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.Grace buys three items costing £9.95, £19.90 and £4.99. Work out an estimate for the total cost, by rounding each price to the nearest pound.
- 2.A coach company charges a booking fee plus a price for each passenger. A booking for 1 passenger costs £9, for 2 passengers costs £15, for 3 passengers costs £21, and for 4 passengers costs £27. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the cost in pounds of a booking for n passengers.
- 3.The price of a jacket increases by 50% and then decreases by 50%. Describe the overall change from the original price.
- 4.A gardener wants to buy edging trim to go all the way around a circular flower bed with a diameter of 8 m. Work out the length of edging trim needed, using π = 3.14. Give your answer to the nearest metre.
- 5.Jack rolls two ordinary fair dice and adds the two scores together. Work out the probability that the total is 6.
- 6.A café sold 10 sandwiches on each of four days: 10, 10, 10, 10. Work out the range of the numbers sold.
- 7.Work out an estimate for 6.4 × 3.9, by rounding each number to the nearest whole number.
- 8.A regular hexagon has sides of length (x + 2) cm. Write down an expression, in terms of x, for the perimeter of the hexagon.
- 9.A toy manufacturer makes a model aircraft that is mathematically similar to the real aircraft, at a scale of 1 : 48. The wingspan of the model is 15 cm. Work out the wingspan of the real aircraft, giving your answer in metres.
- 10.Triangle ABC has AB = 10 cm, BC = 7 cm and angle A = 40°. Triangle DEF has DE = 10 cm, EF = 7 cm and angle D = 40°. Sam says the two triangles are congruent by SAS. Which statement about Sam's claim is correct?
- 11.A bag contains 3 red beads and 7 blue beads. A bead is taken out at random and not put back. A second bead is then taken out at random. Work out the probability that the first bead is red and the second bead is also red.
- 12.Work out ∛(−27) + ∛8
- 13.a = 3 and b = 5. Work out the value of a²b.
- 14.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?
- 15.Lines AB and CD cross at a point, forming four right angles where they meet. Which notation correctly describes the relationship between AB and CD?
- 16.A vending machine sells 4 types of crisps, 5 types of chocolate bar and 2 types of drink. Work out how many different combinations of one crisp packet, one chocolate bar and one drink can be bought.
- 17.Which of these is a term, rather than a whole expression, an equation, or a formula?
- 18.y is inversely proportional to x. When x = 5, y = 8. Work out the value of y when x = 10.
- 19.Write 45,000 in standard form.
- 20.Two numbers A and B are in the ratio 3:5. When 6 is added to B, the ratio of A to the new value of B is 1:2. Work out the value of A.
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.