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.A concrete mix is made from cement and sand in the ratio 3 : 5 by mass. A builder mixes 96 kg of concrete. Work out the mass of cement in the mix.
- 2.Work out the y-intercept of the graph of y = x² + 3x − 10.y = x² + 3x − 10
- 3.A car is bought for £12000. Its value falls by 15% in the first year and by 10% in each year after that. Work out the value of the car 3 years after it was bought.
- 4.A translation is described by the column vector . Write down the column vector of the translation that undoes it.
- 5.A spinner has three equal sections, coloured red, blue and green. It is spun twice, and each outcome is listed as an ordered pair of colours, such as (red, blue). Work out how many outcomes are in the full list.
- 6.The mean of three numbers is 50. A fourth number, 100, is added to the set. Work out the mean of the four numbers.
- 7.A bag of flour is labelled 1.5 kg, correct to the nearest 0.1 kg. The true mass of the flour is m kg. Which inequality gives all the possible values of m?
- 8.Ben writes n + 4 ≤ 9. Which statement describes what Ben has written? Give a reason for your answer.
- 9.The rent on a flat increases by 10% one year and by a further 10% the following year. Work out the overall percentage increase over the two years.
- 10.A path goes from A(1, 1) to B(1, 5), then from B to C(6, 5). Work out the total length of the path from A to C.
- 11.A bag contains 2 white counters and 8 black counters. One counter is taken at random from the bag. Work out the probability that the counter is not black.
- 12.A recipe states that a cake needs 200 g of flour, correct to the nearest 25 g. Work out the smallest possible mass of flour, in grams, that could actually be used.
- 13.The first four terms of a sequence are 4, 6, 8, 10. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 14.A map has a scale of 1 : 1000. A road is 300 m long in real life. Work out the length of the road on the map, in centimetres.
- 15.How many vertices does a cylinder have?
- 16.A garden has flowers, herbs and vegetables in the ratio 2 : 3 : 4. What fraction of the garden is not vegetables?
- 17.A quadratic graph has equation y = (x − 4)². A student says this graph crosses the x-axis at two different points. Explain why the student is wrong.
- 18.The ratio of Josh's savings to Mia's savings is 4:7. Mia has £39 more than Josh. Work out Josh's savings.
- 19.A number is divided by 5, then 6 is subtracted, giving the result −1. Work out the number.
- 20.Write 350 ml : 1.4 l as a ratio in its simplest form.
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.