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.In a youth club the number of girls is 2/3 of the number of boys. What fraction of the members of the club are girls?
- 2.A plumber charges a £40 call-out fee plus £25 for each hour worked. The total charge, £C, for a job lasting h hours is given by C = 40 + 25h. Work out the charge for a job lasting 3 hours, and name what kind of statement C = 40 + 25h is.
- 3.A scale drawing states '1 cm represents 25 m'. Which of these is the correct way to write this scale in the form 1 : n?
- 4.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.
- 5.Two events are independent. The first has probability 2/5 and the second has probability 1/3. Work out the probability that both events happen.
- 6.A pie chart is divided into 10 equal sectors. 6 of those sectors stand for the people who chose purple. Altogether 120 people were asked. Work out how many of them chose purple.
- 7.Two bags of mixed nuts are combined. Bag A has peanuts and cashews in the ratio 2 : 3. Bag B has peanuts and cashews in the ratio 1 : 4. Both bags contain the same total number of nuts. Work out the fraction of the combined mixture that is peanuts.
- 8.Solve 4(x − 3) = 2x + 6.
- 9.A pump fills a paddling pool at a rate of 130 litres per hour. Work out the rate in litres per minute, to 2 decimal places.
- 10.A triangle has vertices A(1, 1), B(5, 1) and C(5, 4). Work out the lengths of AB, BC and CA, and write down whether triangle ABC is right-angled.
- 11.Two games are offered at a school fair, and every one of the 40 pupils in a class plays each game once. In Game A, the probability of winning a prize is 0.2 and the prize is worth £5. In Game B, the probability of winning a prize is 0.1 and the prize is worth £12. Work out which game gives a higher expected total value of prizes for the class, and by how much.
- 12.The highest common factor of two numbers is 4 and their lowest common multiple is 60. One of the numbers is 20. Work out the other number.
- 13.Which expression means 'triple c, then add double d'?
- 14.Map A has a scale of 1 : 25000 and Map B has a scale of 1 : 50000, both showing the same area. A real distance of 10 km is measured on each map. On which map does this distance appear as the longer length, and how long is it on that map, in centimetres?
- 15.A zip-wire is fixed at an angle of 60° to the horizontal ground. The zip-wire is 12 m long. Using the exact value of cos 60°, work out the exact horizontal distance it covers.
- 16.Write 0.25 as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 17.Factorise x² − 64.
- 18.A cyclist rides 30 km in 1 hour 30 minutes. Work out the average speed of the cyclist in km/h.
- 19.Work out −(−3)⁴ + (−3)³
- 20.The ratio of Josh's savings to Mia's savings is 4:7. Mia has £39 more than Josh. Work out Josh's savings.
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.