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.Last year a company made a profit of £5,200,000. Write this amount in standard form.
- 2.A number, w, satisfies the statement "three times w, minus 5, is at least 16". Which of these is the correct inequality for w?
- 3.y is always the same multiple of x. When x = 6, y = 15. Work out the value of y when x = 10.
- 4.A construction for the perpendicular bisector of AB begins by opening a pair of compasses to more than half the length of AB, then drawing an arc centred at A. What is the next step?
- 5.A charity raffle sells 250 tickets. A group of friends buy 40 of the tickets between them. Three prizes are awarded, each to a different randomly drawn ticket, and no ticket can win more than one prize. Work out the expected number of prizes won by the group. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 6.Seven pupils were asked how many books they had read last month. Their answers were 3, 5, 5, 7, 8, 5, 3. Write down the mode.
- 7.Two fair six-sided dice are rolled and their scores are added together. By listing the possible totals systematically, work out how many different totals are possible.
- 8.Make x the subject of the formula y = 3(x + 2).
- 9.A glass holds 250 ml of squash. Work out how many of these glasses are needed to fill a 1 litre bottle.
- 10.Which of the following correctly describes what it means for two lines to be perpendicular?
- 11.Two ordinary fair dice are rolled and the two scores are added together. Work out the probability that the total is a prime number.
- 12.An allotment plot is divided into vegetables and flowers in the ratio 9 : 4. A third of the vegetable section is used for potatoes. What fraction of the whole plot is potatoes?
- 13.A rectangle has length (2x + 5) cm and width (x − 2) cm. Work out an expression, in terms of x, for the perimeter of the rectangle. Give your answer in its simplest form.
- 14.y is directly proportional to x. When x = 7, the value of y is 21. Work out the value of x when y = 12.
- 15.A cuboid measures 5 cm long (left to right), 3 cm deep (front to back) and 2 cm tall. Its front elevation is 5 cm wide by 2 cm high. Its side elevation is 3 cm wide by 2 cm high. What are the dimensions of its plan view, looking down from above?
- 16.Work out −6 × (−3).
- 17.Solve the inequality 6.3x + 1.8 ≤ 40. Hence write down the greatest number with exactly one decimal place that satisfies the inequality.
- 18.A straight-line graph shows the distance travelled, d kilometres, against the time taken, t hours, for a cyclist. The line passes through the origin and has a gradient of 18. Write down what the gradient of this line represents.
- 19.Work out the value of ∛125.
- 20.£5000 is invested in an account paying 4% compound interest each year. Work out the total interest earned after 3 years.
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.