Enter your raw marks to find your GCSE grade instantly. AQA, Edexcel, OCR & WJEC boundaries for Maths, English, Sciences & 30+ subjects. Compare boards, track multiple subjects, and see historical trends.30+ subjects with all exam boards.
Old system: High B
29 marks above grade 6 boundary
5 more marks needed for Grade 7
| Grade | Min Marks | % of Max | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
9 | 203 | 84.6% | 53 to go |
8 | 179 | 74.6% | 29 to go |
7 | 155 | 64.6% | 5 to go |
6YOUR GRADE | 121 | 50.4% | Achieved |
5 | 87 | 36.3% | Achieved |
4 | 53 | 22.1% | Achieved |
3 | 36 | 15% | Achieved |
Max marks: 240 | Your mark: 150
Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks needed to achieve each grade in a GCSE exam. They are set by exam boards after all papers have been marked, using a process called "comparable outcomes".
This ensures that roughly the same proportion of students achieve each grade from year to year, even if one year's exam was harder or easier than another's. The boundaries are different for every subject, exam board, tier, and year.
Our calculator compiles official boundary data from all major UK exam boards - AQA, Edexcel, OCR, and WJEC/Eduqas - covering over 30 subjects across 4 years (2022-2025).
• Targets students aiming for grades 4-9
• More challenging questions
• Safety net grade 3 if you narrowly miss grade 4
• Required for grades 6, 7, 8, and 9
• More accessible questions
• Maximum grade achievable is grade 5
• Ideal if targeting a standard or strong pass
• Cannot achieve grades 6-9
• One paper covers all grades 1-9
• Used by subjects like History, Geography, RE
• No tier choice needed
• 4 May 2026 - GCSE exams begin
• 26 June 2026 - GCSE exams end
• 20 August 2026 - Results Day (boundaries released at 8am)
Everything you need to know about GCSE grades and grade boundaries
Grade boundaries are the minimum marks needed to achieve each grade in a GCSE exam. They are set by exam boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC) after all papers are marked, taking into account the difficulty of the exam and how candidates performed. For example, if the grade 7 boundary is 155 out of 240, you need at least 155 marks to achieve a grade 7.
Grade boundaries change because exam papers differ in difficulty each year. Exam boards use statistical analysis to ensure roughly the same proportion of students achieve each grade, regardless of whether the paper was harder or easier. This process is called "comparable outcomes" and ensures fairness across years.
Foundation tier papers are designed for students targeting grades 1-5, while higher tier papers target grades 4-9. Foundation tier questions are more accessible but cap at grade 5. Higher tier includes harder questions but has a "safety net" grade (usually grade 3) for students who just miss grade 4. Subjects like Maths, Sciences, and Languages are tiered.
No. The maximum grade achievable on foundation tier is grade 5. To achieve grades 6-9, you must sit the higher tier paper. This is why tier choice is an important decision - discuss with your teacher which tier is most appropriate.
Grade 9 boundaries vary by subject, exam board, and year. Typically, you need around 75-85% of the total marks on a higher tier paper. For AQA Maths Higher in 2025, the grade 9 boundary was 203 out of 240 (about 85%). Use our calculator to find exact boundaries for your specific subject and board.
A "standard pass" is grade 4 - equivalent to the old grade C. A "strong pass" is grade 5 - the government's "good pass" measure used in school performance tables. Most sixth forms require at least grade 4 in English and Maths. Some competitive courses or employers may ask for grade 5 or above.
GCSE grade boundaries for 2026 will be released on Results Day - Thursday 20 August 2026 at 8:00am. Exam boards publish boundaries on their websites simultaneously. We will update our calculator with 2026 data as soon as boundaries are released.
The new 9-1 grading system roughly maps as: Grade 9 = top A*, Grade 8 = A*/A boundary, Grade 7 = A, Grade 6 = high B, Grade 5 = high C/low B (strong pass), Grade 4 = C (standard pass), Grade 3 = D, Grade 2 = E/F, Grade 1 = G. Use our Grade Converter tab for detailed equivalences.
No single board is consistently "harder" or "easier". While raw mark boundaries differ between boards, the papers themselves differ in difficulty and total marks. What looks like a higher boundary on one board may actually represent a similar percentage of the total marks. Boards are regulated by Ofqual to ensure comparable standards.
After marking, senior examiners review student work at key grade points. Using "comparable outcomes", they ensure that if the cohort is similar to previous years, a similar proportion of students achieve each grade. Statistical adjustments, expert judgement, and analysis of question difficulty all contribute to the final boundaries.
There is no fixed percentage for each grade - it changes based on exam difficulty. However, as a rough guide across recent years: Grade 9 typically needs 75-85%, Grade 7 needs 55-65%, Grade 5 needs 35-45%, and Grade 4 needs 25-35% of the total marks. Check the exact boundary for your specific subject.
Official boundaries are published by each exam board: AQA (aqa.org.uk), Edexcel/Pearson (qualifications.pearson.com), OCR (ocr.org.uk), and WJEC/Eduqas (wjec.co.uk). Our calculator compiles data from all these official sources into one convenient tool.
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