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.Work out the value of 2⁻²
(a)4
(b)−4
(c)1/4
(d)−1/4
2.A zip-line runs from a platform 25 m high to a landing point 5 m high, over a horizontal distance of 40 m. Work out the gradient of the zip-line.
(a)2
(b)−0.5
(c)0.5
(d)−0.8
3.A box holds 60 crayons. 25 of the crayons are broken and the rest are unbroken. Write the number of unbroken crayons as a fraction of the number of broken crayons. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)5/7
(b)2/5
(c)7/12
(d)7/5
4.OABC is a parallelogram, with OA = a and OC = c. M is the midpoint of AB. Express the vector OM in terms of a and c.
(a)a − (1/2)c
(b)a + c
(c)a + (1/2)c
(d)(1/2)a + (1/2)c
5.For two events A and B, P(A) = 0.6 and P(A and B) = 0.15. Work out P(B | A).
(a)0.15
(b)0.09
(c)0.25
(d)0.45
6.A scatter graph shows the number of days, x, that each of 16 tomato plants was watered and its height, y cm. The line of best fit has equation y = 1.5x + 4. Write down what the 1.5 in this equation tells you about the plants.
y = 1.5x + 4
(a)Watering a plant for 1.5 days made it 1 cm taller
(b)On average a plant grew 1.5 cm taller for each extra day
(c)The tallest plant was 1.5 cm taller than the shortest
(d)On average a plant was 1.5 cm tall before any watering
7.The decimal 0.111... has the digit 1 repeating for ever. Write 0.1 recurring as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)1/10
(b)1/9
(c)1/11
(d)11/100
8.Ben writes n + 4 ≤ 9. Which statement describes what Ben has written? Give a reason for your answer.
(a)An equation, because solving it gives the value of n
(b)An identity, because it is true for many values of n
(c)A formula, because it works out n from 9
(d)An inequality, because ≤ compares the two sides
9.An oven is preheating. Its temperature, T °C, is plotted against time, t minutes, on a straight-line graph. The line passes through the points (2, 60) and (6, 140). Work out the gradient of the line.
(a)−20
(b)30
(c)40
(d)20
10.A student is proving that opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral ABCD sum to 180°, letting a = angle DAB and c = angle BCD, and using the fact that the angle at the centre is twice the angle at the circumference. She has already written: 'By the angle at the centre theorem, the reflex angle BOD equals 2a and the non-reflex angle BOD equals 2c.' Which statement must come immediately after this one in a correct proof?
(a)Reflex + non-reflex angle BOD = 360°, so 2a + 2c = 360°.
(b)OB = OD are radii, so triangle OBD is isosceles.
(c)Divide by 2 throughout to get a + c = 180°.
(d)Angle BOD is 2a and 2c, by the centre theorem.
11.Two ordinary fair dice are rolled and the two scores are added together. Given that the total is an even number, work out the probability that the total is 8.
(a)5/36
(b)1/11
(c)5/18
(d)1/6
12.A country's population is 8,340,000, and it is estimated that 1,950,000 of them live in the capital city. By rounding each number to 1 significant figure, work out an estimate for the number of people who do not live in the capital city.
(a)6,300,000
(b)8,000,000
(c)6,390,000
(d)6,000,000
13.The table shows some values of f(x): when x = 0, f(x) = 5; when x = 1, f(x) = 8; when x = 2, f(x) = 4; when x = 3, f(x) = 1. Work out the value of f(x − 1) when x = 2.
(a)8
(b)4
(c)1
(d)3
14.Two cars travel at constant speeds. Car A travels 150 km in 3 hours. Car B travels 180 km in 4 hours. Which car is faster, and what is its speed?
(a)Car A, 45 km/h
(b)Car A, 50 km/h
(c)Car B, 45 km/h
(d)Car B, 50 km/h
15.Two cylindrical storage tins are geometrically similar. The smaller tin has height 4 cm and the larger tin has height 6 cm. Work out the ratio of the surface area of the smaller tin to the surface area of the larger tin, giving your answer in the form a : b in its simplest form.
(a)9 : 4
(b)4 : 9
(c)2 : 3
(d)8 : 27
16.Work out the coordinates of the point halfway between (−9, −2) and (−1, −2).
(a)(−10, −2)
(b)(−5, −2)
(c)(−4, −2)
(d)(5, −2)
17.A recipe needs 1.2 kg of flour. Dan has 750 g of flour in his cupboard. Write the mass of flour the recipe needs as a fraction of the mass of flour Dan has. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)4/25
(b)8/13
(c)5/8
(d)8/5
18.Work out the exact value of cos 0° − sin 30°.
(a)1/2
(b)−1/2
(c)3/2
(d)1
19.Solve the inequality 2(x − 1) ≤ 8.
(a)x ≤ 4
(b)x ≤ 5
(c)x < 5
(d)x ≤ 3
20.When a number is added to its square the result is 30. Work out the possible values of the number.
(a)6 and −5
(b)5 and −6
(c)5 and 6
(d)5 only

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.