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.Estimate the value of √45, giving your answer to the nearest whole number.
- 2.y = 5 − 2x. Work out the value of x when y = 11.
- 3.Write the ratio 20 : 30 in its simplest form.
- 4.In triangle PQR and triangle STU, PQ = ST, QR = TU and PR = SU. Write down the congruence condition that proves the two triangles are congruent.
- 5.A fair four-sided dice, numbered 1 to 4, is rolled twice. Every outcome is listed as an ordered pair, first roll then second roll, such as (2, 3). Work out how many different outcomes are in the list.
- 6.A recruitment agency in Manchester compares the weekly pay, in pounds, of seven employees at two branches. Branch A: £480, £495, £500, £505, £510, £515, £1,200. Branch B: £480, £490, £500, £510, £520, £530, £540. An advert for the agency claims 'Branch A pays more on average.' Decide whether this claim is fairly supported, using an appropriate average, and choose the correct conclusion.
- 7.A charity bake sale sells 187 cakes at £2.95 each. By rounding each number to 1 significant figure, work out an estimate for the total amount raised.
- 8.A plumber charges a call-out fee of £30 plus £25 per hour worked. Work out the total charge for a job that takes 3 hours.
- 9.y is inversely proportional to x, and y = 20 ÷ x. Work out the value of y when x = 4.
- 10.In triangle ABC, angle ABC = 90° and angle BAC = 30°. The hypotenuse AC = 12 cm. Work out the exact length of AB.
- 11.Two ordinary fair dice are rolled, one after the other. Work out the probability that the first dice shows a 6 and the second dice shows an even number.
- 12.Work out 250 ÷ 1000.
- 13.A sequence has the position-to-term rule: the term is the position number multiplied by itself. Its first five terms are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25. Work out the 8th term.
- 14.Three numbers are in the ratio 1:2:3. The three numbers add up to 72. Work out the largest of the three numbers.
- 15.A sprinkler waters a sector-shaped patch of a garden with radius 8 m and angle 90°. Work out the perimeter of the watered sector, to 1 decimal place. (Use π = 3.14.)
- 16.Work out 100 − 4 × 5²
- 17.The first five terms of a sequence are 6, 10, 14, 18, 22. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 18.In one batch of shortbread, a bakery uses 240 g of butter and 160 g of sugar. Another batch, made in the same ratio, uses 90 g of sugar. Work out how much butter is needed for the second batch.
- 19.A rectangular field measures 19.6 m by 48.3 m. Work out an estimate for the area of the field, by rounding each length to 1 significant figure.
- 20.A shade of paint is made by mixing blue paint and white paint. To make 5 litres of the shade, 2 litres of blue paint is used and the rest is white paint. Write the ratio of blue paint to white paint 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.