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.A netball team has 8 players. Two of them are chosen to be captains, and the two captains have equal standing. Work out how many different pairs of captains could be chosen.
(a)64
(b)28
(c)56
(d)16
2.Work out the coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment joining (−3, 5) and (7, 9).
(a)(2, 7)
(b)(4, 14)
(c)(5, 2)
(d)(2, 9)
3.A road sign 3 m tall casts a shadow 5 m long. At the same time, a nearby lamppost casts a shadow 10 m long. Work out the height of the lamppost.
(a)1.50 m
(b)16.67 m
(c)6.00 m
(d)8.00 m
4.Two triangular offcuts of wood, PQR and STU, are cut for a construction project. PQ = 8 cm, QR = 6 cm and angle PQR = 90°. ST = 8 cm, TU = 6 cm and angle STU = 90°. A carpenter wants to check the two pieces are identical in shape and size before using them as a matching pair. Using only the measurements given, and without working out any further lengths, which condition proves that triangle PQR is congruent to triangle STU?
(a)ASA (two angles and the included side)
(b)SAS (two sides and the included angle)
(c)RHS (right angle, hypotenuse, one side)
(d)SSS (three sides)
5.Two fair four-sided dice, numbered 1 to 4, are rolled and the two scores are added together. Work out the probability that the total is 5.
(a)1/16
(b)1/4
(c)1/8
(d)3/16
6.Work out the median of these six numbers: 13, 21, 22, 36, 37, 47
(a)22
(b)36
(c)34
(d)29
7.Last year a company made a profit of £5,200,000. Write this amount in standard form.
(a)5.2 × 10⁵
(b)5.2 × 10⁶
(c)52 × 10⁵
(d)5.2 × 10⁻⁶
8.The point (5, −12) lies on the circle x² + y² = 169, which has centre (0, 0). Work out the equation of the tangent to the circle at (5, −12), giving your answer in the form y = mx + c.
(a)y = −(12/5)x
(b)y = (5/12)x − 25/12
(c)y = (5/12)x − 169/12
(d)y = −(5/12)x − 119/12
9.A cyclist travels d kilometres in t hours. Write down an expression, in terms of d and t, for the cyclist's average speed in km/h.
(a)d + t
(b)d × t
(c)t ÷ d
(d)d ÷ t
10.A chord divides a circle into two segments of different sizes. Write down the name given to the smaller of the two segments.
(a)Major segment
(b)Minor segment
(c)Semicircle
(d)Minor arc
11.A machine produces bolts. In a sample of 250 bolts, 15 are faulty. Work out the relative frequency of a bolt being faulty, giving your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)50/3
(b)3/47
(c)1/10
(d)3/50
12.Simplify ⁴√(16a⁸b¹²)
(a)2a²b³
(b)2a⁴b⁶
(c)4a²b³
(d)2a²b⁴
13.A fundraising chain letter starts with 3 people taking part in round 1. Each following round has 4 times as many people taking part as the round before. Work out the number of people taking part in round 4.
(a)39
(b)192
(c)768
(d)256
14.A novel has 312 pages. A comic has 48 pages. Write the number of pages in the novel as a fraction of the number of pages in the comic, giving your answer in its simplest form.
(a)11/2
(b)13/2
(c)2/13
(d)13/15
15.A cylindrical water tank has a solid hemispherical dome on top, both with radius 2 m. Work out the volume of the hemispherical dome alone. Use π = 3.14 and give your answer correct to 3 decimal places.
(a)33.493 m³
(b)16.747 m³
(c)8.373 m³
(d)50.24 m³
16.Solve the inequality 6.3x + 1.8 ≤ 40. Hence write down the greatest number with exactly one decimal place that satisfies the inequality.
(a)6.6
(b)6.1
(c)6.3
(d)6.0
17.The length of ribbon A is 5/12 of the length of ribbon B. Write the length of ribbon B as a fraction of the length of ribbon A.
(a)12/5
(b)5/12
(c)12/7
(d)7/12
18.Lines JK and LM are parallel. A straight line crosses JK at point P and crosses LM at point Q. Angle KPQ = 118°. Angle KPQ and angle MQP are co-interior (allied) angles. Work out angle MQP.
(a)62°
(b)59°
(c)90°
(d)118°
19.A graph shows the total monthly cost of a mobile phone tariff against the number of minutes of calls. The line starts at £12 and stays level until 200 minutes, then rises by 5p for each further minute of calls. Use the graph to work out the total cost of a month in which 250 minutes of calls are made.
(a)£14.50
(b)£13.50
(c)£12.50
(d)£24.50
20.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

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.