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.Tickets for a fairground ride are sold in packs of 6. Tokens for the dodgems are sold in packs of 10. Yusuf wants to buy the smallest number of packs of each so that he ends up with the same number of ride tickets as dodgem tokens. Work out how many ride tickets that is.
(a)16
(b)30
(c)60
(d)2
2.The diagram shows part of the graph of a reciprocal function of the form $y = \frac{k}{x}$ , passing through the labelled point. Work out the value of k.
(a)5
(b)6
(c)9
(d)1.5
3.A force of 126 N acts on an area of 3.5 m². Work out the pressure on the area, in N/m².
(a)36
(b)0.03
(c)129.5
(d)441
4.A right-angled triangle has two sides of length 5 cm and 12 cm, and the angle between those two sides is 90°. Work out the length of the hypotenuse.
(a)7 cm
(b)17 cm
(c)13 cm
(d)60 cm
5.A bag contains 3 red counters and 5 blue counters. Three counters are taken out at random, one after another, without being replaced. Work out the probability that all three counters taken out are red.
(a)3/256
(b)9/112
(c)1/56
(d)27/512
6.A two-way table records whether each of 50 pupils in Year 10 or Year 11 at a school walks to school or is driven. 28 of the 50 pupils are in Year 10. In total, 22 of the 50 pupils walk to school. Of the Year 10 pupils, 15 walk to school. Work out how many Year 11 pupils are driven to school.
(a)15
(b)7
(c)28
(d)35
7.A charity raises 8 × 10⁶ pounds. This total is shared equally among 2 × 10² local projects. Work out how much each project receives, in standard form.
(a)4 × 10⁸
(b)4 × 10¹²
(c)4 × 10⁴
(d)6 × 10⁴
8.A proof that (n + 3)² − (n − 3)² is always a multiple of a certain number begins: Line 1: (n + 3)² − (n − 3)² = (n² + 6n + 9) − (n² − 6n + 9). Which expression correctly completes Line 2?
(a)18
(b)12n
(c)6n
(d)2n² + 18
9.A laptop bag has a mass of 2.4 kg. A school bag has a mass of 3.6 kg. Write the mass of the laptop bag as a fraction of the mass of the school bag, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)2/3
(b)2/5
(c)1/3
(d)3/2
10.A circle with centre O has radius 17 cm. A chord AB is drawn so that the perpendicular distance from O to AB is 8 cm. Work out the length of the chord AB.
(a)15 cm
(b)30 cm
(c)25 cm
(d)9 cm
11.A factory finds that the probability a randomly chosen light bulb is defective is 0.035. In a batch of 4,000 bulbs, work out how many bulbs you would expect to work correctly.
(a)3,860
(b)4,000
(c)386
(d)140
12.Work out 3 × (−2)² − 5
(a)7
(b)−3
(c)31
(d)−17
13.Expand and simplify (2x − 1)(x + 5)(x − 2). Write down the coefficient of x in your answer.
(a)−13
(b)−23
(c)−20
(d)10
14.A concrete mix is made from gravel and cement in the ratio 5 : 1 by mass. The mass of cement is c kg and the total mass of the mix is m kg. Write down a formula for m in terms of c.
(a)m = c + 5
(b)m = c/6
(c)m = 6c
(d)m = 5c
15.A rectangular garden gate is 3 m wide and 4 m high. A straight brace runs from one corner of the gate to the opposite corner. Work out the length of the brace.
(a)7 m
(b)5 m
(c)12 m
(d)25 m
16.The solution set of a quadratic inequality is {x : x ≤ −3} ∪ {x : x ≥ 5}. Which of these inequalities has this solution set?
(a)x² − 8x + 15 ≥ 0
(b)x² + 2x − 15 ≥ 0
(c)x² − 2x − 15 ≥ 0
(d)x² − 2x − 15 ≤ 0
17.It takes 8 painters 6 days to paint a fence. Working at the same rate, work out how many days 4 painters would take to paint the same fence.
(a)3 days
(b)12 days
(c)10 days
(d)48 days
18.A shape is reflected in the line y = 1, and the image is then reflected in the line y = 4. Which single transformation is equivalent to this combination, for every point?
(a)Translation by the vector (0, 6)
(b)Reflection in the line y = 2.5
(c)Translation by the vector (0, −6)
(d)Translation by the vector (0, 3)
19.The formula connecting speed, distance and time is v = s ÷ t. Work out v, in km/h, when s = 180 and t = 4.
(a)720
(b)184
(c)176
(d)45
20.A water tank is a cuboid with a square base of side x metres and height (x + 1) metres. Its volume is 10 m³. This gives x³ + x² − 10 = 0, which can be solved using the iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = ∛(10 − xₙ²). Taking x₀ = 2, so that x₁ is the value found after the formula has been used once, work out x₃ correct to 3 decimal places.
(a)1.861
(b)1.885
(c)2.535
(d)1.817

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.