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.Write the fraction 47/50 as a decimal.
- 2.Which expression is equivalent to 7x − 3(2x − 6)?
- 3.Two printers' running costs are shown on separate straight-line graphs of total cost against number of pages printed. Printer A's graph has gradient £0.04 per page. Printer B's graph has gradient £0.05 per page. Work out how much cheaper it is to print 200 pages on Printer A than on Printer B, based on these running costs alone.
- 4.Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic conditions used to prove two triangles are congruent?
- 5.A box contains cards labelled 1, 2 and 3. A card is drawn at random and its number noted, then it is put back. A second card is then drawn at random. Every outcome is listed as an ordered pair, such as (1, 2). Work out how many of the outcomes in the full list have both numbers the same.
- 6.The masses of eight school bags, in kilograms, are 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11. Work out the median mass.
- 7.Write down the reciprocal of 5/8
- 8.The first term of an arithmetic sequence is 5, and each term after that increases by 6. Work out the 8th term of the sequence.
- 9.A company's turnover was £128 000 in 2023 and £176 000 in 2024. Work out the multiplier that changes the 2023 turnover into the 2024 turnover.
- 10.A train leaves Leeds at 08:47 and arrives in London at 11:05. Work out how long the journey takes.
- 11.The probability that Kofi passes his driving test on any attempt is 0.6, and each attempt is independent of the others. Work out the probability that he fails both his first two attempts.
- 12.Write 0.00072 in standard form.
- 13.Expand and simplify 2(a + 6) − 2(a − 7)
- 14.A coach travels 210 miles at an average speed of 70 mph. Work out how long the journey takes.
- 15.A sector of a circle has radius 6 cm and an area of 4.71 cm². Using π = 3.14, work out the angle of the sector.
- 16.At midday the temperature in the Lake District was 3 °C. By midnight it had fallen to −6 °C. Work out the fall in temperature.
- 17.A square has vertices at (−2, 3), (−2, −3) and (4, −3). Write down the coordinates of the fourth vertex.
- 18.A car travels 150 km in 3 hours at a constant speed. Work out the average speed of the car, in km/h.
- 19.Write 200 as a product of its prime factors, using index notation.
- 20.A recipe uses flour and sugar in the ratio 4 : 1 by mass. The mass of sugar is s grams and the mass of flour is f grams. Write down a formula for f in terms of s.
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.