the temperature they felt: Ben −6 °C, Priya −2 °C, Sam −9 °C, Alex 1 °C. Work out the difference between the coldest and the warmest of these four temperatures.
- 13.A colony of bacteria doubles in number every hour. At 9am there are 5 bacteria in the colony. Work out how many bacteria there will be at 12 noon.
- 14.In a car park there are 35 cars and 15 vans. Write the ratio of the number of vans to the number of cars in its simplest form.
- 15.A circle has diameter 10 cm. Using π = 3.14, work out the circumference of the circle.
- 16.A circle has a radius of 5 cm. Work out the exact circumference of the circle, in terms of π.
- 17.Work out the value of 2(x + 2) when x = −5
- 18.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.
- 19.Work out the value of .
- 20.A jumper costs £45 at Shop A, where it is reduced by 20%. The same jumper costs £34 at Shop B, where a further 10% reduction is then applied. Work out the difference between the two reduced prices.
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.