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
GCSE Higher sample Paper 1 (non-calculator)
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- 1.Write ∛(x²) as a single power of x.
- 2.A phone plan costs a fixed £15 per month plus 8p per minute of calls. In one month, Jamal's bill was £23.80. Form an equation using m for the number of minutes, and solve it to find how many minutes Jamal used that month.
- 3.Simplify the ratio 45 : 30 : 75 to its simplest form.
- 4.A shape is reflected in the line y = −x. Which of these points is invariant under this reflection?y = −x
- 5.A bag contains 5 red counters and 3 blue counters. A counter is taken at random, its colour is noted, and it is put back in the bag before a second counter is taken at random. Work out the probability that both counters are the same colour.
- 6.The mean of three numbers is 50. A fourth number, 100, is added to the set. Work out the mean of the four numbers.
- 7.A number, y, is equal to 8.2 when rounded to 1 decimal place. Write down the error interval for y.
- 8.The point (9, 12) lies on the circle x² + y² = 225, which has centre (0, 0). The tangent to the circle at (9, 12) crosses the x-axis at the point P. Work out the x-coordinate of P.
- 9.A dog walker's charge, C pounds, for walking a dog for m minutes is shown on a straight-line graph. The line passes through the points (20, 14) and (50, 26). Work out the charge for a 65-minute walk.
- 10.Triangle PQR has angle P = 90°. The side PQ = 9 cm and the hypotenuse QR = 15 cm. Work out the length of PR.
- 11.A pack contains 6 cards, numbered 1 to 6. A card is drawn at random from the pack, and a fair coin is flipped. Work out the probability of drawing an even-numbered card and the coin landing on tails.
- 12.The density of a type of plastic is 0.9 g/cm³. Work out this density in kg/m³.
- 13.Isla says that the lines y = 2x + 1 and y = −2x + 3 are parallel. Write down the statement that gives the correct answer for the correct reason.y = 2x + 1y = -2x + 3
- 14.A recipe for 6 muffins needs 150 g of flour. Aisha wants to make 15 muffins using the same recipe. Work out how much flour she needs.
- 15.A regular polygon has 12 sides. Work out the size of one exterior angle of the polygon.
- 16.The diagram shows a distance–time graph for a cyclist travelling at a constant speed, for the first 6 minutes of a journey. Distance is in kilometres and time is in minutes. Work out how far the cyclist would travel in 20 minutes at the same speed.
- 17.A necklace is made using gold beads and silver beads in the ratio 7:3. There are 40 more gold beads than silver beads. Work out the total number of beads in the necklace.
- 18.Point P has coordinates (4, 2). P is rotated 90° clockwise about the point (1, 1), and the image is then reflected in the line x = 1. Work out the coordinates of the final image of P.
- 19.Factorise 3x² + 10x − 8.
- 20.Make x the subject of the formula y = 3(x + 2).
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.