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.Work out 3 + 4 × (−2).
(a)−8
(b)−5
(c)−14
(d)11
2.Work out (−3) × 4 + 10
(a)−42
(b)−2
(c)−22
(d)22
3.Work out 18 − 4 × 2
(a)12
(b)−10
(c)10
(d)28
4.Write 90 as a product of its prime factors.
(a)2 × 3² × 5
(b)2 × 45
(c)2 × 3 × 15
(d)3 × 3 × 10
5.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
6.Work out −4.5 + 2.8.
(a)1.7
(b)−7.3
(c)−2.3
(d)−1.7
7.A cycle route is 350 m long. A footpath runs alongside it for 3/7 of that length. Work out the length of the footpath.
(a)200 m
(b)1050 m
(c)150 m
(d)50 m
8.Work out an estimate for 397 ÷ 21, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
(a)20
(b)200
(c)19
(d)2
9.A jumper costs £45 at Shop A, where it is reduced by 20%. The same jumper costs £34 at Shop B, where a further 10% reduction is then applied. Work out the difference between the two reduced prices.
(a)£11.00
(b)£66.60
(c)£1.60
(d)£5.40
10.Work out √144 − 2 × 3 + √25
(a)35
(b)11
(c)1
(d)7
11.Write 2 m : 150 cm : 50 cm as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
(a)4:3:1
(b)4:3:2
(c)2:150:50
(d)3:4:1
12.The price of a jacket increases by 50% and then decreases by 50%. Describe the overall change from the original price.
(a)no change
(b)an increase of 25%
(c)a decrease of 25%
(d)a decrease of 50%
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.Work out 250 ÷ 1000.
(a)25
(b)0.025
(c)2.5
(d)0.25
15.A gym increases its membership price by 1/5. The original price is £60. Work out the new price.
(a)£48
(b)£72
(c)£75
(d)£12
16.Work out 10% of 30% of £200.
(a)£60
(b)£80
(c)£20
(d)£6
17.Work out the highest common factor of 20 and 32.
(a)8
(b)4
(c)2
(d)160
18.There are 400 students at a school. 25% of them have a brother, 40% have a sister and 15% have both a brother and a sister. Work out how many of the students have neither a brother nor a sister.
(a)140 students
(b)300 students
(c)200 students
(d)260 students
19.A pack contains 20 stickers. Noah gives 1/5 of the pack to his sister. Work out how many stickers he gives away.
(a)4
(b)5
(c)100
(d)16
20.Work out 4368 ÷ 12.
(a)346
(b)364
(c)304
(d)36.4

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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