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%.

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GCSE Higher sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)

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

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

1.Leah measures the length of her classroom with a tape measure marked in centimetres. She writes the length down as 7.3157 m. Give a reason why this is not an appropriate degree of accuracy.
(a)The tape can only give the length to the nearest centimetre
(b)A length in metres must be written to 2 decimal places
(c)A length in metres must be rounded to the nearest metre
(d)The tape can only give the length to the nearest millimetre
2.A number machine multiplies its input by 2 and then subtracts 5. Work out the output when the input is 6.
(a)7
(b)17
(c)12
(d)2
3.In a fruit bowl, the number of bananas is 3/4 of the number of apples. There are 16 apples in the bowl. Write the number of apples as a fraction of the number of bananas. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)3/4
(b)4/3
(c)4/7
(d)4/1
4.In triangle ABC, point D lies on side AB and point E lies on side AC, so that DE is parallel to BC. AD = 3 cm, DB = 6 cm and DE = 4 cm. Work out the length of BC.
(a)4 cm
(b)8 cm
(c)10 cm
(d)12 cm
5.Two ordinary fair dice are rolled and the two scores are added together. Work out the probability that the total is a prime number.
(a)13/36
(b)19/36
(c)7/18
(d)5/12
6.A café in York counts the number of customers in each of the nine hours it is open on one day: 4, 4, 4, 11, 13, 15, 18, 22 and 25. The owner says that a typical hour has about 4 customers, because 4 is the mode. Is the owner right? Give a reason for your answer.
(a)Yes, the mode is the value that occurs most often
(b)Yes, the mode is the best average for a list of numbers
(c)No, the mode here is the lowest value of the nine
(d)No, the mode can only be used when no value repeats
7.The highest common factor of two numbers is 4 and their lowest common multiple is 60. One of the numbers is 20. Work out the other number.
(a)12
(b)240
(c)16
(d)15
8.The first five terms of a quadratic sequence are 5, 8, 13, 20, 29. Work out the next term in the sequence.
(a)38
(b)40
(c)32
(d)39
9.The price of a games console is reduced by 10%. In a later sale the reduced price is reduced by 10% again. Work out the overall percentage decrease.
(a)21%
(b)81%
(c)20%
(d)19%
10.A right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse of 14 cm. One of the other angles is 30°. Work out the exact length of the side opposite the 30° angle.
(a)28 cm
(b)7 cm
(c)7√3 cm
(d)14/√3 cm
11.A grower knows that the probability that one of their seeds germinates is 0.6. The grower wants to expect 300 of the seeds to germinate. Work out how many seeds the grower should plant.
(a)120
(b)180
(c)500
(d)750
12.The decimal 0.272727... repeats the block 27 for ever. Write 0.27 recurring as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)3/10
(b)27/100
(c)3/11
(d)2/9
13.For the equation 2x + 3 = 11, and the inequality 2x + 3 > 11, which statement correctly compares their solutions?
(a)The equation has one solution; the inequality has many.
(b)Both have exactly one solution.
(c)Both have many solutions.
(d)The equation has many solutions; the inequality has one.
14.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.
(a)3/7
(b)3/10
(c)1/2
(d)7/10
15.A parallelogram has a base of 20 cm and a sloping side of 13 cm. The perpendicular drawn from the top of that sloping side down to the base meets the base 5 cm from the foot of the sloping side, so the perpendicular, the 5 cm and the 13 cm sloping side form a right-angled triangle. Work out the area of the parallelogram.
(a)100 cm²
(b)260 cm²
(c)120 cm²
(d)240 cm²
16.Expand and simplify 2(a + 6) − 2(a − 7)
(a)13
(b)4a − 2
(c)−2
(d)26
17.Two quantities x and y are in the ratio x : y = 2 : 5, and y = kx for a constant k. Work out the value of k.
(a)5
(b)3
(c)2.5
(d)0.4
18.Two similar triangular flower beds have lengths in the ratio 3 : 7. The area of the smaller bed is 45 m². Work out the area of the larger bed.
(a)245 m²
(b)405 m²
(c)315 m²
(d)105 m²
19.Which of these is a formula, rather than an expression, an equation, or an identity?
(a)lwh
(b)lwh = 60
(c)2(l + w) ≡ 2l + 2w
(d)V = lwh
20.The point (3, 4) lies on the circle x² + y² = 25, which has centre (0, 0). Work out the gradient of the tangent to the circle at (3, 4).
(a)−4/3
(b)−3/4
(c)4/3
(d)3/4

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.