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.The number 36 can be written as 2² × 3², and the number 84 can be written as 2² × 3 × 7. Work out the highest common factor of 36 and 84.
- 2.A point has coordinates (x, y). In which two quadrants is the product x × y positive?
- 3.In a recipe the mass of chocolate to the mass of milk is in the ratio 1:4. Amelia uses 200 g of milk. Work out the mass of chocolate she needs.
- 4.A transversal crosses a pair of parallel lines. At one line, the angle is (5x + 4)°. The corresponding angle at the other line is (3x + 24)°. Work out the value of x.
- 5.A spinner lands on one of four colours: amber, black, cyan or damson. The probability it lands on amber is 0.18, on black is 0.22 and on cyan is 0.24. Work out the probability that it lands on amber or damson.
- 6.Work out the median of these six numbers: 13, 21, 22, 36, 37, 47
- 7.Write 60 as a product of its prime factors, using index notation.
- 8.p = 4. Work out the value of 2p³.
- 9.Which of these ratios is already written in its simplest form?
- 10.At a point on a straight line, two angles are formed. One of them is 63°. Work out the size of the other angle.
- 11.One card is taken at random from an ordinary pack of 52 playing cards. 26 of the cards are red. Work out the probability that the card is red. Give your answer as a percentage.
- 12.Amelia eats 5/8 of a bar of chocolate and Oliver eats 3/4 of an identical bar. Write both amounts as eighths and write down the greater of the two fractions.
- 13.Solve the inequality 3x + 6 ≤ 0.
- 14.Three numbers are in the ratio 1:2:3. The three numbers add up to 72. Work out the largest of the three numbers.
- 15.Two circles are drawn with the same centre but different radii. Write down the term used to describe this pair of circles.
- 16.Write down the reciprocal of 5/8
- 17.Jack is x years old. His brother Kwame is 3 years older than Jack. Write down an expression for Kwame's age.
- 18.A furniture designer makes a scale model of a wardrobe using a scale of 1 : 8. The real wardrobe is 2.4 m tall and 1.2 m wide. Work out the perimeter of the front face of the model wardrobe, in centimetres.
- 19.A metal cube has a mass of 540 g and a volume of 60 cm³. Work out its density in g/cm³.
- 20.Two mathematically similar cylinders have heights in the ratio 3 : 4. Write the ratio of their volumes 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.