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.In a photo album the ratio of colour photos to black-and-white photos is 9 : 4. Work out the number of black-and-white photos as a fraction of the number of colour photos.
- 2.A number machine adds 5 to its input. Work out the output when the input is 0.
- 3.2.4 kg of cheese costs £36. Work out the cost of 1.5 kg of the same cheese.
- 4.A square-based pyramid has a square base and four identical triangular sloping faces, with its apex directly above the centre of the base. How many planes of symmetry does it have?
- 5.A spinner is divided into 8 equal sections. 3 of the sections are red and the rest are not red. The spinner is spun once. Work out the probability that it does not land on red.
- 6.A scatter graph of the number of ice creams sold at a seaside kiosk in Bournemouth and the number of sunburn cases treated at a nearby pharmacy, recorded on the same 30 days, shows strong positive correlation. Which statement about this correlation is correct?
- 7.A laptop costs £720. A carrying case for it costs 1/9 of the price of the laptop. Work out the cost of the carrying case.
- 8.Work out the value of a² − 2b when a = −3 and b = 4.
- 9.A map has a scale of 1:25000. A road on the map is 6 cm long. Work out the real-life length of the road, giving your answer in kilometres.
- 10.Work out the exact value of cos 0° − sin 30°.
- 11.A box contains cards labelled 1, 2 and 3. A card is drawn at random and its number noted, then it is put back. A second card is then drawn at random. Every outcome is listed as an ordered pair, such as (1, 2). Work out how many of the outcomes in the full list have both numbers the same.
- 12.A newspaper reports that 48,000 people attended a festival. The figure is correct to the nearest thousand. Which statement about the number of people who attended must be true?
- 13.Solve the simultaneous equations 5x − 2y = 16 and 3x + 2y = 16. Work out the value of x.
- 14.300 g of a salt solution of concentration 10% is poured into 200 g of a salt solution of concentration 25%. Work out the concentration of salt in the mixture.
- 15.Write down how many right angles a rectangle has.
- 16.Work out (−2)² − 3
- 17.A stack of firewood has 3 logs in the top layer. Each layer below has 4 more logs than the layer above it. Work out the number of logs in the 6th layer from the top.
- 18.A statue exerts a downward force of 68.4 N on its base, which has an area of 2.85 m². Work out the pressure that the statue exerts on its base, in N/m².
- 19.The population of a planet is 8 × 10⁹. Write this population as an ordinary number.
- 20.Work out the difference between 45% of 70 and 35% of 80.
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.