GCSE Maths
Revision
for
OCR Foundation
J560 Foundation is marked out of 300 across Papers 1, 2 and 3. Sit one and mark it to see what a grade 4 or 5 still needs.
Your exam at a glance
How to Improve with OCR Past Papers
The four-step revision loop. Turn mistakes into marks.
Do a paper
Do Papers 1, 2 and 3 from the latest J560 Foundation series. Paper 2 is non-calculator.
Mark it
Use the OCR mark scheme to find which questions cost you marks out of 300.
Fix weak topics
Revise your weakest 2-3 topics first. Re-reading the whole course takes too long.
Test again
Attempt a fresh series and compare your total with the grade 4 and 5 boundaries.
OCR Foundation Past Papers
Past papers are the fastest way to see where the marks are going.
OCR Foundation Grade Boundaries
See recent grade 4 and 5 boundaries and what marks you usually need.
Grade boundaries by year
June series · /300What your current score usually means
Based on 2023–2025 · out of 300Not yet secure for a recent grade 4
Recent grade 4 boundary zone
Solid 4 territory, building toward 5
Recent grade 5 boundary zone
Strong Foundation performance
Topics Worth the Most Marks
on OCR Foundation
Pick the topic costing you the most marks and start there.
Number
A quarter of J560 Foundation, about 75 of the 300 marks. Secure number work also makes every other topic easier.
Paper 2 is the non-calculator paper. Practise written methods and times tables so those marks are not lost to slips.
Ratio and Proportion
About another 75 marks. Percentages and ratio sharing appear on all three papers.
On calculator Papers 1 and 3, use a multiplier for percentage change, such as × 1.2 for a 20% increase.
Algebra
About 60 of the 300 marks. Solving equations, substitution, sequences and straight-line graphs carry most of them.
Check your solution by substituting it back into the equation. It takes seconds and catches sign errors.
Geometry and Measures
About 45 marks. Angles, area, perimeter and volume are the regular questions.
Mark what you know on the diagram before calculating, and finish with the correct units.
Probability and Statistics
About 45 marks, and some of the fastest to gain. Averages and basic probability come up in most series.
Check whether the question asks for the mean, median, mode or range. Picking the wrong one loses the mark.
OCR Foundation GCSE Maths FAQs
Quick answers to the most common revision questions.
Begin with a past paper. A marked J560 Foundation paper out of 100 shows which topics are costing you marks, so you revise those first.
Stuck on a past paper question?
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