Sample paper · GCSE Higher · grades 4–9

GCSE Higher 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 Higher qualification — number 15%, algebra 30%, ratio, proportion and rates of change 20%, geometry and measures 20%, probability 7.5%, statistics 7.5% — with no calculator-only items. AO1 / AO2 / AO3 at this tier: 40% / 30% / 30%.

Non-calculatorGCSE Higher

VersionsA only A + B A + B + Csame questions, different order

AnswersQuestions only With answer key Key only

New sheet

GCSE Higher sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)

Maths · GCSE Higher · Paper 1 · Non-calculator · 20 questions

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

1.Two-digit numbers are formed using the digits 2, 5, 7 and 8, and each digit may be used only once in a number. Work out how many of these two-digit numbers are even.
(a)8
(b)12
(c)6
(d)2
2.A recipe gives the cooking time, in minutes, for a chicken as T = 40m + 20, where m is the mass in kg. A chicken has a mass of 1.8 kg. Work out the cooking time in hours and minutes.
(a)1 hour 12 minutes
(b)1 hour 48 minutes
(c)1 hour 40 minutes
(d)1 hour 32 minutes
3.A metal alloy is made from copper and tin in the ratio 9:1. Write the mass of tin as a fraction of the mass of copper, in its simplest form.
(a)1/9
(b)1/10
(c)9/10
(d)9/1
4.In quadrilateral ABCD the two sides AB and BC are each 6 cm long and meet each other at B. The two sides CD and DA are each 9 cm long and meet each other at D. No side of ABCD is parallel to any other side. Write down the mathematical name of this quadrilateral.
(a)Isosceles trapezium
(b)Kite
(c)Parallelogram
(d)Rhombus
5.Priya spins a fair spinner with P(red) = 0.3, and separately flips a fair coin with P(heads) = 0.5. Using a tree diagram, work out the probability that she gets red AND heads.
(a)0.5
(b)0.8
(c)0.15
(d)0.65
6.Marta is drawing a cumulative frequency diagram for the times, t seconds, of 100 telephone calls. The grouped frequencies are: 0 ≤ t < 10, 7 calls; 10 ≤ t < 20, 19 calls; 20 ≤ t < 30, 34 calls; 30 ≤ t < 40, 40 calls. Write down the coordinates of the point Marta should plot for the class 20 ≤ t < 30.
(a)(30, 60)
(b)(30, 34)
(c)(25, 60)
(d)(20, 60)
7.Ten players enter a chess tournament. Every player plays every other player exactly once. Work out how many games are played in the tournament.
(a)90
(b)20
(c)45
(d)55
8.The curve y = 2x² − 12x + 7 has a minimum point. By completing the square, find the value of x at which the minimum occurs.
y = 2x² − 12x + 7
(a)6
(b)−3
(c)−12
(d)3
9.Amelia uses 2 kg of flour to bake 5 cakes. Using the same recipe, work out how many cakes she can bake with 6 kg of flour.
(a)10
(b)12
(c)15
(d)20
10.A rectangle has vertices at (2, 1), (9, 1), (9, 5) and (2, 5). Work out the area of the rectangle.
(a)22
(b)28
(c)35
(d)63
11.A weather station records whether it rains each day for 40 days: it rains on 9 of the days and does not rain on the rest. A local forecaster claims that the probability of rain on any day is 0.3. Work out the relative frequency of rain from the recorded data.
(a)0.29
(b)0.225
(c)0.09
(d)0.3
12.Work out the value of $1 6^{3/4}$ .
(a)12
(b)2
(c)64
(d)8
13.Work out the gradient of the straight line with equation 3y = 12 − 6x.
(a)2
(b)4
(c)−2
(d)−6
14.A mortar mix is made from sand and cement in the ratio 5 : 3. Write the ratio of sand to the total mix in its simplest form.
(a)8:5
(b)5:8
(c)3:8
(d)5:3
15.A hexagon has interior angles of 130°, 142°, 125°, 150°, 135° and x°. Work out the value of x.
(a)142°
(b)40°
(c)38°
(d)398°
16.A ramp rises 3 m over a horizontal distance of 12 m. Work out the gradient of the ramp.
(a)0.25
(b)4
(c)9
(d)36
17.A charity collects donations from adults and children in the ratio 5:2. Altogether, £238 is collected. Work out how much more the adults donate than the children.
(a)£102
(b)£68
(c)£136
(d)£170
18.Point B is at (3, 5). It is reflected in the line y = 2. Work out the coordinates of the image of point B.
(a)(3, −4)
(b)(3, −1)
(c)(3, −5)
(d)(−3, 5)
19.A car park charges by the hour. Parking for 1 hour costs £5, 2 hours costs £9, 3 hours costs £13 and 4 hours costs £17, with the cost increasing by the same amount for each extra hour. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the cost, in pounds, of parking for n hours.
(a)4n + 1
(b)4n + 5
(c)4n − 3
(d)n + 4
20.A student is asked whether 3(x − 4) = 3x − 4 is an identity. Which statement gives the correct verdict and reason?
(a)It is an identity, because both sides begin with the term 3x, so they must be equivalent.
(b)It is not even an ordinary equation with a solution: expanding the left-hand side gives 3x − 12, and 3x − 12 = 3x − 4 would require −12 = −4, which is never true.
(c)It is not an identity, because the student forgot to multiply the 4 by 3 on both sides of the equation.
(d)It is not an identity, because the student needs to substitute a specific value of x before comparing the two sides.

How the 20 questions are shared out

Number — 3 questions (15% of the qualification)
Algebra — 6 questions (30% of the qualification)
Ratio, proportion and rates of change — 4 questions (20% of the qualification)
Geometry and measures — 4 questions (20% 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.