12 short questions across all six content areas, designed as a lesson starter or a daily warm-up.

⏱️ Ten-minute starters — Foundation

Maths · GCSE Foundation · 12 questions · ~10 min

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

Twelve short questions, two from each of the six content areas: number, algebra, ratio, geometry, probability and statistics. Nothing here needs more than a minute, and nothing needs a calculator. It is built as a lesson starter — print it, hand it out, take ten minutes, mark it together — and it works just as well as a daily warm-up at home in the fortnight before a mock. The value is in the spread rather than the depth: a student who has spent a week on algebra can find out in ten minutes what a week away from statistics has cost. Generate a new sheet whenever you want a fresh twelve on the same pattern.

1.Write the ratio 27 : 45 in its simplest form.
(a)27 : 45
(b)3 : 5
(c)5 : 3
(d)9 : 15
2.A graph shows two quantities, x and y, in direct proportion. Write down which statement about the graph must be true.
(a)The line is straight but does not pass through the origin.
(b)The line curves upward through the origin.
(c)The line is straight, passes through the origin, and slopes downward.
(d)The line is straight and passes through the origin.
3.Write these decimals in order, starting with the smallest: 0.6, 0.55, 0.601, 0.5, 0.56
(a)0.5, 0.55, 0.56, 0.6, 0.601
(b)0.5, 0.56, 0.55, 0.6, 0.601
(c)0.5, 0.6, 0.55, 0.56, 0.601
(d)0.601, 0.6, 0.56, 0.55, 0.5
4.A translation is described by the column vector $(- 2 7)$ . Write down a description of this translation in words, stating the horizontal and vertical movement.
(a)7 units left and 2 units up
(b)7 units right and 2 units down
(c)7 units right and 2 units up
(d)2 units right and 7 units down
5.A scale drawing uses a scale of 1 : 60. A path on the drawing is measured as 9.8 cm long. What is the real length of the path, in metres, to 1 decimal place?
(a)5.9
(b)58.8
(c)5.8
(d)0.16
6.A rectangle has its height and its width in the ratio 3:2. The height of the rectangle is 18 cm. Work out the width of the rectangle.
(a)17 cm
(b)12 cm
(c)27 cm
(d)6 cm
7.A circle has a diameter of 24 cm. A sector of this circle has an angle of 90°. Using π = 3.14, work out the area of the sector.
(a)9.42 cm²
(b)113.04 cm²
(c)18.84 cm²
(d)452.16 cm²
8.A formula is F = 4s. A pupil says that when s = 5 the value of F is 9, because they added 4 and 5 instead of multiplying. Work out the correct value of F when s = 5.
(a)9
(b)20
(c)45
(d)25
9.Triangle ABC has AB = 6 cm and BC = 9 cm, with angle A = 40°. Triangle DEF has DE = 6 cm and EF = 9 cm, with angle D = 40°. Meera says these facts prove the triangles are congruent by SAS. Is Meera correct?
(a)Yes — two sides and one angle match
(b)No — the angle given is not the included angle
(c)No — SSS needs three equal sides, not two
(d)Yes — SAS allows any equal angle, not just the included one
10.Two similar triangles have lengths in the ratio 2 : 5. The sides of the smaller triangle are 4 cm, 6 cm and 8 cm. Work out the length of the longest side of the larger triangle.
(a)10 cm
(b)20 cm
(c)3.2 cm
(d)40 cm
11.A straight line has gradient −3 and passes through the point (0, 1). Work out the value of y when x = 2.
(a)7
(b)−5
(c)5
(d)−7
12.Work out the value of √49 + ∛27
(a)10
(b)34
(c)16
(d)21

What is on this worksheet?

The sheet holds 12 questions drawn from the MathsUK bank — the content areas covered: Number, Algebra, Ratio, proportion and rates of change, Geometry and measures, Probability, Statistics. It is pitched at GCSE Foundation and takes about 10 minutes to work through in full. It works as a class handout, a homework, or a warm-up before a test.

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 12 questions before checking — about 10 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 12 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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