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%.

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GCSE Foundation sample Paper 2 (calculator)

Maths · GCSE Foundation · Paper 2 · Calculator · 20 questions

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1.Round 3.947 to 2 decimal places.
(a)4.0
(b)3.94
(c)3.95
(d)3.9
2.The formula for the circumference of a circle is C = 2πr, where r is the radius. Make r the subject of the formula.
(a)r = C / (2π)
(b)r = C / π
(c)r = 2πC
(d)r = C − 2π
3.A coach travels the 54 miles from London to Brighton in 1 hour 30 minutes. Work out the average speed of the coach, in mph.
(a)1.8 mph
(b)41.54 mph
(c)81 mph
(d)36 mph
4.In triangle ABC the angle at C is 90°, AC = 8 cm and the angle at A is 30°. Work out the length of BC. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
(a)13.9 cm
(b)4.0 cm
(c)6.9 cm
(d)4.6 cm
5.180 gardeners at an allotment were asked whether they grow vegetables organically. 100 of the gardeners are on the north plots. 64 of the north-plot gardeners grow organically. 30 of the south-plot gardeners do not grow organically. Work out how many south-plot gardeners grow organically.
(a)64
(b)50
(c)80
(d)30
6.A two-way table records whether each of the 30 pupils in a class passed maths and whether they passed science. 18 pupils passed maths, 12 pupils passed science and 8 pupils passed both. Work out how many pupils passed at least one of the two subjects.
(a)22
(b)14
(c)18
(d)30
7.A country has an area of 25,000,000 hectares. Write this area in standard form.
(a)2.5 × 10⁷
(b)2.5 × 10⁸
(c)25 × 10⁶
(d)2.5 × 10⁻⁷
8.Make x the subject of the formula y = 5x + 3.
y = 5x + 3
(a)x = (y + 3)/5
(b)x = (y − 3)/5
(c)x = y/5 − 3
(d)x = 5(y − 3)
9.A coach travels 210 miles at an average speed of 70 mph. Work out how long the journey takes.
(a)14700 hours
(b)140 hours
(c)3 hours
(d)280 hours
10.A hiker starts by walking on a bearing of 245°. She turns clockwise through 50°, then turns clockwise through a further 15°, and continues walking in a straight line. What bearing is she now walking on?
(a)320
(b)180
(c)295
(d)310
11.Four bags each contain counters, some of which are winning counters. The probability of taking a winning counter is 5/12 from the red bag, 3/8 from the blue bag, 7/24 from the green bag and 1/3 from the yellow bag. Work out which bag has the smallest probability of giving a winning counter.
(a)The blue bag (3/8)
(b)The red bag (5/12)
(c)The green bag (7/24)
(d)The yellow bag (1/3)
12.Four weather stations each recorded their lowest overnight temperature. Which of these readings is the lowest?
(a)−15 °C
(b)−1 °C
(c)−7 °C
(d)0 °C
13.Which of these equations describes a vertical line?
(a)y = 5x
(b)x = y
(c)x = 5
(d)y = 5
14.A room is drawn on a plan with a scale of 1 : 200. On the plan the room has an area of 12 cm². Work out the real area of the room, in square metres.
(a)4800 m²
(b)48 m²
(c)24 m²
(d)2400 m²
15.A stained-glass window panel is designed as a kite. Two adjacent sides are each 25 cm, and the other two adjacent sides are each 40 cm. A frame is fitted around the whole panel. The frame costs £2.50 per metre, sold only in whole metres. Work out the total cost of the frame.
(a)£2.50
(b)£5.00
(c)£325.00
(d)£3.25
16.Oliver uses his calculator to work out 25% of 80 and writes down 320. Without using a calculator, work out the correct value of 25% of 80.
(a)16
(b)20
(c)3.2
(d)25
17.Point A has coordinates (4, −5). Point B has coordinates (4, 3). Work out the distance between A and B.
(a)8
(b)3
(c)−2
(d)0
18.The amount of fuel left in a car's tank, F litres, is plotted against the distance travelled, d miles, and the points lie on a straight line. The line passes through (0, 45) and (150, 15). Work out the gradient of the line and say what it tells you.
(a)−5, the car uses 5 litres of fuel for each mile
(b)−30, the car uses 30 litres of fuel for each mile
(c)−0.2, the car uses 0.2 litres of fuel for each mile
(d)0.2, the car gains 0.2 litres of fuel for each mile
19.Work out 4π + 2π, giving your answer as a multiple of π.
(a)6
(b)8π
(c)6π²
(d)6π
20.A garden plan is enlarged by a scale factor of 3. A flower bed on the original plan is 5 cm long. Work out the length of the flower bed on the enlarged plan, in centimetres.
(a)45 cm
(b)8 cm
(c)1.7 cm
(d)15 cm

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.