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)
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- 1.An allotment is divided into two plots in the ratio 2:3. The larger plot has an area of 18 m². Work out the fraction of the total area taken up by the smaller plot.
- 2.The first term of an arithmetic sequence is 5, and each term after that increases by 6. Work out the 8th term of the sequence.
- 3.A cyclist rides 19.3 km in 47 minutes. Work out her average speed, in km/h, to 1 decimal place.
- 4.A map has a scale of 1 : 20 000. The distance between two villages is 3.4 km in real life. How long is this distance on the map, in centimetres?
- 5.A garage tested 200 cars in one week. 70% of the cars were more than 3 years old and the rest were 3 years old or less. Of the cars more than 3 years old, 1 in 4 failed the test. 12 of the cars that were 3 years old or less failed the test. Work out how many of the 200 cars failed the test altogether.
- 6.The midday temperature in Leeds was recorded on each day of one week: 22 °C, 24 °C, 23 °C, 25 °C, 26 °C, 21 °C, 24 °C. Work out the mean midday temperature, giving your answer to 2 decimal places.
- 7.Work out 3/4 − 5/12 exactly, giving your answer in its simplest form.
- 8.Solve 2x + 7 = x + 13
- 9.A train travels at a constant speed of 90 km/h. Work out the speed in m/s.
- 10.Two similar model cars have a length scale factor of 2 from the small model to the large model. Priya works out that the area scale factor is 2² = 4, and then says the volume scale factor must also be 4, since that is the number she just calculated. Is Priya correct?
- 11.At a sports centre, 45% of the members are aged under 18. 60% of the members aged under 18 swim each week. 20% of the members aged 18 or over swim each week. Work out the percentage of all the members who swim each week.
- 12.Petrol costs £1.48 per litre. Sam buys 35 litres and pays with three £20 notes. Work out his change.
- 13.The discriminant of a quadratic equation is greater than zero. Which statement about the solutions of that equation is correct?
- 14.Two printers' running costs are shown on separate straight-line graphs of total cost against number of pages printed. Printer A's graph has gradient £0.04 per page. Printer B's graph has gradient £0.05 per page. Work out how much cheaper it is to print 200 pages on Printer A than on Printer B, based on these running costs alone.
- 15.A fan-shaped rug is in the shape of a sector of a circle with radius 4 m and angle 180°. It costs £4 per square metre to make. Using π = 3.14, work out the total cost of the rug.
- 16.A circle has centre (0, 0) and equation x² + y² = 50. Work out the length of the diameter of the circle, correct to 1 decimal place.
- 17.A company's turnover this year is £180,000. Last year's turnover was £120,000. Write down this year's turnover as a percentage of last year's turnover.
- 18.A student is asked to rearrange the cosine rule a² = b² + c² − 2bc cos A to make cos A the subject. They write: cos A = (a² − b² − c²) / (2bc). Is the student's rearrangement correct?
- 19.x = 5. Work out the value of 3x² − 4.
- 20.A company's profit was £2000 in its first year. Each following year, the profit increases by £800. Work out the first year in which the profit is more than £7000.
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.