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.Work out (3 × 10²) × (2 × 10⁵). Give your answer in standard form.
- 2.A number machine adds 1 to its input. Isla says that an input of 5 gives an output of 6. Which statement is correct?
- 3.In a fruit drink, cranberry juice and apple juice are mixed in the ratio 3:7. Write the amount of apple juice as a fraction of the amount of cranberry juice, in its simplest form.
- 4.Two vertical masts stand on level ground, 40 m apart. One mast is 30 m tall and the other is 50 m tall. Work out the straight-line distance between the tops of the two masts. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
- 5.The probability that a machine completes a task successfully is 0.85. Work out the probability that the machine does not complete the task successfully.
- 6.A study found that people who drink more coffee tend to concentrate better at work. A coffee company says that this shows that drinking coffee improves concentration. Give the reason why this conclusion cannot be drawn.
- 7.Simplify x⁵ × x³ ÷ x², giving your answer as a single power of x.
- 8.a = 2 and b = 5. Work out the value of a²b.
- 9.A tap fills a tank at a rate of 15 litres per minute. Given that 1 litre = 1000 cm³, work out the rate at which the tank fills in cm³ per second.
- 10.A scale drawing of a rectangular lawn uses a scale of 1 : 125. On the drawing, the lawn measures 4 cm by 2.4 cm. Work out the perimeter of the real lawn, in metres.
- 11.150 people at a gym were asked whether they prefer weight training or cardio; each person chose exactly one. 84 of the people are women. 50 of the women prefer cardio. 40 of the men prefer weight training. Work out the probability that a person, chosen at random from the 150, prefers weight training. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 12.A jumper is reduced by 15% in a sale to a price of £42.50. Work out the original price.
- 13.Expand 2(x − 13)
- 14.A coach travels the 54 miles from London to Brighton in 1 hour 30 minutes. Work out the average speed of the coach, in mph.
- 15.Work out the exact value of sin 45° × cos 45°.
- 16.Round 592.5 to the nearest 10.
- 17.Yuki is y years old. Her brother is 4 years younger than Yuki. Write down an expression, in terms of y, for the brother's age in 5 years' time.
- 18.The width, the length and the height of a box are in the ratio 3:4:5. The length of the box is 16 cm. Work out the height of the box.
- 19.Work out 2 × (−3 + 7)
- 20.The ratio of the amount Noah has saved to the amount Grace has saved is 4:5. Noah has saved £200. Work out how much they have saved altogether.
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.