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.Harry is 14 years old and Mia is 8 years old. Will Harry ever be exactly twice as old as Mia? Give a reason for your answer.
- 2.Which of these statements is an equation with exactly one solution?
- 3.A sector of a circle is bounded by two straight edges and one curved edge. Write down the mathematical term for each of the two straight edges.
- 4.Work out the value of ∛125.
- 5.Solve 6x + 4 = 28
- 6.The angles of a triangle are in the ratio 2:3:4. Work out the size of the smallest angle.
- 7.Write down the expression that means the same as (x + 7) ÷ 4.
- 8.A ribbon of length 90 cm is cut into two pieces in the ratio 4:5. Work out the length of the shorter piece.
- 9.P is the point (3, 4) and Q is the point (6, 0). Work out the distance of each point from the origin, and write down which point is closer to the origin.
- 10.Two numbers A and B are in the ratio 3:5. When 6 is added to B, the ratio of A to the new value of B is 1:2. Work out the value of A.
- 11.Point B is at (3, 5). It is reflected in the line y = 2. Work out the coordinates of the image of point B.
- 12.Make x the subject of the formula y = 5x + 3.y = 5x + 3
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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