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 1 1/2 ÷ 3/4 exactly, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 2.The formula for the perimeter of a rectangle is P = 2(l + w). One rectangle has l = 9 cm and w = 4 cm. A second rectangle has l = 6 cm and w = 5 cm. Work out how many cm greater the perimeter of the first rectangle is than the perimeter of the second.
- 3.A car travels at a constant speed. It travels 150 miles in 3 hours. At the same speed, work out how far it travels in 5 hours.
- 4.A flower bed in the shape of a parallelogram has a base of 3.5 m and a perpendicular height of 2 m. Compost costs £4.80 per m². Work out the total cost of covering the flower bed with compost.
- 5.A bag contains 3 red counters, 2 blue counters and 2 green counters. One counter is taken at random from the bag. Work out the probability that the counter is red.
- 6.A bar chart shows the highest temperature recorded on each of five days. The temperatures were Monday 20 °C, Tuesday 22 °C, Wednesday 18 °C, Thursday 25 °C and Friday 23 °C. Write down the day on which the temperature was highest.
- 7.Work out 4368 ÷ 12.
- 8.The first four terms of a sequence are 18, 15, 12, 9. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 9.In a mix of mortar the ratio of the mass of sand to the mass of cement is 5 : 2. Write the mass of cement as a fraction of the total mass of the mix.
- 10.Triangle PQR has vertices P(0, 0), Q(6, 0) and R(0, 8). Work out the perimeter of the triangle.
- 11.An ordinary pack of 52 playing cards contains 13 hearts. One card is taken at random from the pack. Work out the probability that the card is not a heart. Give your answer as a percentage.
- 12.Is 120 divisible by 5? Give a reason for your answer.
- 13.Look at the statement 2x + 5 = 17. Considering whether it is an expression, an equation, a formula, or an identity, which classification is correct?
- 14.Write 45 minutes : 2 hours as a ratio in its simplest form.
- 15.Triangle A has a vertex at (1, 2). Triangle A is enlarged, centre (1, 1), to give triangle B, whose corresponding vertex is at (1, 5). Work out the scale factor of the enlargement.
- 16.Write down the symbol that makes this statement true: 3/10 ___ 0.3
- 17.A ball is dropped and bounces. The height of each bounce after the first is 8 cm less than the bounce before it. The first bounce reaches 60 cm. Work out the height of the 5th bounce.
- 18.A printer prints pages at a constant rate. It prints 45 pages in 6 minutes. Work out how many pages it prints in 10 minutes.
- 19.Work out an estimate for 113 + 491, by rounding each number to the nearest 100.
- 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.