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 space probe is 7.5 × 10⁸ km from Earth. Write this distance as an ordinary number.
- 2.A candle is 30 cm tall when lit and burns at a constant rate. After burning for 5 minutes, its height is 20 cm. The height h cm after t minutes is given by h = 30 − mt. Work out the value of m.
- 3.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.
- 4.Three angles meet at a single point on one side of a straight line. Two of the angles are 48° and 65°. Work out the third angle.
- 5.A two-way table records how 130 pupils travel to school. 70 of the pupils are girls and the rest are boys. 42 of the girls walk to school and the rest of the girls cycle. 33 of the boys walk to school. Work out what fraction of the girls walk to school.
- 6.The mean of three numbers is 50. A fourth number, 100, is added to the set. Work out the mean of the four numbers.
- 7.Work out −4.5 + 2.8.
- 8.A statement contains an equals sign and one unknown letter, and it is only true for particular value(s) of that letter. What is this type of statement called?
- 9.Three friends share a raffle prize of £360 in the ratio 2:3:4. Work out the share of the friend whose part of the ratio is 3.
- 10.Write down the exact value of sin 60°.
- 11.A school recorded what 60 students chose for lunch. 35 of the students are in Year 10 and the rest are in Year 11. 20 of the Year 10 students chose a sandwich and 9 of the Year 11 students chose a sandwich. Everyone else chose a hot meal. Work out how many Year 11 students chose a hot meal.
- 12.Write these numbers in order, starting with the smallest: 5, −8, 0, −3, 2
- 13.Solve 3(2x − 1) = 27
- 14.In a class, 50% of the students study French, 30% study Spanish and the rest study German. Write down the ratio of French : Spanish : German students, in its simplest form.
- 15.The point (4, −3) is reflected in the y-axis. Work out the coordinates of the image point.
- 16.A red blood cell has a diameter of about 7 × 10⁻⁶ metres. A virus has a diameter about 100 times smaller. Work out the diameter of the virus. Give your answer in standard form.
- 17.A table shows y = x² − 6x + 5 at these points (x, y): (0, 5), (1, 0), (2, −3), (3, −4), (4, −3), (5, 0), (6, 5). Using the symmetry shown, write down the x-coordinate of the turning point.y = x² − 6x + 5
- 18.A solution is made by dissolving 50 g of sugar in 200 g of water. Work out the concentration of sugar in the solution as a percentage.
- 19.A cinema has 250 seats. 12% of the seats are reserved. Work out how many of the seats are reserved.
- 20.The table shows values of x and y. x: 3, 5, 8. y: 12, 20, 32. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between x and y?
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.