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.A spreadsheet shows that 812 − 397 = 315. Work out an estimate for 812 − 397, by rounding each number to the nearest 100, to check whether the spreadsheet's answer is reasonable.
(a)415
(b)400
(c)300
(d)500
2.Work out an estimate for 6.4 × 3.9, by rounding each number to the nearest whole number.
(a)18
(b)25
(c)24
(d)28
3.Write down the reciprocal of 5/8
(a)−8/5
(b)8/5
(c)5/8
(d)3/8
4.Priya invests £750 in a savings account that pays simple interest. After 3 years, the account contains £840. Work out the annual rate of simple interest.
(a)12%
(b)4%
(c)112%
(d)0.04%
5.A sofa costs £800. Its price is increased by 25%. Work out the new price of the sofa.
(a)£1,000
(b)£600
(c)£825
(d)£200
6.Which of these numbers is a common factor of 18 and 24?
(a)6
(b)8
(c)12
(d)9
7.The rent on a flat increases by 10% one year and by a further 10% the following year. Work out the overall percentage increase over the two years.
(a)121%
(b)11%
(c)21%
(d)20%
8.Estimate the value of √45, giving your answer to the nearest whole number.
(a)2,025
(b)7
(c)6
(d)22.5
9.A rectangular field measures 19.6 m by 48.3 m. Work out an estimate for the area of the field, by rounding each length to 1 significant figure.
(a)800 m²
(b)70 m²
(c)1,000 m²
(d)140 m²
10.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
11.A washing machine costs £320 before VAT. VAT is charged at 20%. Work out the total price including VAT.
(a)£340.00
(b)£326.40
(c)£384.00
(d)£64.00
12.Work out an estimate for 79.3 − 24.6, by rounding each number to the nearest whole number.
(a)55
(b)54
(c)59
(d)54.7
13.Work out the highest common factor of 15 and 25.
(a)75
(b)5
(c)15
(d)3
14.The number 72 can be written as 2³ × 3², and the number 108 can be written as 2² × 3³. Work out the highest common factor of 72 and 108.
(a)36
(b)6
(c)108
(d)216
15.Work out 3 1/5 + 1 2/3. Give your answer as a mixed number in its simplest form.
(a)4 3/8
(b)3 13/15
(c)4 1/5
(d)4 13/15
16.A car is bought for £17,500. Its value decreases by 12% in the first year, and by a further 10% of its reduced value in the second year. Work out the value of the car at the end of the second year, giving your answer to the nearest pound.
(a)£15,400
(b)£13,860
(c)£13,650
(d)£15,750
17.Work out 2 × 3 × 5 + 1 and decide whether the result is a prime number.
(a)30, which is not prime
(b)31, which is not prime because 31 = 1 × 31
(c)31, which is not prime because it is a multiple of 3
(d)31, which is prime
18.At an animal shelter, the ratio of cats to dogs is 2:5. There are 18 more dogs than cats. Work out the number of cats.
(a)6
(b)12
(c)9
(d)30
19.Work out (−6) + (−4) × 3
(a)−30
(b)−18
(c)18
(d)6
20.Work out 100 − 4 × 5²
(a)0
(b)2400
(c)60
(d)−300

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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