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.Work out an estimate for 2.9² + 3.1², by rounding each number to the nearest whole number.
- 2.y = x + 4. Work out the value of y when x = 3.y = x + 4
- 3.A straight-line graph passes through the origin and the point (4, 10). The line represents y = kx. Write down the ratio x : y in its simplest form.
- 4.P is the point (3, 4) and Q is the point (6, 0). Work out the distance of each point from the origin, and write down which point is closer to the origin.
- 5.Five raffle tickets numbered 1 to 5 are in a bag. Two tickets are drawn one after the other and the first is not put back. Work out the probability that ticket 1 is drawn first and ticket 2 is drawn second.
- 6.The weekly wages of the five people who work at a small garage in Norwich are £420, £440, £460, £480 and £1,500. Write down which average better describes a typical wage at this garage, and give a reason for your answer.
- 7.Postage on a parcel is calculated as £4.60, correct to the nearest 20p. Which of these could not be the actual cost of the postage?
- 8.Solve the simultaneous equations 2x + y = 7 and x − y = 2.
- 9.Aisha invests £3200 in Account A, which pays 5% compound interest each year. She also invests £3200 in Account B, which pays 3% simple interest each year. Work out how much more Account A is worth than Account B after 2 years.
- 10.The curved part of a circle's circumference, between two points on the circle, has its own name. Write down this name.
- 11.The universal set is {1, 2, 3, ..., 30}. Set A is the set of multiples of 4 between 1 and 30. Work out n(A′), the number of elements not in A.
- 12.Write 0.45 as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 13.The simple interest, £I, earned on a savings account is given by the formula I = PRT/100, where P is the amount invested in pounds, R is the interest rate per year and T is the time in years. Rearrange the formula to make P the subject.
- 14.A scale drawing of a playground is drawn to a scale of 1 : 300. A slide measures 4 cm on the drawing. Work out the real length of the slide, in centimetres.
- 15.An angle measures 108°. Write down the name given to an angle of this size.
- 16.Which of these is equal to 5³?
- 17.The formula for the circumference of a circle is C = 2πr, where r is the radius. Make r the subject of the formula.
- 18.A worker is paid £13.20 per hour. Work out this rate of pay in pence per minute.
- 19.The population of a planet is 8 × 10⁹. Write this population as an ordinary number.
- 20.Work out the difference between 45% of 70 and 35% of 80.
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.