Sample paper · GCSE Higher · grades 4–9

GCSE Higher 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 Higher qualification — number 15%, algebra 30%, ratio, proportion and rates of change 20%, geometry and measures 20%, probability 7.5%, statistics 7.5% — with a calculator allowed. AO1 / AO2 / AO3 at this tier: 40% / 30% / 30%.

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GCSE Higher sample Paper 2 (calculator)

Maths · GCSE Higher · Paper 2 · Calculator · 20 questions

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1.Given that 5³ = 125 and 6³ = 216, use a midpoint test to estimate ∛130 to 1 decimal place.
(a)5.2
(b)5.1
(c)6.0
(d)5.0
2.A circle has centre (0, 0) and equation x² + y² = 64. Write down the radius of the circle.
(a)64
(b)8
(c)16
(d)32
3.The price of a share falls by 10% on Monday and then rises by 10% on Tuesday. Work out the overall percentage change from Monday's starting price.
(a)0%
(b)−1%
(c)−2%
(d)+1%
4.A tangent touches a circle with centre O at the point P. Q is a point on the tangent. Write down the circle fact that tells you the size of angle OPQ.
(a)A tangent always passes through the centre of the circle
(b)A tangent is always parallel to the radius it touches
(c)The angle in a semicircle is 90°
(d)The angle between a tangent and a radius is 90°
5.A bag contains 3 red counters and 5 blue counters. Three counters are taken out at random, one after another, without being replaced. Work out the probability that all three counters taken out are red.
(a)3/256
(b)9/112
(c)1/56
(d)27/512
6.A factory makes a batch of 4,000 circuit boards. It checks a random sample of 50 boards and finds that 4 are faulty. The factory will scrap the whole batch if the estimated number of faulty boards in the batch is more than 250. Should the factory scrap the batch?
(a)No — with an estimate of 80, below the 250 limit.
(b)No — only 4 faulty in the sample, far fewer than 250.
(c)Yes — with an estimate of 320, above the 250 limit.
(d)Yes — with an estimate of 500, above the 250 limit.
7.A gardener has 42 tulip bulbs and 56 daffodil bulbs. She plants them in rows, with every row containing the same number of tulip bulbs and the same number of daffodil bulbs, and no bulbs left over. Work out the greatest number of rows she can plant.
(a)7
(b)14
(c)2
(d)168
8.Describe a sequence of two transformations that maps the graph of y = x² onto the graph of y = −(x − 5)².
y = x²
(a)Reflect in the y-axis, then translate +5 in x.
(b)Translate +5 in x, then reflect in the x-axis.
(c)Translate −5 in x, then reflect in the x-axis.
(d)Translate +5 in y, then reflect in the x-axis.
9.A jug of squash is made by mixing water and syrup in the ratio 6:1. Nia wants to make 8.4 litres of squash. Work out how much syrup she needs, in litres.
(a)0.84
(b)1.4
(c)1.2
(d)7.2
10.Which of these correctly compares a 'line' with a 'line segment'?
(a)A line has two endpoints; a segment has none
(b)A line segment is always curved
(c)A line has no endpoints; a segment has two
(d)A line segment is a closed shape
11.At a coffee shop, each customer buys tea, coffee, water or juice, and never more than one of these. The probability that a customer buys tea is 0.36 and the probability that they buy juice is 0.04. The probability that a customer buys coffee is three times the probability that they buy water. Work out the probability that a customer buys water.
(a)0.15
(b)0.30
(c)0.60
(d)0.45
12.Work out √225 ÷ 3.
(a)8.7
(b)5
(c)75
(d)45
13.The discriminant of a quadratic equation is greater than zero. Which statement about the solutions of that equation is correct?
(a)It has two whole-number solutions
(b)It has one repeated real solution
(c)It has two different real solutions
(d)It has no real solutions at all
14.A kettle uses 2.1 kWh of energy. A toaster uses 0.9 kWh of energy. Write the energy used by the kettle as a fraction of the energy used by the toaster, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)7/10
(b)4/3
(c)3/7
(d)7/3
15.Triangle ABC has a right angle at B, hypotenuse AC = 13 cm and AB = 5 cm. Triangle DEF has a right angle at E, hypotenuse DF = 13 cm and DE = 5 cm. Which condition proves the two triangles are congruent?
(a)SSS - three sides equal
(b)RHS - right angle, hypotenuse and one side equal
(c)ASA - two angles and the included side equal
(d)SAS - two sides and the included angle equal
16.A rule turns each input x into an output y. The inputs are x = 1, 2, 3, 4 and the matching outputs are y = −5, −3, −1 and one missing value. Work out the missing value of y.
(a)0
(b)8
(c)3
(d)1
17.A post 2 metres tall casts a shadow 3 metres long. At the same time a nearby tree casts a shadow 12 metres long. Work out the height of the tree.
(a)24 m
(b)4 m
(c)8 m
(d)18 m
18.A right-angled triangle has two sides of length 5 cm and 12 cm, and the angle between those two sides is 90°. Work out the length of the hypotenuse.
(a)7 cm
(b)17 cm
(c)13 cm
(d)60 cm
19.A student uses the iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = √(7xₙ + 3) to find an approximate solution of an equation. Work out which equation this iterative formula solves.
(a)x² + 7x − 3 = 0
(b)x² − 7x + 3 = 0
(c)x² − 7x − 9 = 0
(d)x² − 7x − 3 = 0
20.A geometric sequence has first term 3 and common ratio √3. Work out the position of the first term of the sequence that exceeds 30.
(a)5th term
(b)4th term
(c)7th term
(d)6th term

How the 20 questions are shared out

Number — 3 questions (15% of the qualification)
Algebra — 6 questions (30% of the qualification)
Ratio, proportion and rates of change — 4 questions (20% of the qualification)
Geometry and measures — 4 questions (20% 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.