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)
MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk
- 1.A bag holds 5 different sweets. Noah takes 2 of the sweets out of the bag together, so the order in which he takes them does not matter. Work out how many different pairs of sweets he could take.
- 2.n = 3. Work out the value of (2n)².
- 3.Two mathematically similar rectangles have widths 5 cm and 10 cm. The perimeter of the smaller rectangle is 18 cm. Work out the perimeter of the larger rectangle.
- 4.A rectangular notice board measures 150 cm by 80 cm. Work out its area in m².
- 5.An ordinary pack of 52 playing cards contains 13 hearts. One card is taken at random from the pack. Work out the probability that the card is not a heart. Give your answer as a percentage.
- 6.Forty pupils in class P and forty pupils in class Q each solved a puzzle. The times, in seconds, were summarised using cumulative frequency. For class P the lower quartile is 24, the median is 38 and the upper quartile is 46. For class Q the lower quartile is 30, the median is 35 and the upper quartile is 44. Write down the statement that correctly compares the two classes.
- 7.A rectangular plywood panel measures 2.4 m by 0.75 m. Work out the area of the panel in square metres, giving your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 8.A circle has equation x² + y² = 25. Does the point (3, 4) lie on this circle?
- 9.A shop buys a bike for £150 and sells it, making a profit of £45. Write the selling price as a fraction of the cost price, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 10.Two similar triangular flower beds have lengths in the ratio 3 : 7. The area of the smaller bed is 45 m². Work out the area of the larger bed.
- 11.Four bags each contain counters, some of which are winning counters. The probability of taking a winning counter is 5/12 from the red bag, 3/8 from the blue bag, 7/24 from the green bag and 1/3 from the yellow bag. Work out which bag has the smallest probability of giving a winning counter.
- 12.A fabric is dyed blue and yellow in the ratio 3 : 5. A tailor uses 1.5 m of blue fabric and the matching amount of yellow fabric needed for the ratio. Work out the total length of fabric used.
- 13.A ball is dropped and bounces. The height of each bounce after the first is 8 cm less than the bounce before it. The first bounce reaches 60 cm. Work out the height of the 5th bounce.
- 14.A cordial drink is made by mixing cordial concentrate and water in the ratio 1 : 6. Freya says that a 700 ml jug of this drink contains 100 ml of concentrate. Is she correct? Give a reason for your answer.
- 15.A circle has centre O. PQ, RS and TU are three chords of the circle, and only one of them passes through O. Write down what this tells you about that chord.
- 16.A student attempts to prove that the product of two consecutive integers is always even: (i) Let the two consecutive integers be n and n + 1. (ii) Since n(n + 1) is even, one of n and n + 1 must be an even number. (iii) Therefore, n(n + 1) is even. At which statement does the proof first assume the very fact it is trying to prove?
- 17.A shop's takings were £4500 in May. In June the takings fell by £900. Write the June takings as a fraction of the May takings, in its simplest form.
- 18.A scale drawing of a bridge uses a scale of 1 : 25. A support beam on the drawing measures 4.4 cm. What is the real length of the beam, in metres?
- 19.Work out the value of the discriminant b² − 4ac for the equation 2x² + 3x − 2 = 0.
- 20.y = 5 − 2x. Work out the value of x when y = 11.
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.