AQA GCSE Mathematics Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2025: Question 7

2 marks · Easy difficulty · Short Answer

Work out 80p as a fraction of £1, giving the answer in simplest form.

Practise this question

Question

Question 7 asks: 'Work out 80p as a fraction of £1. Give your answer in its simplest form.' It is worth 2 marks, followed by working lines and an answer line.

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme Mark scheme for question 7 shows the final answer 4/5 awarded B2. A B1 mark is awarded for an equivalent fraction such as 80/100 or 0.8/1. Special case SC1 is awarded for 0.8 or 80%. Additional guidance notes that inclusion of a common unit (e.g. 80p/100p) can be condoned for B1, whereas 80p/£1 scores B0.

How to answer it

Expressing One Quantity as a Fraction of Another

📌 What this question tests

This question tests your ability to convert between units of money (£ and p), write one value as a fraction of another, and simplify fractions to their simplest form by dividing out common factors.

Question 7 Breakdown

Work out 80p as a fraction of £1. Give your answer in its simplest form. [2 marks]

📐 Step-by-Step Solution

  1. Convert to common units:
    Both amounts must be in the same unit before forming a fraction.
    £1 = 100p
  2. Write as an initial fraction:
    " 80p out of 100p " becomes 80 100
  3. Simplify fully:
    Divide numerator and denominator by 10:
    80 ÷ 10 100 ÷ 10 = 8 10

    Divide by 2 to reach lowest terms:
    8 ÷ 2 10 ÷ 2 = 4 5

✅ Final Answer & Mark Scheme

4 5

Mark Breakdown:
  • B2: Fully correct simplified fraction 4 5 .
  • B1: Any equivalent fraction seen, such as 80 100 , 8 10 , or 0.8 1 .
  • Special Case (SC1): Giving a correct decimal ( 0.8 ) or percentage ( 80% ) instead of a fraction.

💡 Key Knowledge

  • Unit Consistency: Always convert both quantities to the smaller unit (here, pence) so you are working with whole numbers.
  • Highest Common Factor (HCF): The HCF of 80 and 100 is 20. Dividing both top and bottom by 20 gets you directly to 4 5 in one step.
  • Fractions have no units: The final answer must be a pure fraction ( 4 5 ), not an amount of money.

🧠 Exam Technique

  • Always show your working: Even if you simplify incorrectly later, writing down 80 100 guarantees you 1 mark (B1).
  • Check "simplest form": Look at your final numbers. Since 4 and 5 share no common factors other than 1, you know you are done.
  • Read the format required: If the question asks for a fraction, do not leave your answer as 0.8 or 80% (you lose 1 mark).

❌ Common Errors to Avoid

  • Mixing units: Writing 80 1 or 80p £1 scores 0 marks. You cannot compare pence directly with pounds.
  • Stopping too early: Writing 8 10 or 40 50 gains only 1 mark because the fraction is not in its simplest form.
  • Inverting the fraction: Writing 100 80 or 5 4 . Remember: " A as a fraction of B " means A B .

Topics

Ratio, proportion and rates of change · Number · 3.3 Ratio, proportion and rates of change · 3.1.2 Fractions, decimals and percentages

Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Mathematics examination, Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2025. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.