Specimen-paper practice • Foundation and Higher • Worked answers
Use Edexcel International GCSE Maths A Modular specimen papers to learn the assessment format, practise showing your method, and build a revision plan. Match your tier and unit before you begin: 4WM1F and 4WM2F are Foundation; 4WM1H and 4WM2H are Higher.
This page focuses on sample assessments and the skills you can practise with them. For historical exam series and their matching mark schemes, use our Edexcel Maths A Modular past-paper collection. Sample papers demonstrate the specification; they do not predict the questions on your next exam.
Choose the right modular specimen
Edexcel offers several maths qualifications with similar names. This guide is for International GCSE Mathematics A, modular assessment. The unit codes begin 4WM. A linear International GCSE paper begins 4MA1, while a UK GCSE paper begins 1MA1. Check your course with your teacher before treating a paper as a full mock.
| Your route | Unit 1 paper | Unit 2 paper | Qualification cash-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 4WM1F/01 | 4WM2F/01 | 4XMAF |
| Higher | 4WM1H/01 | 4WM2H/01 | 4XMAH |
The qualification has two mandatory units at the same tier. Each unit is a two-hour, 100-mark calculator assessment worth 50% of the qualification. Unit 2 assumes the relevant Unit 1 knowledge; Pearson states that it is not a step up in assessment difficulty. Pearson’s specification strongly advises first-time candidates to take Unit 1 before Unit 2; schools arrange entries, so confirm your own plan with your teacher or exams officer.
Foundation targets grades 1–5. Higher targets grades 4–9, with grade 3 available. The modular route is offered to schools outside the UK. First assessment was June 2025; the official sample booklet was produced beforehand and is not a completed historical exam series.
A useful way to work through a specimen paper
- Set one goal. For a first attempt, choose a short section and focus on showing working. For a later full mock, use the printed instructions and two-hour limit, the allowed calculator and the supplied formula sheet. Do not mix untimed learning work with timed mock scores.
- Keep the scheme closed while attempting the questions. Write substitutions, units and intermediate steps. If you get stuck, record the point where your method stopped instead of copying a final answer.
- Mark with the matching scheme. Read its general guidance and the notes for that question. Check which steps receive credit; a correct final number alone does not reveal whether your method was secure. Mark codes and special-case notes must be interpreted in the context of that scheme.
- Sort errors by cause. Use four practical labels: concept, method, arithmetic and reading. “Forgot to square the scale factor” is more useful than “bad at geometry.” A blank response can also mean the topic needs to be taught first.
- Repair, then reattempt. Study one worked example, solve a fresh question without help, and return to the missed specimen question after a gap. Record whether the second solution is independent.
As a rough full-paper pacing guide, 120 minutes across 100 marks averages 1.2 minutes per mark. That is a planning average, not a rule for every question. Leave time to check signs, calculator entries and units. A long calculation worth a few marks can consume time better spent elsewhere if you do not move on.
Make a small error log
| Question skill | Error noticed | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Reverse percentage | Subtracted the increase from the final amount | Write final = original × multiplier, then divide |
| Similar shapes | Used a length factor for an area | Draw corresponding sides; square the factor |
| Algebra | Lost the minus sign when expanding | Multiply every term and check by substitution |
A raw score of 72 out of 100 is 72% on that paper. It does not automatically establish a qualification grade or 72 UMS. Pearson converts raw marks to UMS for the units, and qualification aggregation uses the relevant rules. Ask your teacher to interpret a specimen result as a diagnostic; do not invent a universal grade boundary from it.
Six original worked examples
These short examples practise transferable number, algebra, geometry and probability skills. They are original teaching questions, not copied exam questions, official specimen solutions, a complete topic list or a claim about which unit will assess each skill.
1. Reverse a percentage increase
Question: A bicycle costs £322 after a 15% price increase. What was its price before the increase?
A 15% increase uses a multiplier of 1.15. If the original price is p, then 1.15p = 322. Divide by the multiplier: p = 322 ÷ 1.15 = £280.
Check: 15% of £280 is £42; £280 + £42 = £322. Subtracting 15% of £322 uses the wrong base.
2. Solve an equation with a negative bracket
Question: Solve 4(2x − 3) − 3(x + 1) = 20.
Expand both brackets: 8x − 12 − 3x − 3 = 20. Collect like terms: 5x − 15 = 20. Add 15, then divide by 5: 5x = 35, so x = 7.
Check: 4(14 − 3) − 3(8) = 44 − 24 = 20. The −3 multiplies both terms in its bracket.
3. Read gradient and intercept
Question: Find the equation of the line through (−1, 1) and (3, 9).
Gradient m = change in y ÷ change in x = (9 − 1) ÷ [3 − (−1)] = 8 ÷ 4 = 2. Substitute (−1, 1) into y = 2x + c: 1 = −2 + c, so c = 3.
The line is y = 2x + 3. Substituting x = 3 gives y = 9, so the second point also fits. Keep the same point order in the numerator and denominator.
4. Connect length and area scale factors
Question: A 3 cm by 2 cm rectangle is enlarged to a similar rectangle whose corresponding long side is 9 cm. Find its other side and area.
The length scale factor is 9 ÷ 3 = 3. Its other side is 2 × 3 = 6 cm. The original area is 3 × 2 = 6 cm². The enlarged area is 9 × 6 = 54 cm², or 6 × 3².
Why square? Both perpendicular lengths are multiplied by 3, so their product is multiplied by 3 × 3 = 9.
5. Find a probability without replacement (Higher extension)
Question: A bag contains four green counters and three orange counters. Two counters are drawn without replacement. Find the probability that both are green.
The first green probability is 4/7. If the first counter is green, three green counters remain among six total counters, so the second green probability is 3/6. Multiply along the required sequence: (4/7) × (3/6) = 12/42 = 2/7.
The second fraction changes because the first counter is not replaced. Multiplying 4/7 by 4/7 would model replacement instead.
6. Solve a quadratic and keep both roots
Question: Solve x² − 2x − 15 = 0.
Find two numbers whose product is −15 and sum is −2: −5 and 3. Factorise: (x − 5)(x + 3) = 0. At least one factor must be zero, so x = 5 or x = −3.
Check: 5² − 2(5) − 15 = 0 and (−3)² − 2(−3) − 15 = 0. A negative root is not automatically invalid; only a restriction in the question, such as a positive length, can exclude it.
Misconceptions worth catching before a full paper
- “The specimen tells me the next exam topics.” It illustrates an assessment; revise the specification rather than predicting from one sample.
- “Any Edexcel maths scheme will work.” Match the qualification, unit, tier and set. Similar labels can refer to different papers.
- “A calculator means I can skip the method.” Record the expression, substitutions and relevant working so your reasoning is visible.
- “A ×3 enlargement makes area ×3.” Area changes by 3² = 9 for similar shapes.
- “The probability stays the same after a draw.” Without replacement, the remaining counts change.
- “My specimen percentage is my final grade.” A diagnostic raw percentage is different from UMS and qualification aggregation.
Eight practice questions with worked answers
Try each question before opening its answer. Keep exact fractions until the end, and include units where the question needs them.
- A jacket costs £84 after a 20% discount. Find its original price.
Show answer 1: reverse discount
The sale multiplier is 0.8, so 0.8p = 84 and p = 84 ÷ 0.8 = £105. Check: £105 − £21 = £84.
- Solve 3(2x + 5) − 2(x − 4) = 43.
Show answer 2: brackets
6x + 15 − 2x + 8 = 43, so 4x + 23 = 43. Thus 4x = 20 and x = 5. Substitution gives 3(15) − 2(1) = 43.
- Find the equation of the line through (2, 1) and (5, 10).
Show answer 3: straight line
m = (10 − 1)/(5 − 2) = 3. Using (2, 1), 1 = 3(2) + c, so c = −5. The equation is y = 3x − 5.
- Higher extension. Two similar shapes have a length scale factor of 5/2 from the smaller to the larger. The smaller area is 24 cm². Find the larger area.
Show answer 4: similar areas
Area scale factor = (5/2)² = 25/4. Larger area = 24 × 25/4 = 150 cm².
- Higher extension. A bag contains five blue counters and three red counters. Two are drawn without replacement. Find the probability of two red counters.
Show answer 5: probability
The probability is (3/8) × (2/7) = 6/56 = 3/28.
- Solve x² + x − 20 = 0.
Show answer 6: quadratic
(x + 5)(x − 4) = 0, so x = −5 or x = 4. Both values satisfy the original equation.
- A right-angled triangle has perpendicular sides 8 cm and 15 cm. Find its hypotenuse.
Show answer 7: Pythagoras
c² = 8² + 15² = 64 + 225 = 289. The length is the positive square root: c = 17 cm.
- Three notebooks and two pens cost £11. Two notebooks and five pens cost £11. Find each price.
Show answer 8: simultaneous equations
Let n and p be the prices in pounds. Then 3n + 2p = 11 and 2n + 5p = 11. Multiply the first by 5 and the second by 2: 15n + 10p = 55 and 4n + 10p = 22. Subtract: 11n = 33, so n = £3. Then 9 + 2p = 11 gives p = £1. Both original totals are £11.
Quick questions about specimen practice
Should I start with a full timed paper?
If the content is new, begin with a few taught topics and work without a timer. Move to timed sections, then a full paper, once you can use the required methods independently. Record which conditions you used so scores remain interpretable.
Can I use a Higher paper while studying Foundation?
Use your entered tier for matched mocks and score tracking. A teacher may choose an individual question from elsewhere for extension, but that does not change your qualification entry or make the whole paper suitable for your route.
Where are the historical past papers?
Our full modular past-paper hub separates genuine exam series from sample material. Check the official source for current availability; some recent materials may be restricted to teachers.
What if a third-party specimen link does not open?
Use the official Pearson sample booklet listed below. Its contents identify all four unit/tier papers and their mark schemes. The older third-party URLs are retained for continuity, but their availability is outside this site’s control.
Choose one next step
Use algebra worksheets for bracket, equation and graph practice, or geometry worksheets for similarity, area and right-triangle skills. Choose a small set that matches the error you found, then return to your specimen question.
Sources & References
Specimen-paper downloads
Start with Pearson’s official sample-assessment booklet (Issue 1, February 2024). It contains all four papers and their schemes. The numbers below are actual PDF page positions, which differ from the page numbers printed inside the booklet. Some PDF viewers ignore page fragments; use the contents if a link opens at the beginning.
Unit 1, Foundation: 4WM1F/01
Official question paper: PDF page 9 · Official mark scheme: PDF page 35
Printed booklet pages 5 and 31, respectively.
Unit 2, Foundation: 4WM2F/01
Official question paper: PDF page 49 · Official mark scheme: PDF page 77
Printed booklet pages 45 and 73, respectively.
Unit 1, Higher: 4WM1H/01
Official question paper: PDF page 95 · Official mark scheme: PDF page 121
Printed booklet pages 91 and 117, respectively.
Unit 2, Higher: 4WM2H/01
Official question paper: PDF page 141 · Official mark scheme: PDF page 169
Printed booklet pages 137 and 165, respectively.
Previously listed specimen files
All eight original third-party links were checked on 5 October 2026 and matched their listed specimen unit and tier. Availability can change; if one fails, use the official booklet above. These scanned copies retain the old 4XMA1 label in their footer. The current qualification cash-in codes are 4XMAF and 4XMAH; the 4WM unit references still match. These are specimens, not historical exam sittings.
Unit 2 Higher specimen pair
Unit 1 Higher specimen pair
Unit 2 Foundation specimen pair
Unit 1 Foundation specimen pair
Qualification and assessment references
The qualification details above were checked against Pearson’s specification and code-change notice. Worked examples, practice questions, error-log advice and diagrams are original HeLovesMath material. This independent guide is not endorsed by Pearson and does not replace advice from your school.