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.Four weather stations each recorded their lowest overnight temperature. Which of these readings is the lowest?
(a)−15 °C
(b)−1 °C
(c)−7 °C
(d)0 °C
2.Two expressions are 6(x − 1) and 6x − 6. A student says these are equivalent for every value of x. Is the student correct?
(a)Yes, but only when x is a whole number.
(b)No, since 6(x − 1) means 6x − 1.
(c)No, brackets always change an expression's value.
(d)Yes, since expanding 6(x − 1) gives 6x − 6.
3.Two quantities y and z are each in direct proportion to x, and are given by y = 3x and z = 7x. Work out the difference between the value of y and the value of z when x = 4.
y = 3x
(a)40
(b)16
(c)28
(d)4
4.A landscaper marks out two triangular flower beds using stakes and a tape measure. Bed 1 has two edges of 5 m and 7 m, meeting at a corner with a marked angle of 60° between them. Bed 2 has edges of 5 m and 7 m, meeting at a corner also marked at 60° between them. The landscaper wants to check the two beds will be exactly the same size and shape using only these three measurements. Which condition proves the two beds are congruent?
(a)ASA
(b)SAS
(c)RHS
(d)SSS
5.A raffle has two independent draws. In the first, a winning ticket is picked at random from 5 red tickets and 3 blue tickets. In the second, a winning number is picked using a fair spinner with 4 equal sections, numbered 1 to 4. Work out the probability that the first winning ticket is blue and the second winning number is greater than 2.
(a)5/16
(b)1/2
(c)3/8
(d)3/16
6.A sports shop in Cardiff sold 40 pairs of football boots last month: 4 pairs of size 6, 5 pairs of size 7, 8 pairs of size 8, 13 pairs of size 9 and 10 pairs of size 10. The manager will order 40 pairs for next month and wants as many pairs as possible to be in a size customers will buy. Work out the mean size and the modal size, and write down which of the two he should use.
(a)The modal size, 9, bought by more customers than any other
(b)The range of the sizes, 4, which covers every size sold
(c)The mean size, 8, the average of the five sizes on sale
(d)The mean size, 8.5, which takes account of all 40 pairs
7.Work out an estimate for 6.8 × 41, by rounding each number to 1 significant figure.
(a)28
(b)240
(c)280
(d)350
8.Which of these is an expression?
(a)P = 5y − 2
(b)5y − 2 > 8
(c)5y − 2
(d)5y − 2 = 8
9.Write 350 ml : 1.4 l as a ratio in its simplest form.
(a)2:8
(b)25:1
(c)4:1
(d)1:4
10.A polygon has 9 sides. What is the name of this polygon?
(a)Octagon
(b)Nonagon
(c)Heptagon
(d)Decagon
11.The probability that Priya's dentist appointment overruns is 0.35. Work out the probability that it does not overrun.
(a)1.35
(b)0.35
(c)0.65
(d)0.75
12.Work out 2/3 × 3/4 exactly, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)17/12
(b)1/2
(c)8/9
(d)2
13.A charity's fundraising total, T pounds, over d days follows T = (d − 3)(30 − d) for 3 ≤ d ≤ 30, where T = 0 marks the start and end of the campaign. Work out how many days the campaign runs for, from start to end.
(a)24 days
(b)30 days
(c)27 days
(d)33 days
14.A graph shows y plotted against x. The graph is a curve that gets closer to both axes but never touches them, and y decreases as x increases. Write down whether this graph could show direct proportion, inverse proportion, or neither.
(a)Inverse proportion
(b)Neither, because the graph does not pass through the origin
(c)Neither, because a curve cannot show a proportional relationship
(d)Direct proportion
15.In parallelogram ABCD the vertices are labelled in order round the shape, so angle A and angle B are at the two ends of the same side. Angle A is 70°. Work out the size of angle B.
(a)110°
(b)20°
(c)290°
(d)70°
16.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
17.Solve the inequality x + 5 < 12.
(a)x < 7
(b)x < 17
(c)x > 7
(d)x < −7
18.Jamal invests £600 in a savings account paying 3% simple interest per year. Work out the total amount in the account after 4 years.
(a)£675.31
(b)£72
(c)£672
(d)£618
19.A car is hired from 10:00 on Monday until 16:00 on Thursday. Work out the total length of the hire, in hours.
(a)54 hours
(b)78 hours
(c)66 hours
(d)96 hours
20.A photo is enlarged so that its new width is 1.4 times its original width. Write the multiplier that would scale the new width back down to the original width, as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)3/5
(b)5/7
(c)5/2
(d)7/5

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.