20 exact-answer questions with no calculator: surds, indices, exact trigonometric values, algebraic manipulation and fractions.

🧮 Paper 1 non-calculator warm-up — Higher

Maths · GCSE Higher · 20 questions · ~25 min

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

On Higher, Paper 1 asks for answers in exact form — a surd left as a surd, sin 60° left as √3/2, a fraction left as a fraction — and a rounded decimal scores nothing. This sheet drills exactly that. Twenty questions across simplifying surds and rationalising denominators, the index laws including fractional and negative indices, exact values of sin, cos and tan at the standard angles, expanding and factorising, and arithmetic with fractions and mixed numbers. Give yourself twenty-five minutes and no calculator, and write every answer in its exact form even when a decimal feels more natural. If you find yourself reaching for the calculator out of habit, that is the habit this sheet exists to break.

1.Rationalise the denominator of 6/√3, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)2√3
(b)6
(c)2
(d)3√3
2.The decimal 0.111... has the digit 1 repeating for ever. Write 0.1 recurring as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)1/10
(b)1/9
(c)1/11
(d)11/100
3.Factorise 6x² − 7x − 3.
(a)(x − 3)(6x + 1)
(b)(3x + 1)(2x − 3)
(c)(6x − 1)(x + 3)
(d)(3x − 1)(2x + 3)
4.Simplify (x² − 9) ÷ (x² + 5x + 6).
(a)(x + 3)/(x + 2)
(b)(x − 3)/(x + 2)
(c)x − 3
(d)−9/(5x + 6)
5.A carton of orange juice holds 1.35 litres. Ruby pours the juice equally into 4 identical glasses. Work out how much juice is in each glass, giving your answer as a fraction of a litre in its simplest form.
(a)27/20
(b)17/50
(c)27/5
(d)27/80
6.A right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse of 14 cm. One of the other angles is 30°. Work out the exact length of the side opposite the 30° angle.
(a)28 cm
(b)7 cm
(c)7√3 cm
(d)14/√3 cm
7.A ladder rests against a wall, making an angle of 60° with the ground. The ladder is 2 m long. Using the exact value of sin 60°, work out how high up the wall the ladder reaches, giving your answer in centimetres.
(a)200√3 cm
(b)√3 cm
(c)100√3 cm
(d)50√3 cm
8.Solve x² − 5x + 6 = 0 by factorising.
(a)x = −2 or x = −3
(b)x = 1 or x = 6
(c)x = 2 or x = 3
(d)x = 5 or x = 6
9.Work out the value of the discriminant b² − 4ac for the equation 2x² + 3x − 2 = 0.
(a)13
(b)−7
(c)25
(d)22
10.Work out the exact value of (sin 30°)² + (cos 30°)².
(a)1/4
(b)3/4
(c)−1/2
(d)1
11.Three of these are rational numbers and one is irrational. Write down the one that is irrational.
(a)sin 30°
(b)tan 0°
(c)cos 45°
(d)sin 90°
12.The recurring decimal 0.181818... can be written as 0.18 recurring, where both digits repeat forever. Let x = 0.18 recurring. Work out x as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)2/11
(b)17/99
(c)9/50
(d)1/5
13.Simplify 5⁻² × 5⁴, giving your answer as a single power of 5.
(a)5⁻⁶
(b)5²
(c)5⁻⁸
(d)5⁶
14.Simplify x⁶ ÷ x²
(a)x¹²
(b)x³
(c)x⁸
(d)x⁴
15.Write down the exact decimal value of the fraction 1/6.
(a)0.1666...
(b)0.16
(c)0.17
(d)0.6
16.A ball is thrown in the air. Its height, h metres, above the ground after t seconds is given in this table: when t = 0, h = 0; when t = 1, h = 15; when t = 2, h = 20; when t = 3, h = 15; when t = 4, h = 0. Use the table to find the two times, in seconds, at which the ball is at ground level.
(a)t = 0 or t = 4
(b)t = 2
(c)t = 0
(d)t = 1 or t = 3
17.Factorise fully 12x² + 18x.
(a)2x(6x + 9)
(b)6(2x² + 3x)
(c)6x(2x + 3)
(d)3x(4x + 6)
18.Work out the value of √49 + ∛27
(a)10
(b)34
(c)16
(d)21
19.A tent's sloping side makes an angle of 45° with the ground. The sloping side is 3√2 m long. Using the exact value of sin 45°, work out the exact height of the tent.
(a)3 m
(b)3√2/2 m
(c)6 m
(d)3√2 m
20.Work out the exact value of (cos 45°)² + (sin 45°)².
(a)2
(b)√2
(c)1
(d)1/2

What is on this worksheet?

The sheet holds 20 questions drawn from the MathsUK bank — the content areas covered: Number, Algebra, Geometry and measures (statements N7, N8, N10, A4, A18, G21). It is pitched at GCSE Higher 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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