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 minibus can carry 16 passengers. A school is taking 179 pupils on a trip. By rounding 179 to the nearest 10, work out an estimate for the number of minibuses needed, given that the school cannot hire part of a minibus.
- 2.Write down the coordinates of the point that is 4 units to the left of the origin and 7 units up.
- 3.The ratio of two lengths is 0.6 : 1.5. Write this ratio in its simplest whole-number form.
- 4.A cylinder has a radius of 3 cm and a height of 10 cm. Using π = 3.14, work out the volume of the cylinder. Give your answer to the nearest whole number of cubic centimetres.
- 5.A fair coin is flipped and a fair five-sided spinner, labelled 1 to 5, is spun. All the outcomes are listed as pairs, such as (H, 3). Work out the probability that the outcome is a tail and an odd number.
- 6.A stacked bar for one day at a café in Norwich shows total drink sales of 50 drinks, split into three parts: 22 were tea, 15 were coffee and the rest were hot chocolate. Work out the number of hot chocolates sold.
- 7.In standard form, 2,000 is written as 2 × 10ⁿ. Write down the value of n.
- 8.Point P has coordinates (5, 2). Point P is rotated 180° about the origin to point Q. Write down the coordinates of Q.
- 9.In a box of pens, 3/7 of the pens are blue and the rest are black. Write down the ratio of the number of blue pens to the number of black pens, in its simplest form.
- 10.Which of the following correctly describes what it means for two lines to be perpendicular?
- 11.The probability that Priya's dentist appointment overruns is 0.35. Work out the probability that it does not overrun.
- 12.A quarter-circle has a radius of 6 cm. Work out the exact perimeter of the quarter-circle, giving your answer in terms of π.
- 13.Factorise fully 56x − 24
- 14.At an animal shelter, the ratio of cats to dogs is 2:5. There are 18 more dogs than cats. Work out the number of cats.
- 15.A sector of a circle has an angle of 90° at the centre. Write down what fraction of the whole circle this sector represents.
- 16.A paint mix is made from white paint and blue paint in the ratio 5 : 3. Priya uses 1.2 litres of blue paint and the matching amount of white paint. Work out the total volume of the mix.
- 17.Oliver buys b pens. Each pen costs £2. Write down an expression for the total cost, in pounds.
- 18.Butter costs £2.40 per kg. Work out the cost of the butter in pence per 100 g.
- 19.In a box of counters the ratio of red counters to blue counters is 4 : 5. What fraction of the counters are blue?
- 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.