Common questions tests

Common questions are the questions that appear on both the Foundation and Higher tier papers. Ofqual requires that common questions account for at least 20% of the marks available on each paper. 

Please use the links on the menu/below to look at the common questions tests for each exam series.

How can common questions support your students?

You can use these common questions as a test to set your students. Give them 25 minutes to complete the test.

Foundation tier students can use common questions to get used to the more challenging questions on a Foundation paper.

Common questions can also help you ensure Higher tier students have the necessary foundations to perform well on the Higher paper.

You can use your students’ performance on common questions tests to help you decide which tier to enter students for, as they represent the some of the most challenging content of the Foundation paper and the some of the least challenging content of the Higher paper. 

Fay Sheppard, Director of Maths for United Learning, has written a blog explaining how she uses common questions across a large multi-academy trust. Click the link below to download the blog post.