GCSE Maths past papers
Every GCSE Maths exam board publishes its past papers free, with mark schemes and examiner reports. Whichever board you sit, the exam is three papers, one without a calculator, at Foundation tier (grades 1 to 5) or Higher tier (grades 4 to 9). Pick your board below to preview, open or download its papers, then use the plan on this page to get the most from them.
On this page
Choose your exam board
- AQA GCSE Maths past papersGCSE Maths (8300): every public paper to preview or download
- Edexcel GCSE Maths past papersGCSE Maths (1MA1): where to find every paper, and how they work
- OCR GCSE Maths past papersGCSE Maths (J560): every public paper to preview or download
How the boards compare
| Board | Papers | Non-calculator | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA (8300) | 3 papers, 80 marks each | Paper 1 | 1 hour 30 minutes each |
| Edexcel (1MA1) | 3 papers, 80 marks each | Paper 1 | 1 hour 30 minutes each |
| OCR (J560) | 3 papers, 100 marks each | Paper 2 (Foundation) or Paper 5 (Higher) | 1 hour 30 minutes each |
What the papers cover
| Topic area | Foundation | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Number | 22 to 28% | 12 to 18% |
| Algebra | 17 to 23% | 27 to 33% |
| Ratio, proportion and rates of change | 22 to 28% | 17 to 23% |
| Geometry and measures | 12 to 18% | 17 to 23% |
| Probability and statistics | 12 to 18% | 12 to 18% |
Every GCSE Maths board must follow these weightings. Any topic can appear on any of the three papers, so practise full papers rather than expecting a topic on a particular paper. Higher tier leans much more on algebra, which is why it is the topic to strengthen first if you are aiming for grades 7 to 9.
How to use past papers
- Learn the content first. Use topic questions while you are still learning; save full papers for when you have covered most of the course.
- Do full papers under exam conditions: timed, no notes, with the formula sheet or booklet you will have on the day.
- Mark strictly with the mark scheme, including method marks, and add up your score.
- Read the examiner report for the questions you lost marks on: it explains the common mistakes and what full marks looked like.
- Keep an error log of every lost mark and its topic, then revise those topics before your next paper.
- Save the newest papers for your final mocks in the last few weeks.
Free GCSE Maths practice questions
Ten original questions written by our tutors in the style of the exam. Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.
Answered 0 of 10 · 0 correct
1. Simplify 3x + 5 − x + 2.
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A. Collect like terms: 3x − x = 2x and 5 + 2 = 7.
2. Solve 4x − 7 = 13.
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B. Add 7 to both sides: 4x = 20, so x = 5.
3. What is 15% of 240?
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C. 10% is 24 and 5% is 12, so 15% is 36.
4. Write 0.000045 in standard form.
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A. Move the decimal point 5 places to get 4.5, and the number is small, so the power is −5.
5. What is the gradient of the line through (1, 2) and (4, 11)?
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B. Gradient = (11 − 2)/(4 − 1) = 9/3 = 3.
6. Expand (x + 3)(x − 5).
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C. x² − 5x + 3x − 15 = x² − 2x − 15.
7. A right-angled triangle has shorter sides 6 cm and 8 cm. How long is the hypotenuse?
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A. By Pythagoras: √(6² + 8²) = √100 = 10 cm.
8. The probability that it rains tomorrow is 0.35. What is the probability that it does not rain?
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C. The probabilities add to 1: 1 − 0.35 = 0.65.
9. What is 82/3?
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A. The cube root of 8 is 2, and 2² = 4.
10. £60 is shared in the ratio 2 : 3. How much is the larger share?
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C. There are 5 parts of £12 each, so the larger share is 3 × £12 = £36.
Frequently asked questions
Which exam board am I doing for GCSE Maths?
Ask your teacher, or look at an old mock paper: the board name and a code such as 8300 (AQA), 1MA1 (Edexcel) or J560 (OCR) are on the front cover. The maths is very similar across boards, so papers from any board are useful practice.
Should I do Foundation or Higher papers?
Practise the tier you are entered for. Foundation covers grades 1 to 5 and Higher grades 4 to 9. If you are on the borderline, Higher papers stretch you, while Foundation papers build speed and accuracy on the core.
Do I get a formula sheet in GCSE Maths?
For the 2025, 2026 and 2027 exams, every student gets a formulae sheet with the key formulas, such as the area of a trapezium and the quadratic formula. Practise with it, but still learn the formulas: knowing them saves time.
How many past papers should I do?
Quality beats quantity. Aim for one full paper a week in the run-up, marked strictly with the mark scheme, and spend as long reviewing your mistakes as you spent on the paper.