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.Freya types 4² + 3² into her calculator and writes down 49. Work out the correct value of 4² + 3².
(a)14
(b)25
(c)49
(d)12
2.The formula for the volume of a cuboid is V = lwh, where l is the length, w is the width and h is the height. Make h the subject of the formula.
(a)h = Vlw
(b)h = V − lw
(c)h = V / (lw)
(d)h = lw / V
3.Two numbers are in the ratio 2 : 3. The smaller number is 8. Work out the larger number.
(a)24
(b)12
(c)16
(d)9
4.ABCD is an isosceles trapezium. The sides AB and DC are parallel, and the two sloping sides AD and BC are equal in length. Angle D is 112°. Work out the size of angle B.
(a)112°
(b)68°
(c)248°
(d)90°
5.A bag contains 5 yellow marbles and 3 blue marbles. Noah takes a marble at random, notes its colour and puts it back in the bag. He then takes a second marble at random. Work out the probability that the first marble is yellow and the second marble is blue.
(a)15/16
(b)9/64
(c)5/8
(d)15/64
6.A sector of a pie chart stands for 25% of the data. Work out the angle at the centre of that sector.
(a)45°
(b)25°
(c)90°
(d)14.4°
7.Work out the highest common factor of 12 and 18.
(a)2
(b)6
(c)36
(d)3
8.A plant is 4 cm tall in week 1. Each week after that, its height increases by 5 cm. Work out the first week in which the plant is taller than 30 cm.
(a)Week 8
(b)Week 7
(c)Week 5
(d)Week 6
9.Jamal invests £600 in a savings account paying 3% simple interest per year. Work out the total amount in the account after 4 years.
(a)£675.31
(b)£72
(c)£672
(d)£618
10.A dog is tied by a lead 4 m long to a fixed ring on a straight garden wall. The wall extends much further than the lead can reach in both directions, and the dog cannot cross through it. Describe the region the dog can reach.
(a)A rectangle 4 m wide, running along the wall.
(b)A semicircle of radius 4 m, away from the wall.
(c)A full circle of radius 4 m.
(d)A quarter circle of radius 4 m.
11.A spinner is divided into sectors of 144°, 90° and 126°, coloured purple, orange and grey in that order. The spinner is spun 300 times. Work out how many times you would expect it to land on purple.
(a)100
(b)120
(c)75
(d)43
12.Work out (−2)³ + (−3)² − (−4)
(a)5
(b)−13
(c)−3
(d)21
13.A photo printing service has two adverts for its price. Advert A: cost in pounds = 3(2n + 4) for n photos. Advert B: cost in pounds = 6n + 12. A customer says the two adverts always charge the same amount. Is the customer correct?
(a)They always charge the same, since 3(2n + 4) = 6n + 12.
(b)It depends on the value of n, so it cannot be decided.
(c)Advert A is cheaper, since 3(2n + 4) = 6n + 4.
(d)Advert A is cheaper, since 3(2n + 4) = 2n + 7.
14.A delivery driver travels 45 km in the first 30 minutes of a journey, and then a further 75 km in the next 1 hour. Work out her average speed for the whole journey, in km/h.
(a)80 km/h
(b)75 km/h
(c)82.5 km/h
(d)60 km/h
15.Which pair of points lies on a horizontal line when the points are plotted on a coordinate grid?
(a)(0, 0) and (1, 1)
(b)(1, 2) and (2, 1)
(c)(2, 4) and (6, 4)
(d)(3, 5) and (3, 8)
16.A concrete mix is made from cement and sand in the ratio 3 : 5 by mass. A builder mixes 96 kg of concrete. Work out the mass of cement in the mix.
(a)36 kg
(b)60 kg
(c)12 kg
(d)57.6 kg
17.A rectangular garden has width w metres and length (w + 3) metres. A gardener writes its perimeter as 2w + 3. Which statement corrects the gardener's mistake?
(a)It is 2(w + (w + 3)) = 4w + 6, not 2w + 3.
(b)It is 3w + 6, since the length doubles but not the width.
(c)It is w + (w + 3) = 2w + 3, matching the gardener.
(d)It is 4(w + 3) = 4w + 12, treating it as a square.
18.A car uses 6 litres of petrol to travel 90 km. Write the ratio of the distance travelled in km to the amount of petrol used in litres, in its simplest form.
(a)15:1
(b)5:2
(c)14:1
(d)1:15
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.
(a)7 × 10⁻⁴
(b)7 × 10⁻⁶
(c)7 × 10⁻⁸
(d)7 × 10⁻⁵
20.The table shows values of x and y. x: 3, 5, 8. y: 12, 20, 32. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between x and y?
(a)y is always 4 times x.
(b)y is always double x, plus 6.
(c)y is always x plus 9.
(d)x is always 4 times y.

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.