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 rectangular patio measures 90 cm by 120 cm. Ben wants to cover it exactly with identical square tiles, as large as possible, with no tiles cut. Work out the side length of the largest square tile he can use.
- 2.A company's cost, in £, for producing x items is shown on a graph. The tangent to the curve at x = 50 passes through (30, 400) and (70, 800). Interpret the gradient of this tangent in the context of the company's costs.
- 3.A car travels 180 miles in 3 hours. A lorry travels 160 miles in 4 hours. Write the car's average speed as a fraction of the lorry's average speed, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 4.A map has a scale of 1 : 25000. A distance between two points measures 2 cm on the map. What is the real distance, in kilometres?
- 5.At a coffee shop, each customer buys tea, coffee, water or juice, and never more than one of these. The probability that a customer buys tea is 0.36 and the probability that they buy juice is 0.04. The probability that a customer buys coffee is three times the probability that they buy water. Work out the probability that a customer buys water.
- 6.A sports centre in Ipswich has 2,000 members. It wants to know what its members think of its opening hours, so it asks a random sample of 100 of them. Write down what the population is in this survey.
- 7.Without using a calculator, estimate the value of √70 × ∛65, giving your answer to 1 significant figure.
- 8.Harry will spend at most £150 on a party. The cake costs £60 and each helium balloon costs £3. Solve an inequality to find all the possible numbers of balloons, x, that he can buy.
- 9.A jumper costs £45 at Shop A, where it is reduced by 20%. The same jumper costs £34 at Shop B, where a further 10% reduction is then applied. Work out the difference between the two reduced prices.
- 10.From an external point P, two tangents PA and PB touch a circle with centre O at the points A and B. Angle APB = 50°. Work out the size of angle OAB.
- 11.In a survey, 120 adults were asked whether they have a driving licence. 70 of the adults are women and 50 are men. 45 of the women and 35 of the men have a driving licence. One of the adults who has a driving licence is picked at random. Work out the probability that this adult is a man.
- 12.Ava measures a metal rod and records its length as 15 cm, correct to the nearest centimetre. Ben measures the same rod and records its length as 14.8 cm, correct to the nearest 0.1 cm. Decide whether both records can be correct, and give a reason for your answer.
- 13.Which of these pairs of lines are perpendicular to each other?
- 14.The price of a share falls by 10% on Monday and then rises by 10% on Tuesday. Work out the overall percentage change from Monday's starting price.
- 15.A triangular flag has a base of 40 cm and a perpendicular height of 25 cm. Work out its area.
- 16.Expand and simplify 4(2x − 1) − 3(x + 2) − 5x
- 17.A shop's daily profit, in pounds, is plotted against the price charged for an item, in pounds. A tangent to the profit graph at a price of £15 passes through the points (12, 540) and (18, 480). Work out the instantaneous rate of change of profit with respect to price at £15, and state whether profit is increasing or decreasing there.
- 18.A carpenter cuts two triangular metal brackets for a shelf. Bracket P has sides of 12 cm, 16 cm and 20 cm. Bracket Q has sides of 16 cm, 20 cm and 12 cm, listed in a different order. Before fitting them as a matching pair, the carpenter wants to check they are exactly the same shape and size. Which of the following correctly justifies this?
- 19.A rule turns each input into an output. An input of 0 gives an output of −1, an input of 1 gives an output of 1, and an input of 2 gives an output of 3. Work out the rule, writing the input as x and the output as y.
- 20.A bath is filled with water; the graph of volume (litres) against time (minutes) is a curve, since the flow rate changes. The tangent to the curve at t = 10 minutes passes through the points (8, 130) and (12, 190), and the volume in the bath at t = 10 minutes is 160 litres. Use the gradient of this tangent to estimate the volume in the bath 5 minutes after t = 10 minutes.
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.