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.A box holds n pencils. A shop has 6 full boxes and 4 loose pencils. All of these pencils are shared equally between 2 classes. Write down the expression for the number of pencils each class receives.
- 3.At an animal shelter, the ratio of cats to dogs is 2:5. There are 18 more dogs than cats. Work out the number of cats.
- 4.A jug holds 750 ml of water. Work out what fraction of a litre this is.
- 5.At a school fête, a tombola stall costs £1.50 to play. The probability of winning is 0.2, and the prize is worth £6. Work out the stall's expected profit, on average, from each game played.
- 6.Seven pupils were asked how many books they had read last month. Their answers were 3, 5, 5, 7, 8, 5, 3. Write down the mode.
- 7.A pack contains 20 stickers. Noah gives 1/5 of the pack to his sister. Work out how many stickers he gives away.
- 8.Which of these rules generates the sequence 6, 11, 16, 21, …?
- 9.Ollie says that the ratio 6 : 15 is equivalent to the ratio 2 : 5. Is he correct? Give a reason for your answer.
- 10.Two identical ladders lean against the same vertical wall from opposite sides, each making an angle of 58.2° with the ground. The two ladders and the ground form a triangle. Work out the size of the angle between the two ladders at the top, where they meet.
- 11.A fair six-sided dice is rolled once. Work out the probability that the score is greater than 4.
- 12.Write these numbers in order, starting with the smallest: 3, −1, 0, −5
- 13.The first five terms of a sequence are 6, 10, 14, 18, 22. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term.
- 14.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.
- 15.In the RHS congruence condition, which three facts must be true about two triangles for RHS to prove they are congruent?
- 16.Work out (4 × 10⁻³) × (2 × 10⁵). Give your answer in standard form.
- 17.The diagram shows a straight line passing through the origin, drawn on a numbered grid. Which of these points lies on the line?
- 18.A cordial drink is made by mixing cordial concentrate and water in the ratio 1 : 6. Freya says that a 700 ml jug of this drink contains 100 ml of concentrate. Is she correct? Give a reason for your answer.
- 19.Two-digit numbers are formed using the digits 2, 5, 7 and 8, and each digit may be used only once in a number. Work out how many of these two-digit numbers are even.
- 20.y is directly proportional to x, and y = 7x. Work out the value of x when y = 35.y = 7x
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.