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.Leah measures the length of her classroom with a tape measure marked in centimetres. She writes the length down as 7.3157 m. Give a reason why this is not an appropriate degree of accuracy.
- 2.Which of these equations gives a straight-line graph when plotted?
- 3.At a youth club the ratio of juniors to seniors is 3:5. There are 40 members altogether. Work out how many seniors there are.
- 4.The diagram shows the plan of the base layer of a solid built from identical cubes. A second layer of cubes is added on top, filling the entire base layer to a height of 2 cubes everywhere. Work out how many squares are visible in the plan view of this solid.
- 5.A card is taken at random from an ordinary pack of 52 playing cards. The pack contains 4 aces and 4 kings. Work out the probability that the card is an ace or a king.
- 6.The rainfall, in millimetres, was recorded in Cambridge on six days: 12, 5, 9, 15, 3 and 11. Work out the range of the rainfall.
- 7.The number of pages in a book is 240, correct to the nearest 10 pages. Write down the error interval for the actual number of pages, n.
- 8.A square has vertices at (−2, 3), (−2, −3) and (4, −3). Write down the coordinates of the fourth vertex.
- 9.A train journey takes 2 hours 15 minutes. A bus journey to the same place takes 3 hours 45 minutes. Write the time for the train journey as a fraction of the time for the bus journey, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 10.A chord divides a circle into two segments of different sizes. Write down the name given to the smaller of the two segments.
- 11.A frequency tree records the results of 160 patients who took a new medicine. It splits them into those who reported side effects and those who did not. 15% of the patients reported side effects. Work out how many of the 160 patients did not report side effects.
- 12.A car manufacturer offers a car in 6 colours and 4 trim levels. Two colour-and-trim combinations are not available: red with sport trim, and white with sport trim. Work out how many different colour-and-trim combinations are available.
- 13.Write down the coordinates of the point where the line y = 2x + 4 crosses the y-axis.y = 2x + 4
- 14.A recipe for 4 people needs 300 g of rice. Work out how much rice is needed for 6 people, assuming the amount is in direct proportion to the number of people.
- 15.A sector of a circle has an angle of 150°. Work out what fraction of the circle's area the sector is.
- 16.Work out 0.6 × 0.04.
- 17.Work out the value of n² − n when n = −3
- 18.Write the ratio 5 : 8 in the form 1 : n.
- 19.A country has an area of 25,000,000 hectares. Write this area in standard form.
- 20.The angles of a triangle are in the ratio 2:3:4. Work out the size of the smallest angle.
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.