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.At a bus station one bus leaves every 6 minutes and another leaves every 9 minutes. The two buses leave together at the start of the day. Work out how long it is until they next leave together.
- 2.The first five cube numbers are 1, 8, 27, 64, 125. Write down the next cube number in the sequence.
- 3.A tap fills a tank at a rate of 15 litres per minute. Given that 1 litre = 1000 cm³, work out the rate at which the tank fills in cm³ per second.
- 4.In triangle XYZ, the side opposite vertex X is labelled using the standard lowercase-letter convention. Which label is correct?
- 5.In a game, Zara says the probability of scoring is 3/8, the probability of missing is 5/12 and the probability of a rebound is 1/6, and that these are the only three outcomes. Is Zara correct that her three probabilities are valid?
- 6.A gardener plants 600 daffodil bulbs. In March she digs up 20 of them, chosen at random, and finds that 17 have flowered. Write down what she can conclude about the 600 bulbs.
- 7.A number, n, is a multiple of both 6 and 9. Work out the smallest possible value of n that is greater than 20.
- 8.A curve has equation y = x³ − 4x. Work out the coordinates of the point where the curve crosses the y-axis.y = x
- 9.Which of these ratios is equivalent to 6 : 10 : 14?
- 10.A circular tabletop has a radius of 15 cm. Work out the area of the tabletop. Use π = 3.14. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
- 11.A biased spinner is spun 200 times. It lands on red 70 times, on blue 50 times, and on green 80 times. Using these results, work out the expected number of times the spinner does NOT land on red, in 500 spins of the same spinner.
- 12.Round 4,685 to the nearest 100.
- 13.A sequence starts at 2. Each term after that is found using the rule "double the previous term, then add 1". Work out the 4th term of the sequence.
- 14.y is inversely proportional to x. When x = 5, y = 8. Work out the value of y when x = 10.
- 15.A cylinder has a radius of 3 cm and a height of 10 cm. Using π = 3.14, work out the volume of the cylinder. Give your answer to the nearest whole number of cubic centimetres.
- 16.Write 45,000 in standard form.
- 17.Make x the subject of the formula y = 4x − 3.y = 4x − 3
- 18.A map has a scale of 1 : 50 000. Two villages are 4 cm apart on the map. Work out the real distance between the villages, in kilometres.
- 19.A market trader buys 8 melons at £1.35 each. He sells all of them for a total of £15.60. Work out his profit.
- 20.A bag contains 7 red counters and 15 blue counters. Write down the ratio of red counters to blue counters in its simplest form.
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.