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.Write 60 as a product of its prime factors, using index notation.
- 2.For the graph of y = 1/x, where x cannot be zero, which of these statements is correct?
- 3.A water tank has a capacity of 500 litres. It currently holds 350 litres of water. Write the amount of empty space in the tank as a fraction of the tank's capacity. Give your answer in its simplest form.
- 4.A fan-shaped rug is in the shape of a sector of a circle with radius 4 m and angle 180°. It costs £4 per square metre to make. Using π = 3.14, work out the total cost of the rug.
- 5.Kwame flips a fair coin three times and writes down what it lands on each time. Work out the probability that it lands on heads all three times.
- 6.Noah wrote down the numbers 9, 3, 7, 1, 5 and said, “The median is 7, because 7 is in the middle of my list.” Is Noah right? Give a reason for your answer.
- 7.On a number line, point A is at −1. Point B is 4 units from point A. Write down the two possible positions of point B.
- 8.A fundraising chain letter starts with 3 people taking part in round 1. Each following round has 4 times as many people taking part as the round before. Work out the number of people taking part in round 4.
- 9.After a 20% discount, a jacket costs £48. Work out the original price of the jacket.
- 10.A ship's radar shows a lighthouse at the point (12, −4) on a grid measured in nautical miles. The ship is at (2, 5). The ship sails along the vector that takes it directly to the lighthouse, then sails along that same vector again. Work out the ship's final position.
- 11.A bag contains counters that are red, blue or green only. The probability that a counter taken at random is not red is 0.8. The bag contains 25 counters in total. Work out how many of the counters are red.
- 12.A café offers 3 types of soup and 4 types of bread roll. Work out how many different combinations of one soup and one bread roll are possible.
- 13.The simple interest, £I, earned on a savings account is given by the formula I = PRT/100, where P is the amount invested in pounds, R is the interest rate per year and T is the time in years. Rearrange the formula to make P the subject.
- 14.A metal has a density of 7.8 g/cm³. Work out the density of the metal in kg/m³.
- 15.A sector of a circle has an angle of 90° at the centre. Write down what fraction of the whole circle this sector represents.
- 16.Work out 3/4 − 5/12 exactly, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 17.A triangle has vertices at (1, 1), (1, 5) and (6, 1). Work out the area of the triangle.
- 18.Isla and her brother share £60 in the ratio 1:2. Work out Isla's share.
- 19.Work out (2 × 10³) × (3 × 10⁴). Give your answer in standard form.
- 20.A plan is drawn to a scale of 1 : 500. Work out how many metres are represented by 1 cm on the plan.
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.