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

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1.Simplify x⁶ ÷ x²
(a)x¹²
(b)x³
(c)x⁸
(d)x⁴
2.Solve x² − 2x − 24 = 0.
(a)x = 6 or x = −4
(b)x = −6 or x = 4
(c)x = −8 or x = 3
(d)x = −6 or x = −4
3.A cup of tea is cooling. Its temperature, in °C, is plotted against time, in minutes, since it was poured. At t = 4 minutes, the gradient of the tangent to the graph is −3.2. What does this tell you about the tea at t = 4 minutes?
(a)Temperature is 3.2°C
(b)Rising at 3.2°C per minute
(c)Falling at 3.2°C per minute
(d)Fallen 3.2°C in total so far
4.Shape S has a vertex at (9, 6). It is enlarged by a scale factor of 1/3, centre the origin. Work out the coordinates of the image of this vertex.
(a)(6, 4)
(b)(27, 18)
(c)(3, 2)
(d)(3, 6)
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 scatter graph of the number of hours, x, that pupils revised against their test score, y, has the line of best fit y = 2.5x + 15. Amelia wants a score of at least 80. Work out the least whole number of hours of revision the line of best fit suggests she needs.
y = 2.5x + 15
(a)26
(b)27
(c)38
(d)32
7.The density of a type of plastic is 0.9 g/cm³. Work out this density in kg/m³.
(a)900 kg/m³
(b)0.0009 kg/m³
(c)0.09 kg/m³
(d)900 000 kg/m³
8.A student is asked whether 3(x − 4) = 3x − 4 is an identity. Which statement gives the correct verdict and reason?
(a)It is an identity, because both sides begin with the term 3x, so they must be equivalent.
(b)It is not even an ordinary equation with a solution: expanding the left-hand side gives 3x − 12, and 3x − 12 = 3x − 4 would require −12 = −4, which is never true.
(c)It is not an identity, because the student forgot to multiply the 4 by 3 on both sides of the equation.
(d)It is not an identity, because the student needs to substitute a specific value of x before comparing the two sides.
9.A recipe for 8 muffins needs 200 g of sugar. Sam wants to make 20 muffins for a bake sale, and he already has 350 g of sugar. Work out how many more grams of sugar he needs to buy.
(a)150 g
(b)850 g
(c)0 g
(d)500 g
10.A surveyor marks two fixed points A and B, with position vectors OA = a and OB = b (in km) from a base station O. A relay mast P is to be placed on the line AB such that AP : PB = 3 : 2. Express the vector OP in terms of a and b.
(a)(3/5)a + (2/5)b
(b)a + (3/5)b
(c)(1/2)a + (1/2)b
(d)(2/5)a + (3/5)b
11.A pupil must choose 2 different subjects at random from these five: maths, physics, biology, chemistry and history. Work out the probability that the two subjects chosen are maths and biology.
(a)1/15
(b)1/10
(c)1/5
(d)1/4
12.The population of a planet is 8 × 10⁹. Write this population as an ordinary number.
(a)720
(b)800,000,000
(c)8,000,000,000
(d)0.000000008
13.Solve the inequality 9 − 2x ≥ 1.
(a)x ≤ 5
(b)x ≥ 4
(c)x ≤ 4
(d)x ≤ −4
14.Two quantities x and y are in direct proportion. When x = 8, the value of y is 20. Work out the value of y when x = 14.
(a)26
(b)5.6
(c)28
(d)35
15.A water tank is a cube with edges of length 2 m. Work out how many cubic centimetres the tank holds when it is full.
(a)8,000,000 cm³
(b)8,000 cm³
(c)8 cm³
(d)80,000 cm³
16.By completing the square, show that the curve y = x² − 14x + 50 never crosses the x-axis. Which statement gives the correct reason?
y = x² − 14x + 50
(a)The turning point is above the x-axis at (7, −1)
(b)50 is positive, so y is always positive
(c)The discriminant is positive, so y is never zero
(d)(x − 7)² + 1 is at least 1 for every x, so y is never 0
17.A mobile phone tariff is shown on a straight-line graph with the monthly cost, C pounds, on the vertical axis and the amount of data used, g gigabytes, on the horizontal axis. The line passes through (0, 10) and (8, 26). Work out the gradient and say what it represents.
(a)3.25, the cost in pounds of each extra gigabyte
(b)2, the cost in pounds of each extra gigabyte
(c)10, the cost in pounds of each extra gigabyte
(d)2, the fixed monthly charge in pounds
18.A drinks company sells a novelty giant bottle that is geometrically similar to its standard 500 ml bottle, scaled up by a length factor of 1.5. Work out the capacity of the giant bottle, in ml.
(a)750 ml
(b)2250 ml
(c)1125 ml
(d)1687.5 ml
19.By completing the square, find the turning point of the curve y = 3x² + 12x + 7.
y = 3x² + 12x + 7
(a)x = −2, y = 5
(b)x = −4, y = −41
(c)x = 2, y = −5
(d)x = −2, y = −5
20.The tangent to a curve at the point (5, 2) is the line y = mx + c. This tangent crosses the y-axis at (0, −8). Work out the gradient, m, of the tangent.
(a)0.5
(b)−1.2
(c)−2
(d)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.