GCSE examinations are now well underway, and for most Year 11 pupils, there is a week's worth of tests remaining. Students have already sat their three AQA maths papers, and many will be looking forward to never thinking about maths again.
But how much do you recall from your secondary school maths lessons? We've decided to put our readers through their paces with seven questions. Based on the 2024 AQA GCSE non-calculator paper, we've made the questions multiple choice — a luxury that pupils sitting the actual exams don't always have.
The questions are also taken from the Foundation Tier paper, which is aimed at pupils expected to achieve the lower grades of 1-5, making them more straightforward than those on the Higher Tier paper. To give readers the best possible chance, we've also selected some of the more accessible questions from the paper.
In a genuine exam setting, pupils are awarded additional marks for showing their working out, but we won't be needing that here — just the final answer will do.
Understanding GCSE Grading
For a number of years now, students have been graded using numbers — 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest) — rather than the traditional letter grades of A* to U. The system was fully introduced across all subjects in 2018 and was reformed to better reflect the demands of universities and employers. It is underpinned by new and more thorough subject content, and features a higher top grade than the former A*.
Ofqual stated: "The bottom of a grade 7 is comparable to the bottom of the old grade A. The bottom of a new grade 4 is comparable to the bottom of the old grade C, and the bottom of the new grade 1 is comparable to the bottom of the old grade G. We have been clear to employers, universities and others that if they previously set entry requirements of at least a grade C, then the equivalent now would be to require at least grade 4."
Test Yourself
Why not put your knowledge to the test with the seven GCSE maths questions below? There's no obligation to reveal your score, but if you'd like to share your result, feel free to let us know in the comments section.
