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.A jug of squash is made by mixing water and syrup in the ratio 6:1. Nia wants to make 8.4 litres of squash. Work out how much syrup she needs, in litres.
(a)0.84
(b)1.4
(c)1.2
(d)7.2
2.A television cable runs in a straight line from the edge of a flat roof 20 m above the ground to a bracket on a wall 5 m above the ground. The horizontal distance between the roof edge and the bracket is 15 m. Work out the length of the cable. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
(a)25.0 m
(b)30.0 m
(c)15.0 m
(d)21.2 m
3.Work out the difference between 45% of 70 and 35% of 80.
(a)11.5
(b)3.5
(c)59.5
(d)10
4.The number of members of a running club increases from 45 to 54. Work out the percentage increase.
(a)9%
(b)120%
(c)20%
(d)16.7%
5.Divide 84 in the ratio 3:4. Work out the smaller share.
(a)42
(b)48
(c)36
(d)28
6.At a youth club the ratio of juniors to seniors is 3:5. There are 40 members altogether. Work out how many seniors there are.
(a)24
(b)15
(c)5
(d)25
7.A straight line has equation y = 5x. Work out the value of y when x = 3.
y = 5x
(a)8
(b)3
(c)−15
(d)15
8.A vertical line passes through the point (4, 7). Write down the equation of this line.
(a)y = 7
(b)x = 4
(c)x = 7
(d)y = 4x
9.Factorise x² − 64.
(a)(x − 4)(x + 16)
(b)(x − 8)(x − 8)
(c)(x + 8)(x + 8)
(d)(x − 8)(x + 8)
10.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
11.The numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 have a mean of 7 and a median of 7. The value 100 is now added to the list. Which measure is changed more by adding 100, and why?
(a)The median, because the median always jumps when the count of values changes from even to odd.
(b)The mean, because adding 100 to the list raises the mean by 100, from 7 up to 107.
(c)The mean, because every value counts towards it, so 100 pulls it from 7 up to about 20.3.
(d)The median, because 100 becomes the largest value, so the middle value moves from 7 to 12.
12.In a spelling test the 20 pupils in Group A had a mean mark of 80, and the 30 pupils in Group B had a mean mark of 70. Work out the mean mark of all 50 pupils.
(a)75 marks
(b)74 marks
(c)76 marks
(d)150 marks
13.Freya buys three items whose prices are in the ratio 2:3:5. Altogether she pays £400. Work out the price of the most expensive item.
(a)£120
(b)£80
(c)£40
(d)£200
14.A company's profit this year is 130% of last year's profit. Last year's profit was £40,000. Work out this year's profit.
(a)£12,000
(b)£52,000
(c)£5,200
(d)£40,130
15.Simplify x + x + 4
(a)x² + 4
(b)6x
(c)x + 4
(d)2x + 4
16.A straight line has equation y = 2x − 7. Write down the coordinates of the point where the line crosses the y-axis.
y = 2x − 7
(a)(0, 7)
(b)(−7, 0)
(c)(2, −7)
(d)(0, −7)
17.Work out 50% of 60.
(a)6
(b)3000
(c)120
(d)30
18.Solve the inequality 2(3x − 1) ≥ 4x + 8.
(a)x ≥ 4.5
(b)x ≥ 5
(c)x ≥ 1
(d)x ≥ 20
19.In a right-angled triangle one of the other two angles is 45°, and the side opposite that 45° angle is 7 cm. Work out the length of the hypotenuse. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
(a)7.0 cm
(b)14.0 cm
(c)9.9 cm
(d)5.0 cm
20.Solve the inequality 4x + 1 > 2x + 9.
(a)x > 5
(b)x < 5
(c)x < 4
(d)x > 4

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.

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