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 support strut for a shed roof is in the shape of a right-angled triangle. The two shorter sides of the strut are 5 m and 9 m. Work out the length of the sloping strut (the hypotenuse). Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.
(a)106 m
(b)10.2 m
(c)14 m
(d)10.3 m
2.A right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse of 8 cm, and one of its shorter sides is 4 cm. Work out the size of the angle between that 4 cm side and the hypotenuse.
(a)90°
(b)45°
(c)30°
(d)60°
3.The solution set of an inequality is x ≥ 7. Write down the value that does NOT satisfy this inequality.
(a)8
(b)100
(c)7
(d)6
4.Solve x/4 + 1 = 3
(a)x = 16
(b)x = 8
(c)x = 0.5
(d)x = 2
5.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%
6.Four angles meet at a point. Three of them measure 82°, 105° and 96°. Work out the size of the fourth angle.
(a)159
(b)283
(c)182
(d)77
7.£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
8.Three angles lie on a straight line. They measure 38°, 95° and x°. Work out the value of x.
(a)133
(b)47
(c)227
(d)142
9.Work out the equation of the straight line through the points (−3, 4) and (1, −8).
(a)y = −3x − 5
(b)y = 3x − 11
(c)y = −3x + 5
(d)y = −3x + 11
10.A gas company charges a standing charge plus a rate per unit used. The total cost, y in pounds, for using x units is given by y = 0.15x + 20. Work out the cost of using 200 units.
y = 0.15x + 20
(a)£50
(b)£30
(c)£203
(d)£320
11.After a 20% discount, a jacket costs £48. Work out the original price of the jacket.
(a)£40
(b)£60
(c)£57.60
(d)£38.40
12.Which of these describes an obtuse angle?
(a)An angle between 180° and 360°
(b)An angle between 90° and 180°
(c)An angle of exactly 90°
(d)An angle between 0° and 90°
13.Work out 25% of 200.
(a)50
(b)100
(c)25
(d)800
14.A conservatory has a roof panel shaped like a regular octagon. Work out the interior angle of the octagon, then use it to work out the size of the reflex angle at the same vertex, on the outside of the roof panel.
(a)225
(b)45
(c)315
(d)135
15.Two classes sat the same test. The 30 pupils in Class A had a mean mark of 72. The 20 pupils in Class B had a mean mark of 82. Work out the mean mark of all 50 pupils.
(a)3800 marks
(b)78 marks
(c)76 marks
(d)77 marks
16.Solve 2(x + 3) = 10
(a)x = 3.5
(b)x = 8
(c)x = 5
(d)x = 2
17.A plumber charges a call-out fee plus an hourly rate. The total cost, y in pounds, of a job lasting x hours is given by y = 45x + 60. Work out the total cost of a job that lasts 3 hours.
y = 45x + 60
(a)£315
(b)£108
(c)£135
(d)£195
18.Two of the angles in a triangle are 50° and 70°. Work out the size of the third angle.
(a)60°
(b)240°
(c)110°
(d)120°
19.Write 3/4 as a percentage.
(a)133%
(b)34%
(c)0.75%
(d)75%
20.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

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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