What grades are on the Foundation paper?

Grades 1 to 5. A grade 5 is the highest result available on Foundation. The paper is weighted towards grades 3 to 5, which is why the library has 35 grade 3 topics, 43 grade 4 topics and 34 grade 5 topics but only 12 at grade 1.

Do these worksheets match AQA, Edexcel or OCR?

All three. The Foundation content is set nationally, so the same topics appear on every board's papers; only the wording and layout differ. The questions here are original and written in a plain exam style rather than copied from any one board.

Which topics should I do first to get a grade 4?

Percentages, ratio, solving equations, nth term, angles and area. Those six families carry a large share of the grade 4 marks on every board. Score 80% on the grade 3 and grade 4 sheets for those topics and then use the grade 4 weekly check sheet to see whether it holds up when the questions are mixed.

Is there a tracker so I can see what is left?

Yes. The GCSE RAG sheet colours every topic red, amber or green from your scores, and the library page shows a count of topics done per grade. Both work without an account; sign in if you want the scores saved across devices.

Free GCSE maths · Foundation tier

GCSE maths Foundation worksheets

Free GCSE maths worksheets for the Foundation tier: 146 topics across grades 1 to 5, each with original exam-style questions, an answers sheet and solutions written out by hand. Print them or answer online. No account needed.

Foundation tier runs from grade 1 to grade 5, and the GCSE maths library is organised the same way, one grade at a time, so a student working towards a 4 can see exactly which topics make up grade 4 and which grade 5 topics are the stretch. Every topic has 10 original questions in exam style, an answers sheet for quick marking and a solutions sheet written by hand, one step per line. Forty topics open with a short method guide as well.

The list below picks out the topics that come up most on Foundation papers, grade by grade. The full set of 146 is on the library page, with a tier switch so you only see Foundation topics.

Key Foundation topics by grade

A starting selection. Grades 1 and 2 are the arithmetic that underpins the paper; grade 3 and grade 4 carry most of the Foundation marks; grade 5 is the top of the tier and the crossover into Higher.

Grades 1 and 2: the basics

Grade 3: the core of the paper

Grade 4: the pass grade

Grade 5: the top of Foundation

Open the full GCSE library My RAG sheet

How to use the worksheets

Print it. Every topic has three PDFs: the worksheet, an answers sheet for quick marking, and a solutions sheet with every step written out by hand. Print the worksheet first and keep the solutions back until all the questions have been attempted.

Or answer online. Open the topic page, type each answer into the box and check it. The page marks it straight away and keeps your best score in this browser. Score 80% or more and the topic is ticked as done on the GCSE library; you can also tick a topic by hand once you are happy with it.

Use the solutions properly. The solutions are hand-written, one step per line, the way a tutor writes next to a student. If an answer is wrong, cover the solution, find the first line that differs from your working and redo the question from there. Forty of the topics also open with a short method guide before the questions.

Keep a RAG sheet. The GCSE RAG sheet colours each topic red, amber or green from your scores. Work through the reds first, then the ambers, then use a weekly check sheet to prove the grade holds up when the topics are mixed.

Weekly check sheets. Each grade has a printable check sheet of 20 mixed questions, about 50 marks, with answers and hand-written solutions: grade 3, grade 4 and grade 5 are the ones most Foundation students need, and the Foundation crossover sheet mixes grades 4 and 5 for anyone deciding between the tiers. Set one a week and mark it in ten minutes.

Frequently asked questions

What grades are on the Foundation paper?: Grades 1 to 5. A grade 5 is the highest result available on Foundation. The paper is weighted towards grades 3 to 5, which is why the library has 35 grade 3 topics, 43 grade 4 topics and 34 grade 5 topics but only 12 at grade 1.
Do these worksheets match AQA, Edexcel or OCR?: All three. The Foundation content is set nationally, so the same topics appear on every board's papers; only the wording and layout differ. The questions here are original and written in a plain exam style rather than copied from any one board.
Which topics should I do first to get a grade 4?: Percentages, ratio, solving equations, nth term, angles and area. Those six families carry a large share of the grade 4 marks on every board. Score 80% on the grade 3 and grade 4 sheets for those topics and then use the grade 4 weekly check sheet to see whether it holds up when the questions are mixed.
Is there a tracker so I can see what is left?: Yes. The GCSE RAG sheet colours every topic red, amber or green from your scores, and the library page shows a count of topics done per grade. Both work without an account; sign in if you want the scores saved across devices.