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%.
CalculatorGCSE Higher
GCSE Higher sample Paper 2 (calculator)
MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk
- 1.Work out the value of √(16 + 9)
- 2.The nth term of a geometric sequence is given by aₙ = 3 × 2ⁿ⁻¹. Work out the position of the first term that is greater than 1,000.
- 3.A worker is paid £13.20 per hour. Work out this rate of pay in pence per minute.
- 4.Lines AB and CD are parallel. A straight line EF crosses AB at point P and crosses CD at point Q. At P, angle APE = 65°. Angle APE and angle BPQ are vertically opposite. Angle BPQ and angle PQD are co-interior (allied) angles. Work out angle PQD.
- 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 council in Leeds wants to know what local people think about letting shops stay open later in the evening. It rings landline telephone numbers between 10 am and 2 pm on a Tuesday. Write down which group is most likely to be under-represented in the sample, and give a reason for your answer.
- 7.A photograph uses 4 × 10⁶ bytes of storage. A memory card holds 3.2 × 10¹⁰ bytes. Work out how many of these photographs the card can hold. Give your answer in standard form.
- 8.The table shows the height, in metres, of a firework rocket at various times, in seconds, during its flight: 40 at t = 2, 54 at t = 3, and 60 at t = 4. Use the chord between t = 2 and t = 4 to estimate the gradient of the height-time graph at t = 3, stating the correct units.
- 9.The volume of fuel remaining in a storage tank, in thousands of litres, is plotted against time, in hours, since a leak was detected. A tangent to the graph at t = 2 hours has gradient −8.75 thousand litres per hour. A tangent at t = 8 hours has gradient −3.5 thousand litres per hour. Work out by what factor the instantaneous rate of change is greater in size at t = 2 hours than at t = 8 hours.
- 10.Triangle T has vertices (1, 1), (3, 1) and (1, 4). It is mapped onto triangle T′ with vertices (5, −1), (3, −1) and (5, −4). Which single composition of two transformations maps T onto T′?
- 11.A fair coin is flipped three times. Work out the probability of getting at least one head.
- 12.A box stands on a table. The box exerts a force of 240 N on the table, and the base of the box has an area of 0.8 m². Work out the pressure the box exerts on the table, in N/m².
- 13.The graph of y = cos x is transformed onto the graph of y = cos(x − 90°). State the direction of the translation and which standard graph the image is.y = cos(x)
- 14.A car is bought for £12000. Its value falls by 15% in the first year and by 10% in each year after that. Work out the value of the car 3 years after it was bought.
- 15.A regular octagonal tabletop has centre O. Each vertex is 30 cm from O. Work out the area of the tabletop. Give your answer to the nearest square centimetre.
- 16.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
- 17.A shade of paint is made by mixing blue paint and white paint. To make 5 litres of the shade, 2 litres of blue paint is used and the rest is white paint. Write the ratio of blue paint to white paint in its simplest form.
- 18.A, B and C are points on a circle with centre O. B is on the major arc AC. Angle AOC = 116°. Work out the size of angle ABC.
- 19.A curve has equation y = x³ − 4x. Work out the coordinates of the point where the curve crosses the y-axis.y = x
- 20.A gym charges a joining fee plus a monthly fee. Anna paid £100 in total after 3 months of membership. Ben paid £160 in total after 6 months of membership (same joining fee and monthly fee as Anna). Work out the monthly fee.
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.