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 school, 3/5 of the students study French. Of these students, 2/3 also study Spanish. What fraction of all the students study both French and Spanish?
- 2.A plumber charges a call-out fee of £30 plus £25 for each hour worked. The total bill for a job was £130. Work out how many hours the plumber worked.
- 3.A sofa costs £800. Its price is increased by 25%. Work out the new price of the sofa.
- 4.A triangular flag has a base of 40 cm and a perpendicular height of 25 cm. Work out its area.
- 5.A small pack contains 5 cards, numbered 1 to 5. One card is drawn at random from the pack, and a fair coin is flipped. Every outcome is listed as a pair, such as (3, H). Work out how many equally likely outcomes there are in total.
- 6.On a scatter graph of the age of a car, in years, and its value, in pounds, the points fall from left to right. Write down the type of correlation shown.
- 7.The error interval for the mass of a suitcase, m kg, is given as 22.5 ≤ m < 23.5. Write down the mass of the suitcase, correct to the nearest whole number.
- 8.The graph of y = x² − 2x − 8 crosses the x-axis at x = −2 and x = 4. Work out the x-coordinate of the turning point of the curve, using the symmetry of the graph.y = x² − 2x − 8
- 9.A scale drawing states '1 cm represents 25 m'. Which of these is the correct way to write this scale in the form 1 : n?
- 10.The diagram shows a solid built from identical cubes. How many squares are in its plan view, the view looking straight down from above?
- 11.120 people took a driving theory test. A frequency tree records the results. The first pair of branches splits the 120 people into 70 men and 50 women. On the men's branch, 45 passed and the rest failed. On the women's branch, 38 passed and the rest failed. Work out how many of the 120 people failed the test.
- 12.Four students work out 6 + 2 × 3. Which student has worked it out correctly?
- 13.Which of these equations is equivalent to 5x − 2 = 3x + 8?
- 14.A map has a scale of 1 : 25 000. A footpath measures 6 cm on the map. Work out the real length of the footpath, in kilometres.
- 15.The point A(2, 5) is translated to the point B(7, 3). Write down the column vector that describes this translation.
- 16.A charity trek covers 830 miles over roughly 19 days. By rounding each number to 1 significant figure, work out an estimate for the number of miles walked per day.
- 17.Work out the y-intercept of the graph of y = x² + 3x − 10.y = x² + 3x − 10
- 18.A plumber's charge, C pounds, for a job lasting h hours is shown on a straight-line graph. The line passes through the points (1, 45) and (3, 85). Work out what the gradient of this line represents, in context.
- 19.Work out (8 × 10⁻⁵) × (5 × 10³). Give your answer in standard form.
- 20.A 5 kg bag of potatoes costs £4.50. Work out the cost per kilogram.
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.