12 short questions across all six content areas, designed as a lesson starter or a daily warm-up.
⏱️ Ten-minute starters — Foundation
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.A spring's extension is directly proportional to the force applied to it. A force of 5 N produces an extension of 12 mm. Work out the extension produced by a force of 20 N.
- 2.Which of the following is the correct definition of a regular polygon?
- 3.A material has a density of 2 g/cm³. Work out the mass of 5 cm³ of this material.
- 4.In a chess club, 3/8 of the members are girls and the rest are boys. Write down the ratio of girls to boys.
- 5.A student says that (x + 4)² is equivalent to x² + 16. For which value of x do the two expressions give the SAME result, making it look (misleadingly) like the student could be right?
- 6.The number of pupils who walk to school is 3 times the number who cycle. Write the ratio of the number who cycle to the number who walk, in its simplest form.
- 7.Write down the coordinates of the point that is 4 units to the left of the origin and 7 units up.
- 8.Write the ratio 8 : 15 in the form 1 : n.
- 9.Simplify 3² ÷ 3⁵, giving your answer as a single power of 3.
- 10.The first four terms of a sequence are 4, 9, 14, 19. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 11.A map has a scale of 1 : 25 000. A footpath measures 6 cm on the map. Work out the real length of the footpath, in kilometres.
- 12.A spinner can land on red, blue, green or yellow. The probability that it lands on red is 0.24 and the probability that it lands on yellow is 0.16. The probabilities of landing on blue and on green are equal, and each is called x. Work out the value of x.
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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