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 cyclist travels 40 km, correct to the nearest 10 km, in a time of 3 hours, correct to the nearest hour. Work out the maximum possible average speed, in km/h.
(a)14
(b)10
(c)18
(d)12.9
2.The solution set of an inequality is described as: x is less than −3, or x is greater than or equal to 1. Write this solution set using set notation.
(a){x : x < −3} ∪ {x : x ≥ 1}
(b){x : −3 < x ≤ 1}
(c){x : x > −3} ∪ {x : x ≤ 1}
(d){x : x ≤ −3} ∪ {x : x > 1}
3.y is inversely proportional to x², and x is positive. When x = 2, y = 45. Construct the equation connecting x and y, then work out the value of x when y = 5.
(a)6
(b)36
(c)18
(d)30
4.The angle between north and a cycle path is 40°, but it is measured anticlockwise from north. What is the three-figure bearing of the cycle path?
(a)040°
(b)320°
(c)400°
(d)220°
5.An ordinary pack of 52 playing cards contains 13 hearts. One card is taken at random from the pack. Work out the probability that the card is not a heart. Give your answer as a percentage.
(a)39%
(b)50%
(c)25%
(d)75%
6.The times, in seconds, taken by 11 runners to finish a race are given in order: 40, 42, 45, 47, 50, 52, 55, 58, 60, 63, 65. Work out the upper quartile of these times.
(a)52
(b)60
(c)45
(d)58
7.A recipe needs 0.485 kg of flour per cake. A bakery estimates its flour order by rounding this amount to 1 significant figure, then multiplying by the 60 cakes it plans to bake. Work out the bakery's estimate for the total flour needed, in kg.
(a)29.4 kg
(b)24 kg
(c)29.1 kg
(d)30 kg
8.Which of these equations represents the graph of y = 2ˣ translated by 3 units in the positive y-direction?
(a)y = 2ˣ + 3
(b)y = 2ˣ⁺³
(c)y = 2ˣ − 3
(d)y = 2(x + 3)
9.The time taken for a train journey is inversely proportional to the average speed of the train. At an average speed of 60 km/h the journey takes 2 hours. Work out the time taken at an average speed of 40 km/h.
(a)2 hours
(b)1.5 hours
(c)3 hours
(d)1 hour 20 minutes
10.A postcard measuring 10 cm by 15 cm is enlarged by a scale factor of 2 to make a poster. Work out the area of the poster, in cm².
(a)300 cm²
(b)204 cm²
(c)150 cm²
(d)600 cm²
11.At a school fête, a tombola stall costs £1.50 to play. The probability of winning is 0.2, and the prize is worth £6. Work out the stall's expected profit, on average, from each game played.
(a)£1.20 profit for the stall
(b)£0.30 profit for the stall
(c)£4.50 loss for the stall
(d)£3.30 loss for the stall
12.Which one of these statements is true?
(a)−3 ≥ −1
(b)0.4 < 2/5
(c)−5 ≤ −5
(d)7/10 ≤ 0.6
13.f(x) = x² − 1 and g(x) = 3x. Work out fg(4).
y = x² − 1
(a)36
(b)143
(c)11
(d)45
14.The price of a jacket increases by 50% and then decreases by 50%. Describe the overall change from the original price.
(a)no change
(b)an increase of 25%
(c)a decrease of 25%
(d)a decrease of 50%
15.A solid pyramid has a square base of side 10 cm and four identical triangular faces. Its apex is directly above the centre of the base, at a vertical height of 12 cm, and the slant height of each triangular face — the distance from the apex to the midpoint of a base edge — is 13 cm. Work out the total surface area of the pyramid.
(a)340 cm²
(b)360 cm²
(c)620 cm²
(d)260 cm²
16.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
17.The height of water in a tank, h metres, t minutes after a tap is opened is modelled by h = 0.02t² + 0.5. Estimate the instantaneous rate of change of the height at t = 10, using the gradient of the chord joining t = 9 and t = 11.
(a)0.22 m/min
(b)2.50 m/min
(c)0.80 m/min
(d)0.40 m/min
18.A surveyor is marking out field ABCD for a new crop. The plan states that side AB is parallel to side DC, but AB and DC are not equal in length, and sides BC and AD are not parallel to each other. Which term correctly describes the shape of field ABCD?
(a)kite
(b)trapezium
(c)rhombus
(d)parallelogram
19.An exponential model has equation y = A × bˣ, where b > 1. Its graph passes through the points (1, 135) and (2, 405). Work out the value of A.
(a)45
(b)1
(c)135
(d)3
20.The table shows the speed, in m/s, of a car at times, in seconds, all 2 seconds apart: 0 at t = 0, 3 at t = 2, 8 at t = 4, 15 at t = 6, 24 at t = 8. A student uses the trapezium rule with these five readings to estimate the distance the car travels. By finding the second differences of the speed values, decide whether this trapezium estimate is an overestimate or an underestimate of the true distance.
(a)Underestimate — second differences are constant.
(b)Overestimate — the speed values are increasing.
(c)Underestimate — the curve bends upward (convex).
(d)Overestimate — the curve bends upward (convex).

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.