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 machine fills bags of sugar and shows the mass of each bag to the nearest 10 g. A checker rejects any bag whose actual mass is less than 996 g. One bag shows a mass of 1,000 g on the machine. Decide whether this bag could be rejected, and give a reason for your answer.
- 2.Which of these equations gives a graph shaped like a U, symmetrical about a vertical line?
- 3.Write 75p : £1.50 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
- 4.Triangle DEF is isosceles, with DE = DF. Angle E = 58°. Give a reason why angle F = 58°.
- 5.Four pupils each flip the same coin a number of times and record the results. Sam flips it 40 times and gets 24 heads. Priti flips it 25 times and gets 10 heads. Leo flips it 20 times and gets 9 heads. Fatima flips it 15 times and gets 6 heads. Combine all four pupils' results to estimate the probability that the coin lands on heads.
- 6.A teacher records the number of pets owned by each of 25 pupils in a class; each pupil owns 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 pets. The teacher wants to show how many pupils own each number of pets. Write down the most suitable type of chart for this data, and give a reason for your answer.
- 7.Write the fraction 9/25 as a decimal.
- 8.The expression 6n + 15 is written as 3(2n + 5). Which statement is correct?
- 9.y is directly proportional to x. When x = 4, y = 10. Work out the value of y when x = 6.
- 10.Write down the name given to a quadrilateral that has exactly one pair of parallel sides.
- 11.A bag contains 3 yellow counters and 2 green counters. Sophie takes one counter at random and does not put it back. She then takes a second counter at random. Work out the probability that the first counter is yellow and the second is green.
- 12.3/5 of a 5/6 litre bottle of juice is poured out. Work out the exact volume poured out, in litres.
- 13.A candle is 30 cm tall when lit and burns at a constant rate. After burning for 5 minutes, its height is 20 cm. The height h cm after t minutes is given by h = 30 − mt. Work out the value of m.
- 14.Four graphs are described below. Each shows one quantity plotted against another. Write down the description of the graph that shows two quantities in direct proportion.
- 15.A wooden block is a cuboid measuring 2 cm by 10 cm by 15 cm. Work out the volume of the block.
- 16.Work out how many factors 36 has.
- 17.The simultaneous equations y = 3 and 4x − y = 9 are given. Work out the value of x.
- 18.Two numbers are in the ratio 3 : 7. Their sum is 60. Work out the positive difference between the two numbers.
- 19.A café is planning its lunch menu. It will offer one soup from 3 choices and one sandwich from 4 choices, but the mushroom soup, one of the 3 soups, will only be served with the cheese sandwich, one of the 4 sandwiches, on a normal day. Work out how many different soup-and-sandwich combinations are available on a normal day.
- 20.y is directly proportional to x. When x = 5, y = 18. Work out the value of y when x = 15.
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.