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

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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.Meera says that 0.7 ÷ 0.1 = 0.07. Work out the correct value of 0.7 ÷ 0.1.
(a)7
(b)0.07
(c)70
(d)0.7
2.Solve the inequality x² − 5x + 6 < 0.
(a)−3 < x < −2
(b)x < 2 or x > 3
(c)2 < x < 3
(d)2 ≤ x ≤ 3
3.y is inversely proportional to x². When x = 2, y = 8. Construct the equation connecting x and y, then work out the value of y when x = 4.
(a)2
(b)512
(c)4
(d)8
4.A, B and C are points on a circle with centre O, and AB is a diameter. Prove that angle ACB = 90°, using the fact that triangle OAC and triangle OBC are both isosceles. In the proof, angle OAC = angle OCA = x and angle OBC = angle OCB = y. Which equation correctly expresses the angle sum of triangle ABC in terms of x and y, and leads to the required proof?
(a)x + y = 180°
(b)2x + 2y = 180°
(c)2x + 2y = 360°
(d)2x + y = 180°
5.At a sports club, the numbers of members who play tennis and badminton are: 50 members play tennis, 40 members play badminton, and 18 members play both tennis and badminton. A member who plays tennis is chosen at random. Work out the probability that this member also plays badminton.
(a)9/25
(b)9/20
(c)1/4
(d)1/5
6.A school has 1,500 pupils. The head teacher takes a random sample of 150 of them from the school register and asks how long they spend on homework. Rory says the sample is too small for the result to mean anything. Is Rory right? Give a reason for your answer.
(a)No, 150 pupils are a tenth of the school, chosen at random
(b)Yes, 150 pupils cannot be picked at random from 1,500
(c)No, a random sample always gives the exact school figure
(d)Yes, only asking all 1,500 pupils could show anything
7.A jug holds 3 1/3 litres of juice. Each glass holds 2/3 of a litre. Work out how many glasses can be filled from the jug.
(a)5
(b)20/9
(c)5/3
(d)2
8.The first term of an arithmetic sequence is 5, and each term after that increases by 6. Work out the 8th term of the sequence.
(a)53
(b)41
(c)48
(d)47
9.The price of a jacket increases by 50% and then decreases by 50%. Describe the overall change from the original price.
(a)no change
(b)an increase of 25%
(c)a decrease of 25%
(d)a decrease of 50%
10.A shop stacks tins in a display block. The front elevation of the block is 4 tins wide and 3 tins high. The side elevation shows the block is 2 tins deep. Every position in the block is filled. How many tins are used in total?
(a)24
(b)6
(c)12
(d)9
11.A factory makes bolts on two machines. Machine A makes 60% of the bolts and machine B makes the other 40%. 5% of the bolts made by machine A are faulty and 10% of the bolts made by machine B are faulty. A bolt is picked at random from one day's production. Work out the probability that it was made by machine B and is faulty. Give your answer as a decimal.
(a)0.5
(b)0.07
(c)0.04
(d)0.1
12.The two shorter sides of a right-angled triangle are √12 cm and √24 cm. Work out the exact length of the hypotenuse.
(a)2√3 + 2√6
(b)12√2
(c)36
(d)6
13.Which of these values of x is a solution of x² + 2x − 15 = 0?
(a)x = 3
(b)x = 5
(c)x = 15
(d)x = −3
14.A shop sells identical pens. The total cost, C pence, of n pens is given by C = 12n. Write the ratio n : C in its simplest form.
(a)1:13
(b)1:12
(c)12:144
(d)12:1
15.A cylindrical drum and a cuboid box are being wrapped for a display. A shop assistant wraps only the flat faces of each item, not any curved surface. How many flat faces in total does the assistant wrap across both items?
(a)8
(b)9
(c)3
(d)6
16.A geometric sequence has first term 4 and common ratio √2. Work out the sum of the first three terms of the sequence, giving your answer in the form a + b√2.
(a)12 + 4√2
(b)36 + 4√2
(c)4 + 12√2
(d)8 + 4√2
17.A river 120 km long is drawn as a line 6 cm long on a map. Work out the scale of the map.
(a)1 : 2 000 000
(b)1 : 200 000
(c)1 : 12 000 000
(d)1 : 20 000
18.e is the column vector with top number 5 and bottom number k. f is the column vector with top number 15 and bottom number 6. Given that f is 3 times e, work out the value of k.
(a)18
(b)9
(c)3
(d)2
19.A taxi firm charges a fixed fee of £3.50 plus £2.20 per mile. Work out the total cost of a journey of 6 miles.
(a)£13.20
(b)£15.50
(c)£34.20
(d)£16.70
20.A curve has equation y = x³ − 4x. Work out the coordinates of the point where the curve crosses the y-axis.
y = x
(a)(0, 4)
(b)(4, 0)
(c)(0, 0)
(d)(0, −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.