20 questions on the grade 4-5 content both tiers share — a fair test of whether a Higher entry is the right call.

⚖️ Foundation to Higher crossover check

Maths · GCSE Foundation · 20 questions · ~35 min

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

The tier decision is made by the school, but it is made on evidence, and this sheet is designed to produce some. Every question on it sits in the crossover band — the grade 4 to 5 content that appears on both the Foundation and the Higher papers: multiplying out and factorising, solving linear equations and inequalities, straight-line graphs and gradients, ratio and proportion, Pythagoras' theorem, angle reasoning, and averages from a frequency table. A student who works through this comfortably has the foundation a Higher entry needs. A student who is guessing on half of it will almost certainly come away with a better grade from a Foundation paper they can attempt in full. Useful for a parents' evening conversation, and for a department deciding entries.

1.Solve 3x + 14 = 8x − 6
(a)x = 15
(b)x = 2.5
(c)x = 4
(d)x = −1.6
2.A rectangular garden gate is 3 m wide and 4 m high. A straight brace runs from one corner of the gate to the opposite corner. Work out the length of the brace.
(a)7 m
(b)5 m
(c)12 m
(d)25 m
3.A straight line passes through the points (−1, 2) and (3, 14). Work out the equation of the line.
(a)y = 6x − 4
(b)y = x/3 + 13
(c)y = 3x + 5
(d)y = 3x + 23
4.Noah wrote down the numbers 9, 3, 7, 1, 5 and said, “The median is 7, because 7 is in the middle of my list.” Is Noah right? Give a reason for your answer.
(a)Yes — the mean of the five numbers is 7, so the median is 7 as well.
(b)No — in order the numbers are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, so the median is 5.
(c)No — in order the numbers are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, so the median is 3.
(d)Yes — 7 is the third of the five numbers he wrote, so it is the median.
5.The mean of the numbers x, 20 and 30 is equal to the mean of the numbers 15 and 25. Work out the value of x.
(a)20
(b)−10
(c)10
(d)70
6.Three numbers are in the ratio 1:2:3. The three numbers add up to 72. Work out the largest of the three numbers.
(a)36
(b)12
(c)216
(d)24
7.Solve 4(x − 3) = 2x + 6.
(a)4.5
(b)−3
(c)3
(d)9
8.Solve (3x + 2)/5 = (x + 4)/3
(a)x = 3.5
(b)x = 4.5
(c)x = 10
(d)x = 1
9.A regular hexagon is divided into six identical triangles by joining its centre to each of the six vertices. Work out the size of the angle of one of these triangles at the centre of the hexagon.
(a)30°
(b)45°
(c)120°
(d)60°
10.Solve 5x + 2 = 17.
(a)3
(b)3.8
(c)15
(d)1.4
11.Solve the inequality 5 − x ≤ 2.
(a)x ≤ −3
(b)x ≥ −3
(c)x ≥ 3
(d)x ≤ 3
12.There are 400 students at a school. 25% of them have a brother, 40% have a sister and 15% have both a brother and a sister. Work out how many of the students have neither a brother nor a sister.
(a)140 students
(b)300 students
(c)200 students
(d)260 students
13.The width, the length and the height of a box are in the ratio 3:4:5. The length of the box is 16 cm. Work out the height of the box.
(a)20 cm
(b)80 cm
(c)4 cm
(d)12 cm
14.A transversal crosses a pair of parallel lines. At one line, the angle is (5x + 4)°. The corresponding angle at the other line is (3x + 24)°. Work out the value of x.
(a)19
(b)10
(c)20
(d)14
15.£120 is shared between three cousins in the ratio 3:4:5. Work out the largest share.
(a)£10
(b)£50
(c)£30
(d)£40
16.Work out the median of these six numbers: 13, 21, 22, 36, 37, 47
(a)22
(b)36
(c)34
(d)29
17.Grace's mean mark in her maths tests rises from 70 to 84. Work out the percentage increase in her mean mark.
(a)20%
(b)120%
(c)17%
(d)14%
18.A right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse of 29 cm and one shorter side of 20 cm. Work out the length of the other shorter side.
(a)441 cm
(b)21 cm
(c)35 cm
(d)9 cm
19.40% of a number is 12 more than 25% of the same number. Work out the number.
(a)48
(b)80
(c)15
(d)30
20.Expand 4(2x − 3).
(a)2x + 1
(b)8x + 12
(c)8x − 12
(d)8x − 3

What is on this worksheet?

The sheet holds 20 questions drawn from the MathsUK bank — the content areas covered: Algebra, Ratio, proportion and rates of change, Geometry and measures, Statistics (statements A4, A17, A22, A9, R5, R9, G20, G3, S4). It is pitched at GCSE Foundation and takes about 35 minutes to work through in full. It works as a class handout, a homework, or a warm-up before a test.

How to use the sheet well

Print it or open it on screen — both work. Printing is A4; the screen view fits phones and tablets.
Do all 20 questions before checking — about 35 minutes is the guide, but there is no time pressure.
Check the answers — press “Show answers” or print the answer page separately.
Redo the questions you got wrong — twice as effective as doing 20 fresh ones.
“New questions” — builds a fresh sheet on the same statements, so you can practise again without repeats.

Why this sheet helps

MathsUK worksheets use questions graded by difficulty and a fair spread of correct-answer positions (the answer is not always (a)) — so the student really has to think about each question rather than guess a pattern. Every question is tagged to a DfE content statement and checked before it enters the bank. The answers come with a step-by-step explanation, not just a value — so a wrong answer becomes a lesson.

Similar worksheets worth a look

✏️ Paper 1 non-calculator warm-up — Foundation · 20 questions · ~25 min
🎯 Grade 4 pass booster · 25 questions · ~40 min
📈 Quadratics: factorise, complete the square, formula · 24 questions · ~45 min
💷 Percentages and compound interest · 22 questions · ~40 min