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)
MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk
- 1.Sam compares 0.6 and 5/8 by comparing the digit 6 with the digit 5, and says that 0.6 is the larger number. Convert 5/8 to a decimal to find the correct larger value.
- 2.A colony of bacteria doubles in number every hour. At 9am there are 5 bacteria in the colony. Work out how many bacteria there will be at 12 noon.
- 3.8 identical pens cost £6.40 in total. Work out the cost of 5 of the same pens.
- 4.Point A has coordinates (2, 5). Point A is translated to point B using the column vector with top number 6 and bottom number −3. Write down the coordinates of point B.
- 5.A spinner has three equal sections, coloured red, blue and green. It is spun twice, and each outcome is listed as an ordered pair of colours, such as (red, blue). Work out how many outcomes are in the full list.
- 6.A café in Preston records the type of drink ordered by 20 customers one morning: tea 8, coffee 7, hot chocolate 4 and juice 1. Write down the modal drink.
- 7.Work out the value of √49 + ∛27
- 8.Work out the value of (x − 4)/2 + 3 when x = 10
- 9.The number of calories burned, E, by a runner is plotted against the time, m minutes, on a straight-line graph. The line passes through the origin and the point (10, 80). Work out the gradient of the line.
- 10.A rectangular photograph has an area of 96 cm². One of its sides is 8 cm long. Work out the length of the other side.
- 11.A box contains cards labelled 1, 2 and 3. A card is drawn at random and its number noted, then it is put back. A second card is then drawn at random. Every outcome is listed as an ordered pair, such as (1, 2). Work out how many of the outcomes in the full list have both numbers the same.
- 12.Bella's electricity supplier charges 28.5p per unit (kWh). Last month she used 340 units. Work out the total cost, giving your answer in pounds.
- 13.A phone plan costs a fixed £15 per month plus 8p per minute of calls. In one month, Jamal's bill was £23.80. Form an equation using m for the number of minutes, and solve it to find how many minutes Jamal used that month.
- 14.Two quantities, P and Q, are in inverse proportion. A graph is drawn with P on the vertical axis and Q on the horizontal axis. Write down which description fits the shape of this graph.
- 15.The diagram shows the plan view and the front elevation of a cuboid-shaped box, each drawn as a rectangle. Work out the area of the box's side elevation, in square centimetres.
- 16.Write down the reciprocal of 5/8
- 17.A pattern is made from tiles. Pattern 1 has 7 tiles, pattern 2 has 11 tiles, pattern 3 has 15 tiles, and pattern 4 has 19 tiles, with each new pattern having 4 more tiles than the one before it. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the number of tiles in pattern n.
- 18.3 builders put up a fence in 12 days. All the builders work at the same rate, so the number of days is inversely proportional to the number of builders. Work out how long 9 builders take to put up the same fence.
- 19.Work out (−2)² − 3
- 20.Write 350 ml : 1.4 l as a ratio 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.