Sample paper · GCSE Foundation · grades 1–5
GCSE Foundation sample Paper 2 (calculator)
The real Paper 2 is 1.5 hour 30 minutes and 80 marks, calculator, and all three papers carry equal weight. This sample is 20 original questions in the same content proportions as the Foundation qualification — number 25%, algebra 20%, ratio, proportion and rates of change 25%, geometry and measures 15%, probability 7.5%, statistics 7.5% — with a calculator allowed. AO1 / AO2 / AO3 at this tier: 50% / 25% / 25%.
CalculatorGCSE Foundation
GCSE Foundation sample Paper 2 (calculator)
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- 1.A concert hall has 300 seats. 20% of the seats are in the balcony. Work out how many of the seats are in the balcony.
- 2.A straight line has gradient 3 and passes through the point (1, 4). Work out the equation of the line.
- 3.In a bag, the ratio of green counters to yellow counters is 3 : 8. There are 24 yellow counters. A student says, 'There must be 9 green counters.' Is the student correct? Choose the correct verdict and reason.
- 4.Vector A is and vector B is . Write down how vector B compares to vector A.
- 5.A quality inspector examines a sample of 60 items from a production line and finds that 8 are faulty. Using this sample's proportion, work out how many faulty items would be expected in a new batch of 750 items.
- 6.A scatter graph has 50 points. Most of them lie close to a rising line of best fit, but two of them lie a long way from that line. Write down how those two points should be treated.
- 7.At a book fair the ratio of fiction books to non-fiction books is 4 : 5. Of the non-fiction books, 3/5 are about history. Work out the fraction of all the books at the fair that are history books.
- 8.Which expression means the same as 3 × a × b?
- 9.The number of euros, e, received is directly proportional to the number of pounds, p, exchanged. Exchanging £40 gives 46 euros. Work out how many euros are received for £65, giving your answer to the nearest euro.
- 10.A fan-shaped rug is in the shape of a sector of a circle with radius 4 m and angle 180°. It costs £4 per square metre to make. Using π = 3.14, work out the total cost of the rug.
- 11.A red fair dice and a blue fair dice are rolled together. Every outcome is listed as an ordered pair, red score then blue score. Work out the probability that the red score is less than the blue score.
- 12.Work out the value of .
- 13.A point has coordinates (x, y). In which two quadrants is the product x × y positive?
- 14.3 kg of apples cost £6. Work out the cost of 5 kg of the same apples.
- 15.Triangle ABC is isosceles, with AB = AC. Angle B = 70°. Which reason correctly explains why angle C = 70°?
- 16.A weather app records the temperature at three points in one day: 6 °C at noon, −2 °C at midnight, and −7 °C just before dawn. Work out the difference between the highest and lowest of these three temperatures.
- 17.A table shows values of y = x² − x − 6 for x from −3 to 4: at x = −3, y = 6; x = −2, y = 0; x = −1, y = −4; x = 0, y = −6; x = 1, y = −6; x = 2, y = −4; x = 3, y = 0; x = 4, y = 6. Using the table, write down the two roots of x² − x − 6 = 0.y = x²
- 18.An Ordnance Survey map has a scale of 1 : 50 000. A cycle route measures 9.4 cm on the map. Work out the real length of the route, in kilometres.
- 19.Write these decimals in order, starting with the smallest: 0.6, 0.55, 0.601, 0.5, 0.56
- 20.A crate exerts a force of 84 N on the floor through a base with an area of 2.4 m². Work out the pressure on the floor, in N/m².
How the 20 questions are shared out
- Number — 5 questions (25% of the qualification)
- Algebra — 4 questions (20% of the qualification)
- Ratio, proportion and rates of change — 5 questions (25% of the qualification)
- Geometry and measures — 3 questions (15% of the qualification)
- Probability — 2 questions (7.5% of the qualification)
- Statistics — 1 question (7.5% of the qualification)
Where an area has fewer printable questions than its share, the shortfall is filled from the other areas. These are original questions, not past papers.