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 semicircle has a diameter of 8 cm. Work out the exact area of the semicircle, in terms of π.
- 2.A geometric sequence begins 80, 40, 20, 10, ... Work out the next term in the sequence.
- 3.The price of a share falls by 10% on Monday and then rises by 10% on Tuesday. Work out the overall percentage change from Monday's starting price.
- 4.Triangle XYZ has angle X = 90°. Angle Y = 34°. Work out angle Z.
- 5.A biased spinner is spun 40 times and lands on red 16 times. It is then spun a further 60 times and lands on red 21 times. Work out the best estimate of the probability that the spinner lands on red, using the results of all 100 spins together.
- 6.A stem-and-leaf diagram, described in words, shows the ages of 9 people at a family party. The stem is the tens digit: stem 1 has leaves 4 and 8; stem 2 has leaves 0, 3, 5 and 9; stem 3 has leaves 1 and 6; stem 4 has leaf 2. Work out the median age.
- 7.In a chess club, 3/8 of the members are girls and the rest are boys. Write down the ratio of girls to boys.
- 8.a = 2 and b = 5. Work out the value of ab².
- 9.Two quantities y and z are each in direct proportion to x, and are given by y = 3x and z = 7x. Work out the difference between the value of y and the value of z when x = 4.y = 3x
- 10.A model car is built to a scale of 1 : 24. The real car is 4.32 m long. Work out the length of the model, in centimetres.
- 11.Two goalkeepers face penalty kicks. Elin saves 34% of the penalties she faces. Noah saves 11/32 of the penalties he faces. Which statement correctly compares them?
- 12.The thickness of a sheet of card is 0.02384 cm. Write this thickness correct to 2 significant figures.
- 13.A square has sides of length y cm. Write down an expression for the perimeter of the square.
- 14.Write the ratio 0.75 : 2 as a ratio of whole numbers in its simplest form.
- 15.A bottle holds 2 litres of water. A glass holds 250 ml. Work out how many of these glasses can be filled from one full bottle.
- 16.Work out 5 + 3 × (9 − 6)
- 17.Yuki is y years old. Her brother is 4 years younger than Yuki. Write down an expression, in terms of y, for the brother's age in 5 years' time.
- 18.A metal block has a mass of 270 g and a volume of 30 cm³. Work out the density of the block, in g/cm³.
- 19.A restaurant offers a lunch deal of one starter from 5 options, one main from 6 options and one dessert from 3 options. Work out how many different lunch deals are possible.
- 20.The exchange rate is £1 = 1.28 US dollars. Convert £350 into US dollars.
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.