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 quarter-circle has a radius of 6 cm. Work out the exact perimeter of the quarter-circle, giving your answer in terms of π.
- 2.For the equation 2x + 3 = 11, and the inequality 2x + 3 > 11, which statement correctly compares their solutions?
- 3.Two broadband providers show their monthly cost on straight-line graphs, with the cost in pounds on the vertical axis and the data used in gigabytes on the horizontal axis. Provider X's line passes through (0, 15) and (100, 35). Provider Y's line passes through (0, 5) and (100, 45). Work out which provider is cheaper for a customer who uses 40 gigabytes in a month.
- 4.A builder props a straight plank against a vertical wall to reach a window ledge. The foot of the plank is 2.1 m from the base of the wall, and the plank is 3.5 m long. Work out how high up the wall the plank reaches.
- 5.A train company runs 25 trains a day, every day. The probability that any one train is late is 0.08. Work out how many late trains the company should expect over a period of 4 weeks.
- 6.The mean of three numbers is 50. A fourth number, 100, is added to the set. Work out the mean of the four numbers.
- 7.The number of visitors to a museum on Saturday is given as 1,800, correct to the nearest 100. Which of these could not be the actual number of visitors?
- 8.A plumber charges a call-out fee plus an hourly rate. The total cost, y in pounds, of a job lasting x hours is given by y = 45x + 60. Work out the total cost of a job that lasts 3 hours.y = 45x + 60
- 9.Write 3 hours 45 minutes as a decimal number of hours.
- 10.A solid cylinder is lying on its curved side on a table, with its circular ends facing left and right. What shape is its plan view, looking down from above?
- 11.At a quiz night, each team's result is a win, a draw or a loss, and no team can have more than one of these results. The probability that a team wins is 42% and the probability that a team draws is 18.5%. Work out the probability, as a percentage, that a team does not win and does not draw.
- 12.A fruit bowl contains apples, pears and plums in the ratio 3 : 4 : 5. What fraction of the fruit are not plums?
- 13.The point A lies on the x-axis. Which statement about A must be true?
- 14.A recipe requires flour and butter in the ratio 3 : 2. Write down which of these amounts could be used in the recipe.
- 15.A shop sells a scale model of a van. The model and the real van are similar shapes, with lengths in the ratio 1 : 24. The model is 18.5 cm long. Work out the length of the real van, giving your answer in metres.
- 16.A pack contains 20 stickers. Noah gives 1/5 of the pack to his sister. Work out how many stickers he gives away.
- 17.Grace says that 2(x + 1) and 2x + 2 always have the same value. Work out the value of both expressions when x = 3.
- 18.A charity shop and a school share collection-box money in the ratio 5 : 8. The charity shop receives £47.50. Work out how much the school receives.
- 19.Write 0.36 as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 20.A rectangular garden has its length and width in the ratio 5:3. Given that the perimeter of the garden is 64 m, work out the width of the garden.
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.