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

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GCSE Higher sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)

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

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1.Work out (−36) ÷ (−6) × 2
(a)3
(b)6
(c)12
(d)−12
2.Solve the inequality 2(x − 1) ≤ 8.
(a)x ≤ 4
(b)x ≤ 5
(c)x < 5
(d)x ≤ 3
3.A shop buys a bike for £150 and sells it, making a profit of £45. Write the selling price as a fraction of the cost price, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)13/23
(b)3/10
(c)10/13
(d)13/10
4.A photograph is 10 cm wide and 15 cm tall. It is enlarged to make a similar poster that is 40 cm wide. The poster costs £0.80 per centimetre of its height to print, based on its full height. Work out the cost of printing the poster.
(a)£3
(b)£15.20
(c)£12
(d)£48
5.At a gym, 70 members are asked whether they use the pool or the sauna. 38 use the pool, 30 use the sauna, and 12 use neither. Work out n(P ∩ S), the number of members who use both the pool and the sauna.
(a)12
(b)10
(c)28
(d)68
6.Two classes sat the same maths test, both marked out of 100. Class A had a mean mark of 70 and a range of 30 marks. Class B had a mean mark of 70 and a range of 10 marks. Compare the marks of the two classes.
(a)The means are equal, and Class B's marks are the more consistent because its range is smaller.
(b)Class A's mean mark is higher, and Class A's marks are also the more consistent.
(c)The means are equal, and Class A's marks are the more consistent because its range is larger.
(d)Class B's mean mark is higher, and its smaller range makes its marks the more consistent.
7.Write 0.06 as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)3/5
(b)3/50
(c)1/6
(d)3/500
8.The nth term of a sequence is n² + 3. Work out the first term of the sequence that is greater than 50.
(a)52
(b)67
(c)39
(d)17
9.Two mathematically similar cubes have edge lengths 2 cm and 6 cm. Write the ratio of the volume of the smaller cube to the volume of the larger cube in its simplest form.
(a)27 : 1
(b)1 : 9
(c)1 : 27
(d)1 : 3
10.Triangle JKL and triangle MNP are similar, with JK ÷ MN = JL ÷ MP = 2. A student says triangle JKL must be congruent to triangle MNP. Write down why the student is wrong.
(a)The angles are not necessarily equal
(b)Similar triangles are never congruent
(c)The scale factor is 2, not 1, so the sides are not equal
(d)Congruent triangles must have a right angle
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.
(a)4
(b)8
(c)20
(d)5
12.A concrete mix is made from cement and sand in the ratio 3 : 5 by mass. A builder mixes 96 kg of concrete. Work out the mass of cement in the mix.
(a)36 kg
(b)60 kg
(c)12 kg
(d)57.6 kg
13.A car's speed increases steadily while it accelerates. Its speed v m/s after t seconds is given by v = u + at, where u is the starting speed in m/s and a is the acceleration in m/s². A car starts at u = 4 m/s and accelerates at a = 2 m/s² until it reaches v = 20 m/s. Work out t, the time taken in seconds.
(a)6 s
(b)8 s
(c)32 s
(d)12 s
14.For the pairs x = 6, y = 15 and x = 10, y = 25, which statement is correct?
(a)They are not in direct proportion, because y − x is different for each pair (9 and 15).
(b)They are not in direct proportion, because x + y is different for each pair (21 and 35).
(c)They are in direct proportion, because y ÷ x = 2.5 for both pairs.
(d)They are in direct proportion, because x × y = 90 and 250.
15.A roof truss has two horizontal parallel rafters, one above the other. A straight strut crosses both rafters. Where the strut crosses the lower rafter, the angle above the rafter and to the left of the strut is 65°. Work out the size of the angle above the upper rafter and to the right of the strut, where the strut crosses it.
(a)65
(b)25
(c)115
(d)245
16.A line segment has one endpoint at (−6, 2) and its midpoint at (−1, 5). Work out the coordinates of the other endpoint.
(a)(−3.5, 3.5)
(b)(5, 3)
(c)(4, 5)
(d)(4, 8)
17.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
18.A shape is translated by the vector $(3 - 8)$ , and one vertex of the image is at the point (1, 6). The original shape is instead translated by the vector $(- 5 2)$ . Work out the coordinates of the image of that same vertex under this second translation.
(a)(7, 8)
(b)(11, 3)
(c)(3, 1)
(d)(11, −2)
19.Work out the value of n² − n when n = −3
(a)6
(b)−3
(c)−6
(d)12
20.Solve the simultaneous equations 2x + y = 7 and x + 2y = 8.
(a)x = 2, y = 5
(b)x = 3, y = 2
(c)x = 2, y = 3
(d)x = −2, y = 11

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.