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 the value of 2⁻²
- 2.Work out the value of a² − 2b when a = −3 and b = 4.
- 3.A laptop priced at £520 is first increased by 15%, and then the new price is decreased by 20%. Work out the final price of the laptop.
- 4.A bottle holds 2 litres of water. A glass holds 250 ml. Work out how many of these glasses can be filled from one full bottle.
- 5.A bag is known to contain red, blue and green counters in equal numbers, so the theoretical probability of taking each colour is 1/3. In 90 trials with replacement, red was taken 38 times, blue was taken 26 times and green was taken 26 times. Which colour is over-represented compared with its theoretical probability?
- 6.Isla wants to find out the favourite television programme of the pupils at her school. She asks only her own close group of friends. Write down what is wrong with her sample.
- 7.Work out the value of √(16 + 9)
- 8.The first term of an arithmetic sequence is 5, and each term after that increases by 6. Work out the 8th term of the sequence.
- 9.A parcel has a mass of 2400 g. Given that 1 kg = 1000 g, work out the mass of the parcel in kilograms.
- 10.Each of these has an exact value. Write down the one whose value is the greatest.
- 11.Two ordinary fair dice are rolled. Work out the probability that both dice show the same score.
- 12.Work out an estimate for 89 + 52, by rounding each number to the nearest 10.
- 13.Which of these is a factor of 15x + 20?
- 14.The ratio of the number of pages Mia has read to the number of pages Leo has read is 7 : 4. Mia has read 84 pages. Work out how many pages they have read altogether.
- 15.A sector of a circle has radius 15 cm and angle 216°. Using π = 3.14, work out the arc length of the sector.
- 16.A spinner has 4 colours and a coin has 2 sides. Work out how many different outcomes are possible when the spinner is spun once and the coin is tossed once.
- 17.A student says that 5(x + 2) is equivalent to 5x + 2. Which statement explains why the student is wrong?
- 18.A bag contains 7 red counters and 15 blue counters. Write down the ratio of red counters to blue counters in its simplest form.
- 19.A grain of fine sand has a mass of 0.001 grams. Write this mass in standard form.
- 20.Two mathematically similar cubes have edge lengths 2 cm and 6 cm. Write the ratio of the volume of the smaller cube to the volume of the larger cube 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.