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.Triangle DEF has a right angle at E. Angle DFE = 60° and EF = 9 cm. Work out the exact length of DE.
(a)18 cm
(b)3√3 cm
(c)9√3/2 cm
(d)9√3 cm
2.In a school, 3/5 of the students study French. Of these students, 2/3 also study Spanish. What fraction of all the students study both French and Spanish?
(a)3/5
(b)9/10
(c)2/5
(d)3/4
3.Simplify fully: (x + 2)/(3x) × 6x²/(x² − 4)
(a)2/(x − 2)
(b)2x/(x + 2)
(c)2x²/(x − 2)
(d)2x/(x − 2)
4.Work out √3 × √12, giving your answer as an integer.
(a)6
(b)√15
(c)2√3
(d)36
5.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
6.Simplify x⁵ × x³ ÷ x², giving your answer as a single power of x.
(a)x⁶
(b)x⁴
(c)6x
(d)x¹⁰
7.Simplify (5² × 2³)³ ÷ (5³ × 2²)²
(a)2
(b)2⁵
(c)2²
(d)2¹³
8.A cable supporting a flagpole is anchored to the ground 5 m from the base of the pole. The cable makes an angle of 60° with the ground. Using the exact value of tan 60°, work out the exact height of the flagpole.
(a)10√3 m
(b)5/√3 m
(c)5√3 m
(d)5√3/2 m
9.A cube-shaped storage tank has a volume of 15,625 cubic centimetres. Work out the length of one edge of the tank.
(a)5 cm
(b)50 cm
(c)25 cm
(d)125 cm
10.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
11.A recipe uses 0.625 kg of flour. Write this mass as a fraction of a kilogram, in its simplest form.
(a)31/50
(b)25/4
(c)5/8
(d)8/5
12.One solution of the equation x² − (k + 1)x + k = 0 is x = 3. Work out the value of k.
(a)k = 3
(b)k = −3
(c)k = 4
(d)k = 1.5
13.Write 5/6 as a decimal, showing clearly which digit recurs.
(a)0.85555...
(b)0.83333...
(c)0.083333...
(d)0.83
14.A pizza is cut into 12 equal slices. Ben eats 5 slices and Mia eats 3 slices. What fraction of the pizza is left, giving your answer in its simplest form?
(a)1/3
(b)2/3
(c)1/2
(d)7/12
15.Expand and simplify (2 + √3)², giving your answer in the form a + b√3.
(a)7
(b)4 + 5√3
(c)7 + 4√3
(d)5 + 4√3
16.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
17.Decide which of 2³⁰ and 3²⁰ is the larger number, and write down the correct statement.
(a)They are equal
(b)3²⁰ is larger
(c)2³⁰ is larger
(d)They cannot be compared without a calculator
18.Work out the exact value of (cos 45°)² + (sin 45°)².
(a)2
(b)√2
(c)1
(d)1/2
19.Expand and simplify 4(2x − 1) − 3(x + 2) − 5x
(a)−10
(b)5x − 10
(c)2
(d)−7
20.Work out the exact value of (sin 30°)² + (cos 30°)².
(a)1/4
(b)3/4
(c)−1/2
(d)1

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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