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.Solve x² − 6x = 0.
- 3.A gardener mixes 300 ml of plant feed concentrate with 1.2 litres of water to make a spray. Write the ratio of concentrate to water in its simplest form.
- 4.A ladder rests against a wall, making an angle of 60° with the ground. The ladder is 2 m long. Using the exact value of sin 60°, work out how high up the wall the ladder reaches, giving your answer in centimetres.
- 5.A bag contains 5 red counters and 3 blue counters. A counter is taken at random, its colour is noted, and it is put back in the bag before a second counter is taken at random. Work out the probability that both counters are the same colour.
- 6.A sports shop in Cardiff sold 40 pairs of football boots last month: 4 pairs of size 6, 5 pairs of size 7, 8 pairs of size 8, 13 pairs of size 9 and 10 pairs of size 10. The manager will order 40 pairs for next month and wants as many pairs as possible to be in a size customers will buy. Work out the mean size and the modal size, and write down which of the two he should use.
- 7.Which of these is equal to 5³?
- 8.A geometric sequence starts at 3, and each term after that is found by multiplying the term before it by 2. Write down the first four terms.
- 9.£2000 is invested in a savings account that pays 5% compound interest each year. Work out the value of the investment at the end of 2 years.
- 10.A solid has 4 triangular faces, 4 vertices and 6 edges. What is the name of this solid?
- 11.A small pack contains 5 cards, numbered 1 to 5. One card is drawn at random from the pack, and a fair coin is flipped. Every outcome is listed as a pair, such as (3, H). Work out how many equally likely outcomes there are in total.
- 12.Work out the value of 5³.
- 13.Which of these is an identity?
- 14.Three business partners share a profit of £48,000 in the ratio 3:5:4. Work out how much the partner with 5 parts receives.
- 15.The column vector describes a translation. Write down the movement it represents.
- 16.A necklace is made from red beads and gold beads in the ratio 7 : 3. What fraction of the beads are gold?
- 17.Meera writes the statement 3(x + 4) = 3x + 12. Which of these correctly describes what she has written, with a reason?
- 18.Last week Priya worked 5 shifts of 7 hours. This week she worked 4 shifts of 8 hours. Write the number of hours she worked last week as a fraction of the number of hours she worked this week.
- 19.Work out 2/5 + 1/4, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 20.A straight-line graph shows the cost, C pounds, of hiring a small van for m miles driven. The line passes through the origin and the point (25, 20). Work out the gradient of the line.
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.