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%.

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GCSE Foundation sample Paper 2 (calculator)

Maths · GCSE Foundation · Paper 2 · Calculator · 20 questions

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1.A concert hall has 300 seats. 20% of the seats are in the balcony. Work out how many of the seats are in the balcony.
(a)15
(b)6
(c)30
(d)60
2.The graph of P = 480 ÷ V shows how the pressure, P pascals, of a gas depends on its volume, V cm³, at constant temperature. Use the relationship to work out the volume when the pressure is 32 pascals, and then work out by how much the volume increases when the pressure drops to 24 pascals.
(a)8 cm³
(b)5 cm³
(c)15 cm³
(d)20 cm³
3.A photo is enlarged so that its new width is 1.4 times its original width. Write the multiplier that would scale the new width back down to the original width, as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)3/5
(b)5/7
(c)5/2
(d)7/5
4.Which of these correctly compares a 'line' with a 'line segment'?
(a)A line has two endpoints; a segment has none
(b)A line segment is always curved
(c)A line has no endpoints; a segment has two
(d)A line segment is a closed shape
5.180 gardeners at an allotment were asked whether they grow vegetables organically. 100 of the gardeners are on the north plots. 64 of the north-plot gardeners grow organically. 30 of the south-plot gardeners do not grow organically. Work out how many south-plot gardeners grow organically.
(a)64
(b)50
(c)80
(d)30
6.A scatter graph of the number of ice creams sold at a seaside kiosk in Bournemouth and the number of sunburn cases treated at a nearby pharmacy, recorded on the same 30 days, shows strong positive correlation. Which statement about this correlation is correct?
(a)Ice cream sales cause the sunburn cases.
(b)A strong correlation always means causation.
(c)Neither causes the other; sunshine links both.
(d)Sunburn cases cause the ice cream sales.
7.Write '3.2 million' as a number in figures.
(a)320,000
(b)3,002,000
(c)32,000,000
(d)3,200,000
8.Solve the simultaneous equations 2x + y = 7 and x − y = 2.
(a)x = 1, y = 3
(b)x = 3, y = 2
(c)x = 3, y = 1
(d)x = 3, y = −1
9.A science technician mixes 400 g of a salt solution of concentration 5% with 100 g of a salt solution of concentration 25%. Work out the concentration of the mixture.
(a)21%
(b)0.9%
(c)9%
(d)15%
10.A map has a scale of 1 : 20 000. The distance between two villages is 3.4 km in real life. How long is this distance on the map, in centimetres?
(a)17 cm
(b)0.17 cm
(c)1700 cm
(d)170 cm
11.Two ordinary fair dice are rolled and the two scores are added together. Work out the probability that the total is a prime number.
(a)13/36
(b)19/36
(c)7/18
(d)5/12
12.Light travels at 3 × 10⁸ metres per second. Work out how far light travels in 2 × 10⁻⁶ seconds. Give your answer in standard form.
(a)6 × 10² metres
(b)6 × 10¹⁴ metres
(c)6 × 10⁻⁴⁸ metres
(d)5 × 10² metres
13.The diagram shows two curves drawn on the same grid. Curve A is the graph of $y = x^{2}$ . Which equation could represent curve B?
(a) $y = (x - 3)^{2}$
(b) $y = x^{2} - 3$
(c) $y = x^{2} + 3 x$
(d) $y = x^{2} + 3$
14.Order these three values from smallest to largest: 3/8, 0.43, 41%.
(a)3/8, 41%, 0.43
(b)0.43, 41%, 3/8
(c)3/8, 0.43, 41%
(d)41%, 0.43, 3/8
15.Write down which quadrant contains the point (−3, 5) when plotted on a coordinate grid.
(a)third quadrant
(b)second quadrant
(c)first quadrant
(d)fourth quadrant
16.Work out the value of ∛125.
(a)5
(b)375
(c)15625
(d)62.5
17.Which of these is an inequality?
(a)P = 2n + 7
(b)2n + 7 = 15
(c)2n + 7
(d)2n + 7 > 15
18.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?
(a)Map B, where the distance is 20 cm
(b)Map B, where the distance is 40 cm
(c)Map A, where the distance is 40 cm
(d)Map A, where the distance is 20 cm
19.A café is planning its lunch menu. It will offer one soup from 3 choices and one sandwich from 4 choices, but the mushroom soup, one of the 3 soups, will only be served with the cheese sandwich, one of the 4 sandwiches, on a normal day. Work out how many different soup-and-sandwich combinations are available on a normal day.
(a)11
(b)8
(c)12
(d)9
20.A charity shop and a school share collection-box money in the ratio 5 : 8. The charity shop receives £47.50. Work out how much the school receives.
(a)£29.69
(b)£76.00
(c)£57.00
(d)£123.50

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.