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.Simplify 2³ × 2⁴, giving your answer as a single power of 2.
- 2.A rectangular garden has length (x + 7) m and width (x − 7) m. Work out an expression for the area of the garden, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 3.A train travels at a constant speed of 90 km/h. Work out the speed in m/s.
- 4.Write down how many right angles a right-angled triangle has.
- 5.A bag contains 5 red counters and 3 blue counters. A counter is taken at random, its colour is noted, and it is put back in the bag before a second counter is taken at random. Work out the probability that both counters are the same colour.
- 6.A shop records the colour of every car that uses its car park one Tuesday. Its frequency table reads: black 44, silver 37, blue 26, red 18, white 12. Write down the frequency of black cars.
- 7.A circle has a radius of 5 cm. Work out the exact circumference of the circle, in terms of π.
- 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.A cyclist travels d kilometres in t hours. Write down an expression, in terms of d and t, for the cyclist's average speed in km/h.
- 10.A regular polygon has an interior angle of 156°. Work out the number of sides of the polygon.
- 11.A drawer contains 4 red socks and 2 blue socks. Two socks are taken out at random, one after the other, without the first being put back. Work out the probability that both socks are the same colour.
- 12.A board game has 5 different character pieces and 4 different colour tokens. The dragon piece can only be used with the gold token. Work out how many different combinations of one character piece and one colour token are possible.
- 13.Work out the values of x and y that satisfy both x + y = 10 and x − y = 4.
- 14.An architect builds a scale model of a staircase before construction. The model is mathematically similar to the real staircase, at a scale of 1 : 10. The model covers a floor area of 0.4 m² on the plan. Work out the floor area the real staircase will cover, giving your answer in m².
- 15.A solid has two parallel, congruent polygon faces joined by flat rectangles, and its cross-section is the same shape all the way along its length. Which solid is it?
- 16.A cube-shaped storage tank has a volume of 15,625 cubic centimetres. Work out the length of one edge of the tank.
- 17.The area of a circle is given by the formula A = πr², where r is the radius. Rearrange the formula to make r the subject.
- 18.1 litre = 100 centilitres. Work out how many centilitres there are in 6 litres.
- 19.A rectangular patio measures 90 cm by 120 cm. Ben wants to cover it exactly with identical square tiles, as large as possible, with no tiles cut. Work out the side length of the largest square tile he can use.
- 20.Line P passes through the origin and the point (3, 21). Line Q passes through the origin and the point (5, 45). Both lines represent the distance, in metres, run by an athlete against the time, in seconds. Work out the gradient of the steeper line.
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.