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 4x + 3 = 19
(a)3.75
(b)5.5
(c)4
(d)4.75
2.To solve 5x − 4 = 2x + 8, Chloe's working is shown. Line 1: 5x − 4 = 2x + 8. Line 2: 3x − 4 = 8. Line 3: 3x = 4. Line 4: x = 4/3. Chloe has made a mistake in her working. Which line contains the mistake?
(a)Line 1
(b)Line 2
(c)Line 4
(d)Line 3
3.Expand 7(a + 8)
(a)a + 56
(b)7a + 15
(c)7a + 8
(d)7a + 56
4.Solve x − 4 = −9
(a)x = 13
(b)x = −13
(c)x = −5
(d)x = 5
5.Amelia's mean mark over four tests is 29. Her first three marks are 31, 26 and 26. Work out her fourth mark.
(a)116
(b)4
(c)33
(d)29
6.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
7.The masses of eight school bags, in kilograms, are 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11. Work out the median mass.
(a)5 kg
(b)5.5 kg
(c)8 kg
(d)4 kg
8.A textbook is reduced from £60 to £45. Work out the percentage reduction.
(a)33%
(b)15%
(c)75%
(d)25%
9.Work out the equation of the straight line that passes through (−2, 3) and (4, −9).
(a)y = −2x − 1
(b)y = −2x + 1
(c)y = −(1/2)x + 2
(d)y = 2x + 7
10.A candle is 30 cm tall and burns down at a steady rate of 1 cm per hour. Write down the function for the height of the candle y, in centimetres, after x hours.
(a)y = −30x + 1
(b)y = x + 30
(c)y = −x + 30
(d)y = 30x − 1
11.Order these three values from smallest to largest: 3/8, 0.43, 41%.
(a)3/8, 41%, 0.43
(b)0.43, 41%, 3/8
(c)3/8, 0.43, 41%
(d)41%, 0.43, 3/8
12.Solve 2x + 7 = x + 13
(a)x = 2
(b)x = 20
(c)x = −6
(d)x = 6
13.The angles of a triangle are in the ratio 2:3:4. Work out the size of the smallest angle.
(a)80°
(b)60°
(c)40°
(d)20°
14.A straight line has equation y = 4x + 3. A second line is parallel to the first line and passes through the point (0, −5). Work out the equation of the second line.
y = 4x + 3
(a)y = 3x − 5
(b)y = 4x + 5
(c)y = 4x − 5
(d)y = −4x − 5
15.A fruit punch is made from orange juice, pineapple juice and lemonade in the ratio 5:3:2. A jug holds 3.5 litres of punch in total. Work out the volume of pineapple juice needed.
(a)1.75 litres
(b)0.35 litres
(c)1.05 litres
(d)0.7 litres
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)
17.2.4 kg of cheese costs £36. Work out the cost of 1.5 kg of the same cheese.
(a)£15
(b)£57.60
(c)£22.50
(d)£54
18.Expand 4(2x − 3).
(a)2x + 1
(b)8x + 12
(c)8x − 12
(d)8x − 3
19.A shop recorded the number of books it sold on five days: 100, 40, 70, 20, 60. Work out the range of the numbers of books sold.
(a)100
(b)58
(c)80
(d)60
20.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

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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