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.Given that 5³ = 125 and 6³ = 216, use a midpoint test to estimate ∛130 to 1 decimal place.
(a)5.2
(b)5.1
(c)6.0
(d)5.0
2.Point P has coordinates (2, −5). P is reflected in the x-axis to point Q. Write down the coordinates of Q.
(a)(2, −5)
(b)(−2, 5)
(c)(2, 5)
(d)(−2, −5)
3.A footpath is drawn 3 cm long on a map with a scale of 1 : 50 000. Work out the real length of the footpath, in metres.
(a)15000 m
(b)1500 m
(c)50000 m
(d)150 m
4.A point is translated twice by the vector $(5 - 3)$ . Write down the single column vector that describes the overall translation.
(a) $(5 - 3)$
(b) $(10 - 6)$
(c) $(5 - 6)$
(d) $(15 - 9)$
5.At a leisure centre, 50 members are asked which activities they do. 32 do yoga, 24 do pilates, and 11 do both. Work out how many members do yoga only, and not pilates.
(a)32
(b)43
(c)11
(d)21
6.Four pairs of variables are listed below. Write down the pair that you would expect to show no correlation.
(a)Outdoor temperature and woolly hats sold in a day
(b)A person's shoe size and their favourite colour
(c)Distance a car travels and the fuel it uses
(d)Hours of revision a pupil does and their score
7.A box stands on a table. The box exerts a force of 240 N on the table, and the base of the box has an area of 0.8 m². Work out the pressure the box exerts on the table, in N/m².
(a)300 N/m²
(b)3000 N/m²
(c)192 N/m²
(d)30 N/m²
8.A plumber charges a call-out fee plus an hourly rate. The total cost, y in pounds, of a job lasting x hours is given by y = 45x + 60. Work out the total cost of a job that lasts 3 hours.
y = 45x + 60
(a)£315
(b)£108
(c)£135
(d)£195
9.A map has a scale of 1 : 50 000. Two villages are 4 cm apart on the map. Work out the real distance between the villages, in kilometres.
(a)2 km
(b)20 km
(c)200 km
(d)0.2 km
10.Triangles LMN and XYZ have LM = XY, MN = YZ and LN = XZ. Give a reason why triangle LMN is congruent to triangle XYZ.
(a)SSS – all three corresponding sides are equal
(b)RHS – a right angle, hypotenuse and one other side are equal
(c)SAS – two sides and the included angle are equal
(d)ASA – two angles and the included side are equal
11.On Amelia's walk to school there are two sets of traffic lights. The probability that the first set is green when she reaches it is 0.4. The probability that the second set is green when she reaches it is 0.5. The two sets work independently of each other. Work out the probability that both sets are green.
(a)0.2
(b)0.1
(c)0.45
(d)0.9
12.Work out 2 × 3 × 5 + 1 and decide whether the result is a prime number.
(a)30, which is not prime
(b)31, which is not prime because 31 = 1 × 31
(c)31, which is not prime because it is a multiple of 3
(d)31, which is prime
13.The first four terms of a sequence are 4, 9, 14, 19. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
(a)n + 5
(b)5n + 4
(c)5n
(d)5n − 1
14.A laptop priced at £520 is first increased by 15%, and then the new price is decreased by 20%. Work out the final price of the laptop.
(a)£598
(b)£494
(c)£478.40
(d)£416
15.A drone starts at the point (2, −3) on a coordinate grid. It flies by the vector $(4 6)$ and then by the vector $(- 9 - 1)$ . Write down the column vector that would take the drone straight back to its starting point.
(a) $(- 5 - 5)$
(b) $(5 - 5)$
(c) $(- 5 5)$
(d) $(- 13 - 7)$
16.A proof sets out to show that the sum of the squares of two consecutive odd numbers, written as 2n + 1 and 2n + 3, is always 2 more than a multiple of 8. Four attempts to expand (2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² and reach a conclusion are shown below. Which attempt correctly proves this claim?
(a)(2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² = (4n² + 4n + 1) + (4n² + 9) = 8n² + 4n + 10 = 4(2n² + n + 2) + 2, so the sum is always 2 more than a multiple of 4.
(b)(2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² = (4n² + 4n + 1) + (4n² + 12n + 9) = 8n² + 16n + 10 = 2(4n² + 8n + 5), and 4n² + 8n + 5 is an integer, so the sum is always even, which means it is a multiple of 8.
(c)(2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² = (4n² + 4n + 1) + (4n² + 12n + 9) = 8n² + 16n + 10 = 8(n² + 2n + 1) + 2, and n² + 2n + 1 is an integer, so the sum is always 2 more than a multiple of 8.
(d)(2n + 1)² + (2n + 3)² = (4n² + 4n + 1) + (4n² + 12n + 9) = 8n² + 16n + 10 = 8(n² + 2n) + 10, so the sum is always 10 more than a multiple of 8.
17.There are 400 students at a school. 25% of them have a brother, 40% have a sister and 15% have both a brother and a sister. Work out how many of the students have neither a brother nor a sister.
(a)140 students
(b)300 students
(c)200 students
(d)260 students
18.Quadrilateral ABCD has vertices A(1, 1), B(5, 1), C(5, 4) and D(1, 4). The quadrilateral is translated by the vector $(3 - 2)$ . Which of these points is NOT a vertex of the image?
(a)(−1, 1)
(b)(3, 4)
(c)(−1, 4)
(d)(3, 7)
19.How many turning points does the graph of y = x² − 7x + 10 have?
y = x² − 7x + 10
(a)Four turning points.
(b)One turning point.
(c)Two turning points.
(d)No turning points.
20.A circle has centre (0, 0) and equation x² + y² = 100. A straight line is drawn from the origin through the point P(8, 9). Work out whether P lies inside, on, or outside the circle.
(a)P lies inside the circle
(b)P lies on the circle
(c)Cannot be determined from this information
(d)P lies outside the circle

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.