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.Nadia has £84. She spends 3/7 of it on a jacket and the rest on a bag. Work out the ratio of the amount spent on the jacket to the amount spent on the bag, in its simplest form.
(a)4:3
(b)1:1
(c)3:4
(d)3:7
2.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.
3.Two mathematically similar rectangles have lengths in the ratio 3 : 5. The area of the smaller rectangle is 27 cm². Work out the area of the larger rectangle.
(a)675 cm²
(b)75 cm²
(c)125 cm²
(d)45 cm²
4.In triangle ABC and triangle DEF, AB = DE, AC = DF, and the angle at A equals the angle at D. Write down the congruence condition that proves the two triangles are congruent.
(a)SSS
(b)ASA
(c)RHS
(d)SAS
5.A café offers 3 types of sandwich, cheese, ham and egg, and 4 types of drink, tea, coffee, juice and water. A customer chooses one sandwich and one drink at random. Work out the probability that the customer chooses egg and water.
(a)1/7
(b)1/3
(c)1/4
(d)1/12
6.Four pairs of variables are listed below. Write down the pair that you would expect to show negative correlation.
(a)Minutes a candle has burned and length remaining
(b)Letters in a pupil's first name and maths score
(c)A football team's shirt colour and matches won
(d)Age of a primary-school pupil and their shoe size
7.A photography studio offers 4 backdrops and 3 outfits for a portrait session. The plain grey backdrop, one of the 4 backdrops, cannot be used with the formal suit outfit, one of the 3 outfits. Work out how many different backdrop-and-outfit combinations are possible.
(a)10
(b)8
(c)11
(d)12
8.Solve the simultaneous equations 3x + y = 14 and x + y = 6. Work out the value of x.
(a)4.67
(b)−4
(c)2
(d)4
9.The table shows values of x and y. x: 3, 5, 8. y: 12, 20, 32. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between x and y?
(a)y is always 4 times x.
(b)y is always double x, plus 6.
(c)y is always x plus 9.
(d)x is always 4 times y.
10.A market stall sells apples at £2.40 per kilogram. Which of these expressions gives the cost, in pounds, of buying m kilograms of apples?
(a)2.40m
(b)m/2.40
(c)m − 2.40
(d)2.40 + m
11.A council surveyed 140 households about recycling. 85 of the households are in Zone A. 52 of the Zone A households recycle glass. 21 of the Zone B households do not recycle glass. Work out the probability that a household, chosen at random from the 140, recycles glass. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)43/70
(b)73/140
(c)13/35
(d)17/70
12.Simplify (3a²)² × (2a)³
(a)17a⁷
(b)72a¹²
(c)36a⁷
(d)72a⁷
13.Two numbers have a sum of 50. The larger number is twice the smaller number. Work out the smaller number.
(a)100/3
(b)25
(c)24
(d)50/3
14.A road sign 3 m tall casts a shadow 5 m long. At the same time, a nearby lamppost casts a shadow 10 m long. Work out the height of the lamppost.
(a)1.50 m
(b)16.67 m
(c)6.00 m
(d)8.00 m
15.Two similar shapes have lengths in the ratio 1 : 3. A side of the smaller shape is 4 cm long. Work out the length of the corresponding side of the larger shape.
(a)36 cm
(b)12 cm
(c)7 cm
(d)4 cm
16.Which expression is equivalent to 6x − (2x − 5)?
(a)8x + 5
(b)8x − 5
(c)4x − 5
(d)4x + 5
17.Two mathematically similar circles have radii 4 cm and 20 cm. Write the ratio of the area of the smaller circle to the area of the larger circle in its simplest form.
(a)25 : 1
(b)1 : 5
(c)1 : 25
(d)1 : 10
18.A treasure map has a scale of 1 cm to 4 m. A path from the start to a rock is drawn as two straight sections, measuring 3 cm and 2.5 cm. Work out the total real distance from the start to the rock, in metres.
(a)44
(b)22
(c)10
(d)5.5
19.Solve the inequality x² ≥ 16, giving your answer using set notation.
(a){x : x ≤ 4}
(b){x : x ≥ 4}
(c){x : x ≤ −4} ∪ {x : x ≥ 4}
(d){x : −4 ≤ x ≤ 4}
20.A graph shows the total monthly cost of a mobile phone tariff against the number of minutes of calls. The line starts at £12 and stays level until 200 minutes, then rises by 5p for each further minute of calls. Use the graph to work out the total cost of a month in which 250 minutes of calls are made.
(a)£14.50
(b)£13.50
(c)£12.50
(d)£24.50

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.