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)
MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk
- 1.At a swimming pool the ratio of adults to children is 3 : 5. Of the children, 2/5 are boys. What fraction of the people at the pool are boys?
- 2.A point has coordinates (x, y), where x + y = 0 and x is not 0. In which two quadrants could this point lie?
- 3.A 750 g box of cereal costs £2.70. A 500 g box of the same cereal costs £1.95. Work out which box is better value, and its cost per 100 g.
- 4.Write down the mathematical name for a quadrilateral that has exactly one pair of parallel sides.
- 5.A box contains 1 white bead, 4 purple beads and 4 red beads. One bead is taken at random from the box. Work out the probability that the bead is white or purple.
- 6.The lowest temperature in a garden in Sheffield was recorded on each of seven days: 3 °C, 5 °C, 2 °C, 7 °C, 4 °C, 6 °C and 3 °C. Write down what the range of these seven temperatures describes.
- 7.In a fruit crate the ratio of oranges to lemons is 5 : 6. What fraction of the fruit in the crate are lemons?
- 8.p = 4. Work out the value of 2p³.
- 9.1 litre = 100 centilitres. Work out how many centilitres there are in 6 litres.
- 10.The interior angles of a pentagon are 100°, 110°, 120°, x° and x°. Work out the size of each of the two angles marked x°.
- 11.Amir has 3 different coloured pens, red, blue and green, and 2 different types of paper, lined and plain. He wants to choose one pen and one type of paper, and draws a grid to list every combination systematically. Work out how many combinations are in his grid.
- 12.Round 3.947 to 2 decimal places.
- 13.The first five cube numbers are 1, 8, 27, 64, 125. Write down the next cube number in the sequence.
- 14.A rope of length A is 1.5 times as long as a rope of length B. Write the ratio A : B in its simplest form.
- 15.A wooden block is a cuboid measuring 2 cm by 10 cm by 15 cm. Work out the volume of the block.
- 16.Work out 3 + 4 × 2²
- 17.A rectangle is x cm wide and twice as long as it is wide, so its area A cm² is given by A = 2x². Work out A when x = 3.
- 18.Two investors put money into a business in the ratio 3:5. The first investor puts in £1,200. Work out the total amount invested by both investors.
- 19.A jacket normally costs £65. In a sale it is reduced by 20%, and the shop then takes a further £5 off at the till. Work out the final price.
- 20.Three numbers are in the ratio 1:2:3. The three numbers add up to 72. Work out the largest of the three numbers.
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.