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

VersionsA only A + B A + B + Csame questions, different order

AnswersQuestions only With answer key Key only

New sheet

GCSE Higher sample Paper 2 (calculator)

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

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

1.A three-digit code is made using the digits 1, 2 and 3, and each digit may be used more than once. Work out how many different three-digit codes can be made.
(a)9
(b)3
(c)27
(d)6
2.By completing the square, find the turning point of the curve y = x² + 6x + 2.
y = x² + 6x + 2
(a)x = 3, y = −7
(b)x = −3, y = −7
(c)x = −3, y = 7
(d)x = −6, y = −34
3.The cost of manufacturing a spherical container is proportional to the cube of its radius. A container of radius 3 cm costs £54 to manufacture. Construct the equation connecting cost C and radius r, then work out the cost of a container of radius 5 cm.
(a)£150
(b)£250
(c)£10
(d)£90
4.p is the column vector with top number 2 and bottom number 3. q is the column vector with top number −1 and bottom number 4. Work out 2p + q, giving your answer as a column vector in the form (top, bottom).
(a)(5, 2)
(b)(3, 10)
(c)(0, 11)
(d)(1, 7)
5.A grower knows that the probability that one of their seeds germinates is 0.6. The grower wants to expect 300 of the seeds to germinate. Work out how many seeds the grower should plant.
(a)120
(b)180
(c)500
(d)750
6.A school has 1200 pupils. A teacher wants to take a random sample of 60 of them. Write down which of these methods gives a random sample.
(a)Drawing 60 names at random from a list of all 1200 pupils
(b)Asking the 60 pupils nearest the door at the first break
(c)Asking every pupil in two of the Year 10 classes
(d)Asking the 60 pupils who volunteer to take part
7.Work out the value of $1 0^{- 3}$ .
(a)1000
(b)−1000
(c)0.001
(d)−0.001
8.For the graph of y = 1/x, where x cannot be zero, which of these statements is correct?
(a)The graph has only one branch, in quadrant 1
(b)The graph passes through the origin, (0, 0)
(c)The graph crosses the y-axis but never the x-axis
(d)The graph never crosses either axis
9.A jumper normally costs £45. In a sale it is reduced by 20%. Work out the sale price, then write the sale price as a fraction of the normal price. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)1/5
(b)5/9
(c)4/5
(d)6/5
10.A television cable runs in a straight line from the edge of a flat roof 20 m above the ground to a bracket on a wall 5 m above the ground. The horizontal distance between the roof edge and the bracket is 15 m. Work out the length of the cable. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
(a)25.0 m
(b)30.0 m
(c)15.0 m
(d)21.2 m
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.Work out 3.7 × 24.
(a)8.88
(b)88.8
(c)888
(d)87.8
13.A geometric sequence has first term 5, and each term after that is 3 times the term before it. Work out the first term of the sequence that is greater than 1000.
(a)405
(b)1215
(c)2187
(d)3645
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.A rectangular notice board measures 150 cm by 80 cm. Work out its area in m².
(a)120 m²
(b)12 m²
(c)4.6 m²
(d)1.2 m²
16.The iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = 5 − 3/xₙ is used with starting value x₀ = 2.5, so that x₁ is the value after the formula has been used once. Work out x₄ correct to 3 significant figures.
(a)3.80
(b)4.29
(c)4.30
(d)2.50
17.The value of a delivery van, in £, is plotted against its age, in years, since it was bought. At age 2 years, the gradient of the tangent to the graph is −950. What does this tell you about the van at age 2 years?
(a)Falling at 950% per year
(b)Rising at £950 per year
(c)Falling at £950 per year
(d)Falls by £950 over the next year
18.A parallelogram has a base of 20 cm and a sloping side of 13 cm. The perpendicular drawn from the top of that sloping side down to the base meets the base 5 cm from the foot of the sloping side, so the perpendicular, the 5 cm and the 13 cm sloping side form a right-angled triangle. Work out the area of the parallelogram.
(a)100 cm²
(b)260 cm²
(c)120 cm²
(d)240 cm²
19.A tree is 2 metres tall. Each year its height increases by 10% of its height at the start of that year. Work out the height of the tree after 3 years, giving your answer to 1 decimal place.
(a)2.6
(b)2.9
(c)2.4
(d)2.7
20.A candidate solves the simultaneous equations y = x − 2 and y = x² − 4x + 2 by substitution. They write: "x − 2 = x² − 4x + 2, so x² − 3x + 4 = 0." Which of these is a correct comment on the candidate's working?
y = x − 2y = x² − 4x + 2
(a)Right — x² − 3x + 4 = 0 is correct.
(b)Right — subtracting is the same as adding.
(c)Wrong — the correct equation is x² − 5x + 4 = 0.
(d)Wrong — it should be x² − 5x − 4 = 0.

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.