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 (6 × 10⁷) + (3 × 10⁶). Give your answer in standard form.
- 2.Expand and simplify 2(a + 6) − 2(a − 7)
- 3.A sum of £150 is divided between Ben and Chloe in the ratio 2:3. Work out Chloe's share.
- 4.ABCD is an isosceles trapezium. The sides AB and DC are parallel, and the two sloping sides AD and BC are equal in length. Angle D is 112°. Work out the size of angle B.
- 5.150 pupils are asked about swimming and cycling, and the results are recorded on a frequency tree. The first pair of branches splits the 150 pupils into 90 who swim and 60 who do not swim. Of the 90 who swim, 54 also cycle. Of the 60 who do not swim, 18 cycle. Work out P(S ∩ C), the probability that a pupil, chosen at random, swims and cycles. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 6.A scatter graph of taxi journeys in Bristol shows the distance, x miles, and the fare, y pounds. The line of best fit is y = 2x + 3.50. Work out the estimated fare for a journey of 6 miles, using the line of best fit.y = 2x + 3.5
- 7.A gardener has 42 tulip bulbs and 56 daffodil bulbs. She plants them in rows, with every row containing the same number of tulip bulbs and the same number of daffodil bulbs, and no bulbs left over. Work out the greatest number of rows she can plant.
- 8.Grace has t books. Noah has 1 book fewer than Grace. Write down an expression for the number of books Noah has.
- 9.A colony of bacteria has 400 bacteria. The number increases by 15% each hour. Work out the number of bacteria after 1 hour.
- 10.A triangle has a base of 8 cm and a perpendicular height of 5 cm. Work out its area.
- 11.The probability that a spinner lands on blue is 2/5. Write this probability as a percentage.
- 12.During one night on a mountain, four hikers each recorded the temperature they felt: Ben −6 °C, Priya −2 °C, Sam −9 °C, Alex 1 °C. Work out the difference between the coldest and the warmest of these four temperatures.
- 13.The nth term of a sequence is 3n + 2. Work out the 4th term of the sequence.
- 14.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.
- 15.How many faces does a cuboid have?
- 16.Work out an estimate for 89 + 52, by rounding each number to the nearest 10.
- 17.A plumber charges a call-out fee of £30 plus £25 for each hour worked. The total bill for a job was £130. Work out how many hours the plumber worked.
- 18.The value of a motorbike falls by 12% each year. The motorbike is worth £3200 now. Write down the calculation that gives its value after 3 years.
- 19.A three-digit code is made using the digits 1, 2 and 3, and each digit may be used more than once. Work out how many different three-digit codes can be made.
- 20.A bottle contains 1.5 litres of juice. Given that 1 litre = 1000 ml, work out the capacity of the bottle in millilitres.
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.