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%.

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GCSE Foundation sample Paper 2 (calculator)

Maths · GCSE Foundation · Paper 2 · Calculator · 20 questions

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1.In a school long jump competition Priya's jump is recorded as 3.8 m and Nadia's jump is recorded as 3.9 m, each correct to the nearest 0.1 m. Priya says she may have jumped further than Nadia. Decide whether Priya is right, and give a reason for your answer.
(a)Yes — Priya's jump could have been up to 3.9 m
(b)No — their possible jump lengths do not overlap
(c)Yes — both jumps could have been 3.85 m
(d)No — a recorded jump is exactly the length jumped
2.p = 4. Work out the value of 2p³.
(a)512
(b)24
(c)64
(d)128
3.A necklace uses 22 blue beads and 8 red beads. Write the number of blue beads as a fraction of the number of red beads. Give your answer as a mixed number in its simplest form.
(a)2 5/8
(b)2 3/11
(c)1 3/8
(d)2 3/4
4.The point A(3, 2) is translated by the vector (−5, 4) to give point B. Work out the coordinates of B.
(a)(−2, 6)
(b)(−2, −2)
(c)(7, −3)
(d)(8, 6)
5.The probability that Kofi passes his driving test on any attempt is 0.6, and each attempt is independent of the others. Work out the probability that he fails both his first two attempts.
(a)0.16
(b)0.36
(c)0.24
(d)0.4
6.A company makes 50,000 light bulbs a day and wants to check how long they last before they fail. Testing a bulb to find out how long it lasts destroys it. Give a reason why the company should test a sample of bulbs rather than every bulb it makes.
(a)A sample is always more accurate than a census.
(b)It is against the law to test every bulb made.
(c)Testing every bulb uses too much electricity.
(d)Testing destroys bulbs, so testing all leaves none to sell.
7.Work out √(4 × 9)
(a)5
(b)18
(c)36
(d)6
8.The first four terms of a sequence are 11, 18, 25, 32. Ravi thinks the nth term is 7n. Work out the correct expression for the nth term.
(a)7n + 4
(b)7n
(c)7n + 11
(d)11n + 7
9.The population of a village is 1200. It is predicted to grow by 5% next year. Work out the predicted population after 1 year, to the nearest whole number.
(a)1260
(b)1800
(c)1205
(d)60
10.A ramp's sloped surface crosses two horizontal parallel rails. At the top rail, the angle between the ramp and the rail on the right of the ramp is (3x + 10)°. At the bottom rail, the angle between the ramp and the rail on the left of the ramp is (5x − 30)°. Work out the value of x.
(a)−10
(b)47.5
(c)25
(d)20
11.At a quiz night, each team's result is a win, a draw or a loss, and no team can have more than one of these results. The probability that a team wins is 42% and the probability that a team draws is 18.5%. Work out the probability, as a percentage, that a team does not win and does not draw.
(a)58.0%
(b)60.5%
(c)39.5%
(d)81.5%
12.A semicircle has a diameter of 8 cm. Work out the exact area of the semicircle, in terms of π.
(a)4π cm²
(b)8π cm²
(c)16π cm²
(d)32π cm²
13.The formula for converting a temperature in Fahrenheit, F, to Celsius, C, is C = 5(F − 32) ÷ 9. Work out C, to 1 decimal place, when F = 98.6.
(a)119.9
(b)54.8
(c)66.6
(d)37.0
14.Two numbers A and B are in the ratio 3:5. When 6 is added to B, the ratio of A to the new value of B is 1:2. Work out the value of A.
(a)18
(b)30
(c)9
(d)6
15.A circular decoration has a radius of 10 cm. A ribbon costs £0.50 per centimetre and is fixed along the curved edge (the arc) of a sector-shaped section with an angle of 90°. Using π = 3.14, work out the cost of the ribbon for this section.
(a)£157.00
(b)£31.40
(c)£7.85
(d)£15.70
16.Write 260,000 in standard form.
(a)2.6 × 10⁶
(b)26 × 10⁴
(c)2.6 × 10⁵
(d)0.26 × 10⁶
17.Expand and simplify (x − 3)²
(a)x² + 6x + 9
(b)x² − 9
(c)x² − 3x + 9
(d)x² − 6x + 9
18.A pump fills a paddling pool at a rate of 130 litres per hour. Work out the rate in litres per minute, to 2 decimal places.
(a)2.17 litres per minute
(b)130.00 litres per minute
(c)7800.00 litres per minute
(d)2.60 litres per minute
19.Hannah works out 3.1 × 19.6 on her calculator and writes down 6.076. Work out an estimate for 3.1 × 19.6, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
(a)6
(b)62
(c)600
(d)60
20.Two quantities x and y are inversely proportional. When x = 2, the value of y is 15. Work out the value of y when x = 5.
(a)6
(b)12
(c)30
(d)37.5

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.