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)
MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk
- 1.A measuring jug shows a volume of 340 ml, correct to the nearest 20 ml. Work out the smallest possible volume in the jug.
- 2.A graph has equation y = x² − 6x + 5. A student says its turning point has x-coordinate 6, because that's the coefficient of x. Which statement corrects the student's mistake?y = x² − 6x + 5
- 3.A plumber charges a call-out fee plus an hourly rate. The total charge, C pounds, for a job lasting h hours is shown on a straight-line graph. The line passes through the points (2, 70) and (5, 130). Work out the call-out fee, in pounds.
- 4.The angle between north and a cycle path is 40°, but it is measured anticlockwise from north. What is the three-figure bearing of the cycle path?
- 5.At a leisure centre, 50 members are asked which activities they do. 32 do yoga, 24 do pilates, and 11 do both. Work out how many members do yoga only, and not pilates.
- 6.A council wants to find out what all residents of a town think about a new cycle lane. It posts a survey only on its website and asks people to fill it in online. Give a reason why this sample is likely to be biased.
- 7.Simplify x⁷ × x⁴, giving your answer as a single power of x.
- 8.Write down the expression that means 5 more than half of n.
- 9.Grace's mean mark in her maths tests rises from 70 to 84. Work out the percentage increase in her mean mark.
- 10.A raised garden bed is a prism whose cross-section is a triangle with a base of 1.2 m and a perpendicular height of 0.8 m. The bed is 3 m long. Work out the volume of soil needed to fill it, in m³.
- 11.A fair coin is flipped and an ordinary fair dice is rolled. Every possible result is listed in a table. Work out how many different results the table contains altogether.
- 12.Bella's electricity supplier charges 28.5p per unit (kWh). Last month she used 340 units. Work out the total cost, giving your answer in pounds.
- 13.Solve 2x² = 18.
- 14.Two numbers are in the ratio 2 : 3. The smaller number is 8. Work out the larger number.
- 15.A solid has 6 faces: one pentagon and five triangles that all meet at a single point above the pentagon. What is the name of this solid?
- 16.Work out 2/5 + 1/4, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 17.A Fibonacci-type sequence begins 3, 5, 8, 13, ... where each term after the second is the sum of the two terms before it. Work out the 7th term of the sequence.
- 18.A plan is drawn to a scale of 1 : 500. Work out how many metres are represented by 1 cm on the plan.
- 19.Work out 10% of 30% of £200.
- 20.The number of pupils who walk to school is 3 times the number who cycle. Write the ratio of the number who cycle to the number who walk, in its simplest form.
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.