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.m is the column vector with top number 4 and bottom number 6. n is the column vector with top number −6 and bottom number −9. Given that n = k × m for some number k, work out the value of k.
(a)1.5
(b)−10
(c)−1.5
(d)−24
2.A graph has equation y = −2x² + 5. Which statement about its shape is correct?
y = -2x² + 5
(a)It is U-shaped, since x² is always positive.
(b)It is a straight line, because of the constant term +5.
(c)It repeatedly rises and falls, like a wave shape.
(d)It is n-shaped, since the x² coefficient is negative.
3.A crowd of 8,400 people is recorded correct to the nearest 100. Work out the smallest possible number of people in the crowd.
(a)8,350
(b)8,450
(c)8,390
(d)8,300
4.Simplify x + x + 4
(a)x² + 4
(b)6x
(c)x + 4
(d)2x + 4
5.Two hikers' journeys are shown on separate distance-time graphs. Hiker A's graph has gradient 4.5 km/h. Hiker B's graph has gradient 3.2 km/h. Work out how much faster Hiker A walks than Hiker B, in km/h.
(a)1.3
(b)−1.3
(c)7.7
(d)14.4
6.Work out the value of $1 0^{- 3}$ .
(a)1000
(b)−1000
(c)0.001
(d)−0.001
7.A parallelogram has an area of 96 cm² and a base of 8 cm. Work out the perpendicular height of the parallelogram.
(a)12 cm
(b)768 cm
(c)104 cm
(d)24 cm
8.A triangular prism has two triangular end faces and three rectangular faces joining them. How many faces does it have in total?
(a)5
(b)6
(c)3
(d)9
9.A car uses 6 litres of petrol to travel 90 km. Write the ratio of the distance travelled in km to the amount of petrol used in litres, in its simplest form.
(a)15:1
(b)5:2
(c)14:1
(d)1:15
10.Two ordinary fair dice are rolled. Work out the probability that both dice show the same score.
(a)1/3
(b)1/6
(c)1/36
(d)1/2
11.Which of these values of x is a solution of x² + 2x − 15 = 0?
(a)x = 3
(b)x = 5
(c)x = 15
(d)x = −3
12.Triangle DEF is isosceles, with DE = DF. Angle E = 58°. Give a reason why angle F = 58°.
(a)Angles in a triangle sum to 180°
(b)Angles on a straight line sum to 180°
(c)Vertically opposite angles are equal
(d)Base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal

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.

Similar worksheets worth a look

✏️ Paper 1 non-calculator warm-up — Foundation · 20 questions · ~25 min
🧮 Paper 1 non-calculator warm-up — Higher · 20 questions · ~25 min
🎯 Grade 4 pass booster · 25 questions · ~40 min
⚖️ Foundation to Higher crossover check · 20 questions · ~35 min