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.In a choir, 2/9 of the members are boys and the rest are girls. Write down the ratio of girls to boys, in its simplest form.
- 2.The nth term of a sequence is 3n + 2. Work out the 4th term of the sequence.
- 3.A laptop is bought for £600. Its value decreases by 20% after 1 year. Work out the value of the laptop after 1 year.
- 4.In triangle ABC and triangle DEF, AB = DE, AC = DF, and the angle at A equals the angle at D. Write down the congruence condition that proves the two triangles are congruent.
- 5.The probability that a seed fails to germinate is 1/5. Three seeds are planted independently. Work out the probability that at least one of the three seeds germinates.
- 6.A company makes 50,000 light bulbs a day and wants to check how long they last before they fail. Testing a bulb to find out how long it lasts destroys it. Give a reason why the company should test a sample of bulbs rather than every bulb it makes.
- 7.In a fruit basket the ratio of bananas to oranges is 2 : 5. What fraction of the fruit are oranges?
- 8.Work out the coordinates of the reflection of (6, −3) in the y-axis.
- 9.£1 is worth 1.25 US dollars. Write the ratio of pounds to dollars in its simplest form, using whole numbers.
- 10.Triangle DEF is isosceles, with DE = DF. Angle E = 58°. Give a reason why angle F = 58°.
- 11.A garden centre tests 250 packets of seeds for germination, recording the results on a frequency tree. 68% of the 250 packets germinated successfully, and the rest did not. Work out how many packets germinated successfully.
- 12.Work out ∛64.
- 13.A rule turns each input x into an output y. An input of 1 gives an output of 1, an input of 2 gives an output of 4 and an input of 3 gives an output of 9. Work out the rule.
- 14.Write 45 minutes : 2 hours as a ratio in its simplest form.
- 15.A circle has a radius of 3 cm. Work out the diameter of the circle.
- 16.The number of pages in a book is 240, correct to the nearest 10 pages. Write down the error interval for the actual number of pages, n.
- 17.The first four terms of a sequence are 2, 6, 10, 14. Priya says the nth term is 4n. Work out the correct expression for the nth term.
- 18.It takes 2 identical pumps 10 hours to empty a flooded basement. Working at the same rate, work out how many hours 5 of these pumps would take to empty the same basement.
- 19.A red blood cell has a diameter of about 7 × 10⁻⁶ metres. A virus has a diameter about 100 times smaller. Work out the diameter of the virus. Give your answer in standard form.
- 20.40% of a number is 12 more than 25% of the same number. Work out the number.
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.