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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1.3/5 of a 5/6 litre bottle of juice is poured out. Work out the exact volume poured out, in litres.
(a)1/2
(b)43/30
(c)18/25
(d)25/36
2.To rearrange the formula y = 3x − 8 to make x the subject, Priya writes: 'Add 8 to both sides to get y + 8 = 3x, then divide both sides by 3 to get x = y + 8 ÷ 3.' Work out the correct expression for x.
y = 3x − 8
(a)x = 3(y + 8)
(b)x = (y − 8) / 3
(c)x = y + 8 / 3
(d)x = (y + 8) / 3
3.A box holds 60 crayons. 25 of the crayons are broken and the rest are unbroken. Write the number of unbroken crayons as a fraction of the number of broken crayons. Give your answer in its simplest form.
(a)5/7
(b)2/5
(c)7/12
(d)7/5
4.Work out the exact value of sin 45° × cos 45°.
(a)√2
(b)1
(c)1/2
(d)√2/2
5.A charity raffle sells 250 tickets. A group of friends buy 40 of the tickets between them. Three prizes are awarded, each to a different randomly drawn ticket, and no ticket can win more than one prize. Work out the expected number of prizes won by the group. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
(a)64/15625
(b)4/25
(c)4/75
(d)12/25
6.The seven members of Team A took 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 40 seconds to finish a task. The seven members of Team B took 20, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 seconds. Tomás says that because the two teams have the same range, their times are spread out in the same way. Is Tomás right? Give a reason for your answer.
(a)Yes, each team has seven times, so the spreads match
(b)Yes, sets with equal ranges are spread out alike
(c)No, Team B's times have a higher mean than Team A's
(d)No, the range uses only the fastest and slowest time
7.Work out the value of $2^{3} + 3^{2}$ .
(a)17
(b)72
(c)12
(d)−1
8.Simplify 5a/6 − a/3
(a)7a/6
(b)2a/3
(c)4a/3
(d)a/2
9.A tangent to a distance–time graph, with distance in kilometres and time in minutes, has gradient 0.78 kilometres per minute at a particular point. Work out the instantaneous rate of change of distance with time, in kilometres per hour.
(a)46.8 km/h
(b)60.78 km/h
(c)0.78 km/h
(d)0.013 km/h
10.Work out the distance between the point (0, 0) and the point (5, 12).
(a)12
(b)13
(c)17
(d)7
11.A leisure centre has 150 members. 80 of the members are male and the rest are female. Every member uses either the pool or the gym, but not both. 66 members use the pool, and 35 of those pool users are male. Work out how many female members use the gym.
(a)84
(b)39
(c)45
(d)31
12.Write down the reciprocal of 0.2
(a)−0.2
(b)0.8
(c)5
(d)0.5
13.A circle has centre (0, 0) and radius 9. Work out the equation of the circle.
(a)x² + y² = 18
(b)x² + y² = 81
(c)x² − y² = 81
(d)x² + y² = 9
14.A candle burns down at a constant rate. Its height, h cm, is plotted against time, t minutes, on a straight-line graph. The gradient of the line is −0.3. Which statement correctly describes what the gradient means?
(a)The candle's height decreases by 3 cm every minute.
(b)The candle burns for 0.3 minutes in total.
(c)The candle's height increases by 0.3 cm every minute.
(d)The candle's height decreases by 0.3 cm every minute.
15.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?
(a)Yes — the sign does not matter for cos A.
(b)No — should divide by −2bc, not +2bc; sign is wrong.
(c)No — the denominator should be bc, not 2bc.
(d)Yes — the rearrangement is correct as written.
16.A line segment has one endpoint at (−6, 2) and its midpoint at (−1, 5). Work out the coordinates of the other endpoint.
(a)(−3.5, 3.5)
(b)(5, 3)
(c)(4, 5)
(d)(4, 8)
17.A tangent to a curve at the point where x = 3 passes through the points (1, 4) and (5, 20). Work out the gradient of the tangent at x = 3, and hence the instantaneous rate of change of y with respect to x at that point.
(a)−4
(b)16
(c)4
(d)20
18.Triangle ABC has AB = 6 cm and BC = 9 cm, with angle A = 40°. Triangle DEF has DE = 6 cm and EF = 9 cm, with angle D = 40°. Meera says these facts prove the triangles are congruent by SAS. Is Meera correct?
(a)Yes — two sides and one angle match
(b)No — the angle given is not the included angle
(c)No — SSS needs three equal sides, not two
(d)Yes — SAS allows any equal angle, not just the included one
19.Solve 3(2x − 1) = 27
(a)4
(b)5
(c)4.5
(d)4 2/3
20.Solve 2x² − 7x + 3 = 0.
(a)x = 6 or x = 1
(b)x = 3/2 or x = 1
(c)x = 3 or x = 1/2
(d)x = −3 or x = −1/2

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.