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.After a price increase of 10%, a laptop costs £330. Work out the original price.
- 2.Write down 0.2x with its coefficient written as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 3.A tap fills a tank at a rate of 15 litres per minute. Given that 1 litre = 1000 cm³, work out the rate at which the tank fills in cm³ per second.
- 4.A sprinkler waters a sector-shaped patch of a garden with radius 8 m and angle 90°. Work out the perimeter of the watered sector, to 1 decimal place. (Use π = 3.14.)
- 5.At a fête, a game costs £3 to play. The probability of winning is 0.1, and each win pays out £20. 150 people play the game. Work out the fête's expected profit from the game.
- 6.A pupil writes this question for a school survey: “Do you agree that learning matters and that we should be set more homework?” Write down what is wrong with the survey question.
- 7.4ˣ = 64. Work out the value of x.
- 8.A water butt holds 200 litres and is being drained at a steady 8 litres per minute. Write down the function for the amount of water y, in litres, left after x minutes.
- 9.A fruit bowl contains 9 apples and 21 oranges. Write down the ratio of apples to oranges in its simplest form.
- 10.In triangle ABC the angle at A and the angle at C are equal. The side AB is extended beyond B, and the exterior angle formed at B measures 98°. Work out the size of the angle at A.
- 11.A fair four-sided dice, numbered 1 to 4, is rolled twice. Every outcome is listed as an ordered pair, first roll then second roll, such as (2, 3). Work out how many different outcomes are in the list.
- 12.Work out (4 × 10³) × (3 × 10¹). Give your answer in standard form.
- 13.Solve 2x + 7 = x + 13
- 14.A ribbon of length 90 cm is cut into two pieces in the ratio 4:5. Work out the length of the shorter piece.
- 15.A rectangular tile measures 4.5 cm by 6 cm. Work out the area of the tile.
- 16.A laptop costs £720. A carrying case for it costs 1/9 of the price of the laptop. Work out the cost of the carrying case.
- 17.Which expression is equivalent to 0.5(4x + 6) − x?
- 18.A road sign 3 m tall casts a shadow 5 m long. At the same time, a nearby lamppost casts a shadow 10 m long. Work out the height of the lamppost.
- 19.Work out (−3) × 4 + 2 × (−5)
- 20.A map has a scale of 1:25000. A road on the map is 6 cm long. Work out the real-life length of the road, giving your answer in kilometres.
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.