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 necklace is made from red beads and gold beads in the ratio 7 : 3. What fraction of the beads are gold?
(a)3/7
(b)7/3
(c)7/10
(d)3/10
2.A school trip costs a £15 deposit plus £9 per student for the coach. The total cost for a class is £186. Work out how many students went on the trip.
(a)22.33
(b)20.67
(c)19
(d)11.8
3.Isla and her brother share £60 in the ratio 1:2. Work out Isla's share.
(a)£40
(b)£20
(c)£120
(d)£30
4.In quadrilateral WXYZ, which of the following correctly names the angle at vertex Y using standard notation?
(a)∠YZW
(b)∠WXY
(c)∠XYZ
(d)∠ZWX
5.A bag contains 5 red counters and 3 blue counters. A counter is taken at random, its colour is noted, and it is put back in the bag before a second counter is taken at random. Work out the probability that both counters are the same colour.
(a)17/32
(b)13/28
(c)15/64
(d)25/64
6.A town council wants to find out about the eating habits of the people who live in the town. It asks only the members of a local sports club. Give a reason why this sample is biased.
(a)The club has more members than the council needs
(b)The members were picked at random, so some will not reply
(c)Club members probably eat differently from most people
(d)Everyone asked lives in the town, so all are covered
7.Write 12 as a product of its prime factors.
(a)2² × 3
(b)2 × 3²
(c)2 × 3
(d)2 × 6
8.A phone company works out a monthly bill, £B, using the formula B = 18 + 0.05t, where £18 is the fixed monthly charge and t is the number of extra text messages sent beyond the free allowance, each charged at 5p. Farida's bill for one month is £24.50. Work out the number of extra text messages, t, she sent.
(a)130
(b)13
(c)65
(d)490
9.The same jumper is sold at two shops. Shop A charges £40 and Shop B charges £50. Write down the price at Shop A as a percentage of the price at Shop B.
(a)90%
(b)80%
(c)20%
(d)125%
10.Shape S has a vertex at (9, 6). It is enlarged by a scale factor of 1/3, centre the origin. Work out the coordinates of the image of this vertex.
(a)(6, 4)
(b)(27, 18)
(c)(3, 2)
(d)(3, 6)
11.The probability that Priya scores with a netball shot is 3/4. She takes two shots, and the shots are independent. Work out the probability that she scores with her first shot but misses her second shot.
(a)3/4
(b)9/16
(c)3/16
(d)1/2
12.Work out the value of 2⁻²
(a)4
(b)−4
(c)1/4
(d)−1/4
13.Solve the simultaneous equations 3x + 2y = 16 and x + y = 7. Work out the value of y.
(a)2
(b)5
(c)9
(d)−5
14.The ratio of the amount Noah has saved to the amount Grace has saved is 4:5. Noah has saved £200. Work out how much they have saved altogether.
(a)£250
(b)£400
(c)£450
(d)£360
15.A jug holds 750 ml of water. Work out what fraction of a litre this is.
(a)3/4
(b)1/4
(c)4/3
(d)3/10
16.A number line runs from 0 to 1 and is divided into 4 equal parts. Which mark on the line represents 1/4?
(a)the third mark after 0
(b)the second mark after 0
(c)the fourth mark after 0
(d)the first mark after 0
17.A printer starts a job with 480 sheets of paper loaded and prints at a steady rate. The number of sheets left, S, after t minutes is given by S = 480 − 24t. Work out how many minutes it takes for the paper to run out completely.
(a)20
(b)456
(c)0.05
(d)480
18.Triangle ABC has a right angle at C. AC = 3 cm and BC = 4 cm. Triangle ABC is mathematically similar to triangle PQR, with angle B corresponding to angle Q. Work out the value of tan(angle Q).
(a)3/4
(b)4/3
(c)3/7
(d)4/7
19.Work out 3 1/5 + 1 2/3. Give your answer as a mixed number in its simplest form.
(a)4 3/8
(b)3 13/15
(c)4 1/5
(d)4 13/15
20.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

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.