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.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.
- 2.A theatre has rows of seats arranged so that row 1 has 12 seats, row 2 has 17 seats, row 3 has 22 seats and row 4 has 27 seats, with each row having 5 more seats than the row before. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the number of seats in row n.
- 3.A map has a scale of 1 : 25 000. A footpath measures 6 cm on the map. Work out the real length of the footpath, in kilometres.
- 4.An engineer models a technical drawing on a coordinate grid. A component is reflected in the line x = 2, and the image is then reflected in the line x = 6. Which single transformation has the same overall effect as these two reflections, for every point on the drawing?
- 5.A biased spinner is spun 200 times. It lands on red 70 times, on blue 50 times, and on green 80 times. Using these results, work out the expected number of times the spinner does NOT land on red, in 500 spins of the same spinner.
- 6.Two classes sat the same maths test, both marked out of 100. Class A had a mean mark of 70 and a range of 30 marks. Class B had a mean mark of 70 and a range of 10 marks. Compare the marks of the two classes.
- 7.A triangle has a base of 8 cm and a perpendicular height of 5 cm, each correct to the nearest centimetre. Work out the upper bound of the area.
- 8.Write down the coordinates of the point where the line y = 2x + 4 crosses the y-axis.y = 2x + 4
- 9.A photo is enlarged so that its new width is 1.4 times its original width. Write the multiplier that would scale the new width back down to the original width, as a fraction in its simplest form.
- 10.A circle has centre O. PQ, RS and TU are three chords of the circle, and only one of them passes through O. Write down what this tells you about that chord.
- 11.A school buys pens from two suppliers and has 1000 pens in stock. Supplier X provided 70% of the pens and supplier Y provided the other 30%. 2% of supplier X's pens are faulty and 8% of supplier Y's pens are faulty. A pen picked at random from the stock is found to be faulty. Work out the probability that it came from supplier Y. Give your answer as a fraction.
- 12.A car is hired from 10:00 on Monday until 16:00 on Thursday. Work out the total length of the hire, in hours.
- 13.f(x) = x³ − 3x − 20, and the equation f(x) = 0 has exactly one solution. Work out the pair of consecutive integers between which that solution lies.y = x
- 14.A scale drawing of a garden uses a scale of 1 : 20. Write down a formula for the real length, L metres, in terms of the length on the drawing, d centimetres, given that 1 metre = 100 centimetres.
- 15.Work out the distance between the points (−3, 4) and (5, −2).
- 16.A cyclist's speed rises from rest to a maximum — quickly at first, then more and more slowly — so her speed-time graph is a curve that is concave down (its gradient decreases as time goes on). A trapezium estimate is made for the distance travelled during this phase, using two points on the curve. Is the trapezium estimate an overestimate or an underestimate of the true distance, and why?
- 17.The price of a jacket increases by 50% and then decreases by 50%. Describe the overall change from the original price.
- 18.A triangular sail for a small boat has a base of 2.4 m and a height of 1.75 m. Sailcloth costs £12.50 per m². Work out the total cost of the sailcloth needed for the sail.
- 19.Write down the expression that means 5 more than half of n.
- 20.By completing the square, find the turning point of the curve y = 2x² − 8x + 3.y = 2x² − 8x + 3
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.