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 rectangular patio measures 90 cm by 120 cm. Ben wants to cover it exactly with identical square tiles, as large as possible, with no tiles cut. Work out the side length of the largest square tile he can use.
(a)30 cm
(b)360 cm
(c)15 cm
(d)10 cm
2.Priya adds 3.6 and 0.45 on paper and writes down 3.65 as her answer. Work out the correct value of 3.6 + 0.45.
(a)3.65
(b)4.05
(c)4.5
(d)0.81
3.Work out (−36) ÷ (−6) × 2
(a)3
(b)6
(c)12
(d)−12
4.Oliver uses his calculator to work out 25% of 80 and writes down 320. Without using a calculator, work out the correct value of 25% of 80.
(a)16
(b)20
(c)3.2
(d)25
5.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
6.Which of these ratios is already written in its simplest form?
(a)7:14
(b)4:9
(c)10:15
(d)6:8
7.3/5 of the students in a year group walk to school. 90 students walk to school. Work out the total number of students in the year group.
(a)54
(b)126
(c)150
(d)30
8.A recipe uses flour, sugar and butter in the ratio 8 : 3 : 5. Write the ratio of flour to the rest of the mixture (sugar and butter combined) in its simplest form.
(a)3 : 5
(b)8 : 3
(c)1 : 2
(d)1 : 1
9.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
10.A country's population is 8,340,000, and it is estimated that 1,950,000 of them live in the capital city. By rounding each number to 1 significant figure, work out an estimate for the number of people who do not live in the capital city.
(a)6,300,000
(b)8,000,000
(c)6,390,000
(d)6,000,000
11.A plank of wood is 5 1/4 m long. Pieces of length 3/4 m are cut from it. Work out how many complete pieces of 3/4 m can be cut from the plank.
(a)7
(b)3
(c)1
(d)6
12.A textbook is reduced from £60 to £45. Work out the percentage reduction.
(a)33%
(b)15%
(c)75%
(d)25%
13.2.4 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
14.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
15.A number is multiplied by 4, then 8 is added, giving the result 40. Work out the number.
(a)8
(b)128
(c)2
(d)12
16.Work out −4.5 + 2.8.
(a)1.7
(b)−7.3
(c)−2.3
(d)−1.7
17.Write these three numbers in order of size, starting with the smallest: 0.7, 3/4, 0.72
(a)3/4, 0.72, 0.7
(b)3/4, 0.7, 0.72
(c)0.7, 0.72, 3/4
(d)0.72, 3/4, 0.7
18.Which statement about the number 91 is correct?
(a)91 is not prime, because 91 = 7 × 13.
(b)91 is prime, because it is not divisible by 2, 3 or 5.
(c)91 is not prime, because it is divisible by 3.
(d)91 is prime, because it is an odd number ending in 1.
19.Two investors put money into a business in the ratio 3:5. The first investor puts in £1,200. Work out the total amount invested by both investors.
(a)£2,400
(b)£2,000
(c)£3,200
(d)£6,000
20.A sum of £150 is divided between Ben and Chloe in the ratio 2:3. Work out Chloe's share.
(a)£60
(b)£75
(c)£90
(d)£30

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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