20 questions with no calculator: the four operations, fractions, percentages, order of operations, factors and estimation.

✏️ Paper 1 non-calculator warm-up — Foundation

Maths · GCSE Foundation · 20 questions · ~25 min

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

Paper 1 is worth exactly as much as each calculator paper, and it is the one most Foundation students practise least. This sheet is a warm-up for it: twenty questions drawn from the number and ratio statements that turn up on the non-calculator paper year after year — column arithmetic with decimals and negatives, adding and subtracting fractions, percentages of amounts, priority of operations, factors and multiples, and estimating by rounding to one significant figure. Do it with a pen and nothing else. Twenty-five minutes is about right, but do not stop early if you need longer; the point is to find out which of these have quietly gone rusty, not to score well. Mark it, then go back to the topic page for whichever one cost you the most.

1.Write 75p : £1.50 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
(a)2:1
(b)3:4
(c)1:2
(d)50:1
2.Write down the fraction, in its simplest form, that is equal to 0.6
(a)1/6
(b)2/3
(c)3/50
(d)3/5
3.Write the fraction 9/25 as a decimal.
(a)0.9
(b)2.8
(c)0.36
(d)0.925
4.Work out an estimate for 6.8 × 41, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
(a)28
(b)240
(c)280
(d)350
5.Write the fraction 3/4 as a decimal.
(a)0.7
(b)0.34
(c)0.75
(d)0.25
6.Write the mixed number 2 1/4 as an improper fraction.
(a)7/4
(b)9/4
(c)3/4
(d)5/4
7.Work out an estimate for 397 ÷ 21, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
(a)20
(b)200
(c)19
(d)2
8.Freya uses her calculator to work out 7² and writes down 14. Work out the correct value of 7².
(a)49
(b)14
(c)9
(d)77
9.Find the missing number: ▢ ÷ 15 = 24
(a)360
(b)39
(c)9
(d)1.6
10.A minibus can carry 16 passengers. A school is taking 179 pupils on a trip. By rounding 179 to the nearest 10, work out an estimate for the number of minibuses needed, given that the school cannot hire part of a minibus.
(a)180
(b)12
(c)10
(d)11
11.A rectangular plywood panel measures 2.4 m by 0.75 m. Work out the area of the panel in square metres, giving your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)4/5
(b)63/20
(c)9/5
(d)9/50
12.Work out (5 + 2) × 3²
(a)147
(b)63
(c)23
(d)441
13.A box holds 80 chocolates. 75% of them are milk chocolates. Work out how many milk chocolates are in the box.
(a)55
(b)75
(c)20
(d)60
14.Work out the reciprocal of (2 + 3)
(a)1/5
(b)5/6
(c)5
(d)−1/5
15.Work out an estimate for 113 + 491, by rounding each number to the nearest 100.
(a)700
(b)500
(c)600
(d)604
16.Work out the lowest common multiple of 4 and 6.
(a)12
(b)2
(c)6
(d)24
17.A jug holds 3 1/3 litres of juice. Each glass holds 2/3 of a litre. Work out how many glasses can be filled from the jug.
(a)5
(b)20/9
(c)5/3
(d)2
18.Write 0.06 as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)3/5
(b)3/50
(c)1/6
(d)3/500
19.Meera says that 0.7 ÷ 0.1 = 0.07. Work out the correct value of 0.7 ÷ 0.1.
(a)7
(b)0.07
(c)70
(d)0.7
20.Work out 8% of £250.
(a)£25
(b)£2
(c)£200
(d)£20

What is on this worksheet?

The sheet holds 20 questions drawn from the MathsUK bank — the content areas covered: Number, Ratio, proportion and rates of change (statements N2, N3, N4, N10, N12, N14, R4, R5, R9). It is pitched at GCSE Foundation and takes about 25 minutes to work through in full. It is built for independent practice, with full answers at the end for self-marking.

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 25 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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