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.Two allotments are combined. Allotment A grows vegetables and flowers in the ratio 3 : 2, and has 20 plots in total. Allotment B grows vegetables and flowers in the ratio 1 : 4, and has 20 plots in total. Work out the fraction of all the plots, in both allotments combined, that grow vegetables.
(a)2/5
(b)3/5
(c)3/10
(d)1/5
2.Work out the gradient of the straight line with equation y = (2x/5) − 3.
(a)2/5
(b)5/2
(c)−2/5
(d)−3
3.A population of penguins on an island is 2400. The population is predicted to grow by 7% each year. Work out the predicted population after 2 years, to the nearest whole number.
(a)2568
(b)2736
(c)2747
(d)2748
4.A hiker walks on a bearing of 065°. She then turns clockwise through 90° and continues walking in a straight line. What bearing is she now walking on?
(a)335°
(b)025°
(c)155°
(d)065°
5.A school surveys 60 pupils. 32 say they walk to school, 24 say they cycle to school, and 12 say they do both, on different days. The rest travel only by car. One of the 60 pupils is chosen at random. Work out the probability that this pupil travels only by car.
(a)4/15
(b)4/5
(c)1/5
(d)7/15
6.A scatter graph of taxi journeys in Bristol shows the distance, x miles, and the fare, y pounds. The line of best fit is y = 2x + 3.50. Work out the estimated fare for a journey of 6 miles, using the line of best fit.
y = 2x + 3.5
(a)£13.00
(b)£19.00
(c)£12.00
(d)£15.50
7.Write these numbers in order, starting with the largest: −0.6, 0.45, −0.15, 0.5, −0.09
(a)−0.6, −0.15, −0.09, 0.45, 0.5
(b)0.5, 0.45, −0.6, −0.15, −0.09
(c)0.5, 0.45, −0.09, −0.15, −0.6
(d)0.5, 0.45, −0.15, −0.09, −0.6
8.Rosie is asked whether 4(x + 3) = 4x + 12 is an equation or an identity. Which statement is correct? Give a reason for your answer.
(a)An identity, because it is true for every value of x
(b)An identity, because the brackets can be expanded
(c)An equation, because solving it gives x = 3
(d)A formula, because it works out 4x + 12 from x
9.A tap fills a tank at a rate of 15 litres per minute. Given that 1 litre = 1000 cm³, work out the rate at which the tank fills in cm³ per second.
(a)15000 cm³/s
(b)2500 cm³/s
(c)900000 cm³/s
(d)250 cm³/s
10.Work out the distance between the points (−3, 4) and (5, −2).
(a)14
(b)100
(c)50
(d)10
11.A council surveyed 140 households about recycling. 85 of the households are in Zone A. 52 of the Zone A households recycle glass. 21 of the Zone B households do not recycle glass. Work out the probability that a household, chosen at random from the 140, recycles glass. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)43/70
(b)73/140
(c)13/35
(d)17/70
12.A florist has 5 different flowers. Freya picks 3 of them to make a small bunch, and the order in which she picks them does not matter. Work out how many different bunches she could make.
(a)30
(b)15
(c)60
(d)10
13.Make x the subject of the formula y = x/2 − 5.
y = x
(a)x = (y + 5)/2
(b)x = 2y − 10
(c)x = 2y + 10
(d)x = 2y + 5
14.3 builders put up a fence in 12 days. All the builders work at the same rate, so the number of days is inversely proportional to the number of builders. Work out how long 9 builders take to put up the same fence.
(a)4 days
(b)9 days
(c)6 days
(d)36 days
15.In triangle ABC, AB = 6.4 cm, BC = 9.1 cm and AC = 12.8 cm. Work out the size of the largest angle in the triangle. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
(a)69.9°
(b)81.4°
(c)28.0°
(d)110.1°
16.f(x) = 2x − 1. Work out ff(x).
y = 2x − 1
(a)4x² − 4x + 1
(b)4x − 2
(c)4x − 3
(d)4x − 1
17.A car travels 180 miles in 3 hours. A lorry travels 160 miles in 4 hours. Write the car's average speed as a fraction of the lorry's average speed, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)3/2
(b)3/4
(c)9/8
(d)2/3
18.A straight line crosses a pair of parallel lines. One of the co-interior (allied) angles is 118°. Work out the size of the other co-interior angle.
(a)242
(b)62
(c)118
(d)28
19.A ball is thrown in the air. Its height, h metres, above the ground after t seconds is given in this table: when t = 0, h = 0; when t = 1, h = 15; when t = 2, h = 20; when t = 3, h = 15; when t = 4, h = 0. Use the table to find the two times, in seconds, at which the ball is at ground level.
(a)t = 0 or t = 4
(b)t = 2
(c)t = 0
(d)t = 1 or t = 3
20.A scout leader is 44 years old and one of the scouts is 16 years old. Work out how many years it will be until the leader is exactly twice as old as the scout.
(a)6 years
(b)12 years
(c)14 years
(d)28 years

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.