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.The diagram shows the graph of a quadratic function. Which equation could it represent?
(a) $y = x^{2} - x - 6$
(b) $y = x^{2} - x - 2$
(c) $y = x^{2} + 2 x - 3$
(d) $y = x^{2} - 2 x - 3$
2.Write these numbers in order, starting with the smallest: 3, −1, 0, −5
(a)3, 0, −1, −5
(b)−1, −5, 0, 3
(c)0, −1, −5, 3
(d)−5, −1, 0, 3
3.In a spelling test the 20 pupils in Group A had a mean mark of 80, and the 30 pupils in Group B had a mean mark of 70. Work out the mean mark of all 50 pupils.
(a)75 marks
(b)74 marks
(c)76 marks
(d)150 marks
4.A four-colour spinner (red, blue, green, yellow) is spun repeatedly, and the relative frequency of landing on green is recorded as the number of spins increases: after 20 spins it is 0.350; after 200 spins it is 0.290; after 2000 spins it is 0.251. Using the result from 2000 spins as the best estimate of the probability, work out the number of times the spinner would be expected to land on green in a further 3000 spins.
(a)753
(b)870
(c)1050
(d)750
5.A sector of a circle has radius 6 cm and an arc length of 15.7 cm. Using π = 3.14, work out the angle of the sector.
(a)150°
(b)300°
(c)42°
(d)157°
6.Write down the value of 3⁰
(a)3
(b)0
(c)1/3
(d)1
7.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
8.Work out 2/5 of 45.
(a)36
(b)27
(c)18
(d)9
9.In this question, a curved surface counts as a face. How many faces does a cone have?
(a)2
(b)1
(c)3
(d)0
10.A curve has equation y = x² − 9. Which statement about its graph is correct?
y = x² − 9
(a)It crosses the x-axis only once, at x = 9.
(b)It does not cross the x-axis, since −9 is negative.
(c)It crosses the x-axis at x = 9 and x = −9.
(d)It crosses the x-axis at x = 3 and x = −3.
11.Priya wants to find out the favourite sport of the 900 pupils at her school. She asks 5 pupils, chosen at random. Give a reason why her sample may not give a reliable result.
(a)5 pupils are far too few to represent 900 pupils
(b)A sample must hold at least half of the population
(c)5 pupils were not chosen at random from the 900
(d)The 5 pupils may each name a different sport
12.A circle has diameter 10 cm. Using π = 3.14, work out the circumference of the circle.
(a)15.7 cm
(b)31.4 cm
(c)62.8 cm
(d)78.5 cm

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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