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.In a car park the ratio of vans to cars is 2 : 7. Work out the number of vans as a fraction of the number of cars.
- 2.The graph of y = x² − 5x + 6 crosses the x-axis at two points. By factorising, work out the x-coordinates of these two points.y = x² − 5x + 6
- 3.A charity collects donations from adults and children in the ratio 5:2. Altogether, £238 is collected. Work out how much more the adults donate than the children.
- 4.A train leaves Leeds at 08:47 and arrives in London at 11:05. Work out how long the journey takes.
- 5.A pupil must choose 2 different subjects at random from these five: maths, physics, biology, chemistry and history. Work out the probability that the two subjects chosen are maths and biology.
- 6.A vertical line chart shows the number of goals scored by a football team in each of its 20 matches: 0 goals in 4 matches, 1 goal in 7 matches, 2 goals in 6 matches and 3 goals in 3 matches. Write down the modal number of goals.
- 7.A block of butter has a mass of 250 g, correct to the nearest 10 g. Using m for the mass of the block in grams, write down the error interval for m.
- 8.Solve (2x + 1)/3 = 5
- 9.£120 is shared between three cousins in the ratio 3:4:5. Work out the largest share.
- 10.The point (4, −3) is reflected in the y-axis. Work out the coordinates of the image point.
- 11.A school recorded what 60 students chose for lunch. 35 of the students are in Year 10 and the rest are in Year 11. 20 of the Year 10 students chose a sandwich and 9 of the Year 11 students chose a sandwich. Everyone else chose a hot meal. Work out how many Year 11 students chose a hot meal.
- 12.2/3 of an amount of money is £30. Work out the amount.
- 13.A fundraising chain letter starts with 3 people taking part in round 1. Each following round has 4 times as many people taking part as the round before. Work out the number of people taking part in round 4.
- 14.A box holds 60 crayons. 25 of the crayons are broken and the rest are unbroken. Write the number of unbroken crayons as a fraction of the number of broken crayons. Give your answer in its simplest form.
- 15.In triangle ABC the base BC is 10 cm long and the sloping side AB is 13 cm long. The perpendicular height from A down to BC is 12 cm. Work out the area of triangle ABC.
- 16.In a box of counters the ratio of red counters to blue counters is 4 : 5. What fraction of the counters are blue?
- 17.Point A has coordinates (4, −5). Point B has coordinates (4, 3). Work out the distance between A and B.
- 18.It takes 8 painters 6 days to paint a fence. Working at the same rate, work out how many days 4 painters would take to paint the same fence.
- 19.A washing machine costs £320 before VAT. VAT is charged at 20%. Work out the total price including VAT.
- 20.A shop buys a bike for £150 and sells it, making a profit of £45. Write the selling price as a fraction of the cost price, giving your answer 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.