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.Work out the total cost of 3 pens at 45p each and one notebook at £2.35. Give your answer in pounds.
- 2.A plumber charges a call-out fee plus an hourly rate. The total cost, y in pounds, of a job lasting x hours is given by y = 45x + 60. Work out the total cost of a job that lasts 3 hours.y = 45x + 60
- 3.It takes 8 painters 6 days to paint a fence. Working at the same rate, work out how many days 4 painters would take to paint the same fence.
- 4.The midpoint of the line segment AB is (3, 5). A is the point (1, 3). Work out the coordinates of B.
- 5.120 people took a driving theory test. A frequency tree records the results. The first pair of branches splits the 120 people into 70 men and 50 women. On the men's branch, 45 passed and the rest failed. On the women's branch, 38 passed and the rest failed. Work out how many of the 120 people failed the test.
- 6.Work out the median of these five numbers: 2, 4, 7, 12, 26
- 7.Write 200 as a product of its prime factors, using index notation.
- 8.Solve x² − 2x − 24 = 0.
- 9.y is directly proportional to x, so y = kx. When x = 2, the value of y is 10. Work out the value of k.
- 10.A triangular bunting flag has two equal sides. The angle between those two equal sides is 80°, and the other two angles of the flag are equal to each other. Work out the size of each of the two equal angles.
- 11.A school trip took 200 pupils to a museum, travelling either by coach or by minibus. A frequency tree records the trip: 150 pupils travelled by coach, split into 90 in Year 8 and the rest in Year 9. All the pupils who travelled by minibus were in Year 8. Work out the total number of Year 8 pupils on the trip.
- 12.A jug holds 1.8 litres of juice. Priya pours out 3/4 of a litre to fill a glass. Work out how much juice is left in the jug, in millilitres.
- 13.A geometric sequence starts at 4, and each term after that is found by multiplying the term before it by 3. Write down the first four terms of the sequence.
- 14.Write the ratio 3/4 : 1/2 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
- 15.A square has sides of length 7 cm. Work out its area.
- 16.Work out (−3) × 4 + 2 × (−5)
- 17.A sequence has the position-to-term rule: the nth term is 3n. Write down the first four terms of the sequence.
- 18.A concrete mix is made from gravel and cement in the ratio 5 : 1 by mass. The mass of cement is c kg and the total mass of the mix is m kg. Write down a formula for m in terms of c.
- 19.Work out the value of √64.
- 20.Divide 84 in the ratio 3:4. Work out the smaller share.
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.