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 jug holds 3 1/3 litres of juice. Each glass holds 2/3 of a litre. Work out how many glasses can be filled from the jug.
- 2.A lift has a weight limit: it must carry no more than 630 kg. Let w be the total weight, in kg, carried by the lift. Which inequality describes this?
- 3.Two mathematically similar triangular flags have areas in the ratio 4 : 25. The height of the smaller flag is 6 cm. Work out the height of the larger flag.
- 4.A hexagon has interior angles of 130°, 142°, 125°, 150°, 135° and x°. Work out the value of x.
- 5.An ordinary fair dice is rolled twice. Work out the probability of getting at least one 5.
- 6.A garden centre records its total sales, in pounds, at the end of each of the twelve months of one year, to see how sales change over time. Write down the most suitable type of chart to show this time series data.
- 7.Write these three numbers in order of size, starting with the smallest: 0.7, 3/4, 0.72
- 8.A quadratic graph y = ax² + bx + c has its turning point on the y-axis. Which statement about its roots must be true?
- 9.A mobile phone tariff is shown on a straight-line graph with the monthly cost, C pounds, on the vertical axis and the amount of data used, g gigabytes, on the horizontal axis. The line passes through (0, 10) and (8, 26). Work out the gradient and say what it represents.
- 10.A robotic arm's tip starts at the point (12.5, −4.25) on a grid measured in centimetres. It moves by the vector to pick up a component, then by the vector to place it. Work out the coordinates of the tip after both moves.
- 11.The probability that a pupil chosen at random has a nut allergy is 1/10. There are 30 pupils in a class. Work out how many of the 30 pupils would be expected to have a nut allergy.
- 12.A plumber charges a call-out fee of £45 and then £28 for each hour she works. She is at a house from 09:15 until 12:45. Work out the total charge.
- 13.Which of these is an expression?
- 14.A metal block has a mass of 270 g and a volume of 30 cm³. Work out the density of the block, in g/cm³.
- 15.The sum of the interior angles of a polygon is 1980°. Work out the number of sides of the polygon.
- 16.Work out 3 + 4 × 2²
- 17.A rectangle has length k cm and width 5 cm less than its length. Write down an expression for the width of the rectangle, in cm.
- 18.A window cleaner charges a call-out fee plus an amount per window. The total charge, C pounds, is shown on a straight-line graph against the number of windows cleaned, w. The line passes through the points (2, 14) and (6, 26). Work out the gradient of the line.
- 19.Freya types 4² + 3² into her calculator and writes down 49. Work out the correct value of 4² + 3².
- 20.A metal has a density of 7.8 g/cm³. Work out the density of the metal in kg/m³.
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.