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.Which of these statements about −0.7 and −0.25 is true?
- 2.Write down the expression that means the same as 'subtract 5 from n, then divide the result by 2'.
- 3.A prize fund of £240 is shared between two winners in the ratio 3 : 5. Write the smaller winner's share as a fraction of the whole prize fund.
- 4.A designer creates a repeating tile pattern. Each tile is translated from the one before it by the column vector with top number 4.5 and bottom number −2.5 (in centimetres). The first tile has its bottom-left corner at (1.5, 3). Work out the coordinates of the bottom-left corner of the third tile.
- 5.A garage tested 200 cars in one week. 70% of the cars were more than 3 years old and the rest were 3 years old or less. Of the cars more than 3 years old, 1 in 4 failed the test. 12 of the cars that were 3 years old or less failed the test. Work out how many of the 200 cars failed the test altogether.
- 6.The numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 have a mean of 7 and a median of 7. The value 100 is now added to the list. Which measure is changed more by adding 100, and why?
- 7.A speed camera measures a car's speed as 34 mph, correct to the nearest mph. Work out the smallest possible actual speed of the car, in mph.
- 8.For the graph of y = 1/x, where x cannot be zero, which of these statements is correct?
- 9.A beaker holds 500 g of a salt solution of concentration 12%. Pure water is added until the concentration falls to 8%. Work out the mass of water added.
- 10.A solid ball has a radius of 7 cm. Work out the surface area of the ball. Use π = 3.14.
- 11.A spinner lands on one of four colours: amber, black, cyan or damson. The probability it lands on amber is 0.18, on black is 0.22 and on cyan is 0.24. Work out the probability that it lands on amber or damson.
- 12.Round 3.947 to 2 decimal places.
- 13.p = 4. Work out the value of 2p³.
- 14.A footpath is drawn 3 cm long on a map with a scale of 1 : 50 000. Work out the real length of the footpath, in metres.
- 15.Two similar hexagonal tiles have lengths in the ratio 4 : 7. A side of the smaller tile is 8.4 cm long. Work out the length of the corresponding side of the larger tile.
- 16.The distance from the Earth to the Moon is 384,000 km. Write this distance in standard form, in kilometres.
- 17.A number, n, is tripled and then 4.5 is added. The result is 22.5. Form an equation and solve it to find n.
- 18.A road sign 3 m tall casts a shadow 5 m long. At the same time, a nearby lamppost casts a shadow 10 m long. Work out the height of the lamppost.
- 19.A tin of beans has a mass of 650 g. A bag of rice has a mass of 1.35 kg. Work out the total mass, in kilograms.
- 20.The price of a jacket increases by 50% and then decreases by 50%. Describe the overall change from the original price.
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.