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.A pop-up canopy has two sloping supports that meet at the top. Each support makes an angle of 30° with the ground and is 6 m long. Using the exact value of cos 30°, work out the total width of the canopy's base.
(a)3√3 m
(b)6√3 m
(c)12 m
(d)6 m
2.Work out the exact value of (cos 45°)² + (sin 45°)².
(a)2
(b)√2
(c)1
(d)1/2
3.Solve x² + 7x = 0.
(a)x = 0 or x = 7
(b)x = 0 or x = −14
(c)x = 0 or x = −7
(d)x = −7
4.A kite string makes an angle of 30° with the ground. The kite is flying at a height of 6 m directly above a point on the ground. Using the exact value of sin 30°, work out the exact length of the kite string.
(a)4√3 m
(b)12 m
(c)6√3 m
(d)3 m
5.Simplify fully: (x + 2)/(3x) × 6x²/(x² − 4)
(a)2/(x − 2)
(b)2x/(x + 2)
(c)2x²/(x − 2)
(d)2x/(x − 2)
6.Rationalise the denominator of 6/√3, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)2√3
(b)6
(c)2
(d)3√3
7.A shape is made by joining a rectangle measuring 10 cm by 6 cm to a semicircle of diameter 6 cm along one of the rectangle's shorter sides. Work out the exact area of the shape, in terms of π.
(a)(60 + 3π) cm²
(b)(60 + 4.5π) cm²
(c)(60 + 9π) cm²
(d)(60 + 18π) cm²
8.The two shorter sides of a right-angled triangle are √12 cm and √24 cm. Work out the exact length of the hypotenuse.
(a)2√3 + 2√6
(b)12√2
(c)36
(d)6
9.Solve x² − 2x − 24 = 0.
(a)x = 6 or x = −4
(b)x = −6 or x = 4
(c)x = −8 or x = 3
(d)x = −6 or x = −4
10.A square petri dish has an area of 121 mm². A scientist wants to know its side length. Work out the side length of the dish.
(a)22 mm
(b)242 mm
(c)60.5 mm
(d)11 mm
11.A rectangular lawn is 4 m longer than it is wide. Its area is 96 m². Work out the length of the lawn.
(a)8 m
(b)24 m
(c)16 m
(d)12 m
12.Factorise x² − 64.
(a)(x − 4)(x + 16)
(b)(x − 8)(x − 8)
(c)(x + 8)(x + 8)
(d)(x − 8)(x + 8)
13.Solve x² − x − 12 = 0.
(a)x = 4 or x = −3
(b)x = −4 or x = 3
(c)x = 12 or x = −1
(d)x = 4 or x = 3
14.Expand and simplify 2(a + 6) − 2(a − 7)
(a)13
(b)4a − 2
(c)−2
(d)26
15.Work out the value of $2^{3} + 3^{2}$ .
(a)17
(b)72
(c)12
(d)−1
16.A square tile has an area of 144 cm². Work out the side length of the tile.
(a)12 cm or −12 cm
(b)72 cm
(c)12 cm
(d)36 cm
17.Simplify 5⁻² × 5⁴, giving your answer as a single power of 5.
(a)5⁻⁶
(b)5²
(c)5⁻⁸
(d)5⁶
18.A rectangular garden has length (x + 7) m and width (x − 7) m. Work out an expression for the area of the garden, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)2x
(b)x² + 49
(c)x² − 14x − 49
(d)x² − 49
19.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
20.Simplify x⁵ × x³ ÷ x², giving your answer as a single power of x.
(a)x⁶
(b)x⁴
(c)6x
(d)x¹⁰

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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