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.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
2.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
3.A cake recipe needs 3/4 of a kilogram of sugar. Aisha wants to make half the recipe. Work out how much sugar she needs, giving your answer as a fraction of a kilogram in its simplest form.
(a)5/4
(b)3/4
(c)3/2
(d)3/8
4.Work out the exact value of tan 30° + tan 30°.
(a)2√3/3
(b)√3/3
(c)√3
(d)2√3
5.Chloe wants to work out 3 1/4 − 1 2/3. She converts both mixed numbers to twelfths, then subtracts the whole numbers and the fraction parts separately, without checking whether she needs to exchange first. Work out the correct value of 3 1/4 − 1 2/3, giving your answer as a mixed number in its simplest form.
(a)1 3/4
(b)2 5/12
(c)8
(d)1 7/12
6.Simplify (3a²)² × (2a)³
(a)17a⁷
(b)72a¹²
(c)36a⁷
(d)72a⁷
7.A rectangle has length (2x + 5) cm and width (x − 2) cm. Work out an expression, in terms of x, for the perimeter of the rectangle. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)4x² + 2x − 20
(b)6x + 6
(c)6x + 14
(d)3x + 3
8.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°
9.A student works out the exact area of a circle with radius 4 cm by squaring the radius but forgetting to multiply by π. Work out the correct exact area of the circle, in terms of π.
(a)64π cm²
(b)4π cm²
(c)8π cm²
(d)16π cm²
10.The equation x² − 4x + k = 0 has two different real solutions. Work out the range of values of k.
(a)k < 16
(b)k ≤ 4
(c)k > 4
(d)k < 4
11.A right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse of 10 cm. One of its other angles is 45°. Work out the exact length of one of the two shorter sides.
(a)5√2 cm
(b)5√3 cm
(c)10√2 cm
(d)5 cm
12.A circle has a circumference of 8π cm. Work out the exact area of the circle in terms of π.
(a)64π
(b)16π
(c)4π
(d)8π
13.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
14.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
15.Write 0.875 as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)7/8
(b)7/80
(c)9/10
(d)8/7
16.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
17.Work out the value of the discriminant b² − 4ac for the equation 2x² + 3x − 2 = 0.
(a)13
(b)−7
(c)25
(d)22
18.Simplify fully: (x + 2)/(3x) × 6x²/(x² − 4)
(a)2/(x − 2)
(b)2x/(x + 2)
(c)2x²/(x − 2)
(d)2x/(x − 2)
19.Work out 1 1/2 ÷ 3/4 exactly, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)9/8
(b)2/3
(c)2
(d)1/2
20.Write 7/12 as a decimal, showing clearly which digit is recurring.
(a)0.588888...
(b)0.58333...
(c)0.585858...
(d)0.58

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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