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.Write 0.35 as a fraction in its lowest terms.
(a)7/25
(b)35/10
(c)3/10
(d)7/20
2.Which of these values of x is a solution of x² + 2x − 15 = 0?
(a)x = 3
(b)x = 5
(c)x = 15
(d)x = −3
3.Two quantities x and y are in direct proportion. When x = 8, the value of y is 20. Work out the value of y when x = 14.
(a)26
(b)5.6
(c)28
(d)35
4.A circle has a diameter of 24 cm. A sector of this circle has an angle of 90°. Using π = 3.14, work out the area of the sector.
(a)9.42 cm²
(b)113.04 cm²
(c)18.84 cm²
(d)452.16 cm²
5.A game uses a fair spinner with 5 equal sections numbered 1 to 5. A player wins £12 if the spinner lands on 5, and wins nothing otherwise. It costs £2 to play. The game is played 250 times. Work out the expected profit for the players, in total, over the 250 games.
(a)£500
(b)£100
(c)£600
(d)£2500
6.The mean of the numbers x, 20 and 30 is equal to the mean of the numbers 15 and 25. Work out the value of x.
(a)20
(b)−10
(c)10
(d)70
7.A recipe states that a cake needs 200 g of flour, correct to the nearest 25 g. Work out the smallest possible mass of flour, in grams, that could actually be used.
(a)187.5 g
(b)200 g
(c)212.5 g
(d)175 g
8.A straight line has equation y = 4 − 3x. Work out the gradient of the line.
(a)4
(b)−4
(c)3
(d)−3
9.Divide 84 in the ratio 3:4. Work out the smaller share.
(a)42
(b)48
(c)36
(d)28
10.Which of these describes an obtuse angle?
(a)An angle between 180° and 360°
(b)An angle between 90° and 180°
(c)An angle of exactly 90°
(d)An angle between 0° and 90°
11.A factory checked 400 items. A frequency tree splits them into 250 items made by machine A and 150 items made by machine B. On machine A's branch, 15 of the items were faulty. On machine B's branch, 5 of the items were faulty. One of the 400 items is picked at random. Work out the probability that it is faulty. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)3/50
(b)1/30
(c)19/20
(d)1/20
12.Round 0.006852 to 2 significant figures.
(a)0.0069
(b)0.0068
(c)0.007
(d)0.00685
13.Yusuf has £40 saved and adds £6 each week. His sister Aisha has £10 saved and adds £11 each week. After how many weeks will they have saved the same amount?
(a)1.76
(b)0
(c)10
(d)6
14.Write 1/5 as a percentage.
(a)20%
(b)5%
(c)50%
(d)25%
15.Point A and point B are 5 cm apart. How many points are exactly 4 cm from A and exactly 3 cm from B?
(a)4
(b)0
(c)2
(d)1
16.Work out √25 + 4² − 12 ÷ 3
(a)9
(b)17
(c)3
(d)37
17.The graph of y = 24/x is drawn for x > 0. Work out the value of y when x = 6.
(a)y = 18
(b)y = 30
(c)y = 144
(d)y = 4
18.A water tank is a cuboid measuring 30 cm × 20 cm × 10 cm. The tank is full of water. Work out how many litres of water it holds.
(a)600 litres
(b)6 litres
(c)0.6 litres
(d)60 litres
19.Write '3.2 million' as a number in figures.
(a)320,000
(b)3,002,000
(c)32,000,000
(d)3,200,000
20.A charity receives £360 in donations in January and £480 in donations in February. Write the amount received in January as a fraction of the amount received in February, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)3/4
(b)1/4
(c)4/3
(d)3/7

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.