GCSE grade boundaries are the minimum marks needed to achieve each grade (9 to 1). They are set by exam boards after all papers are marked and published at 8:00am on Results Day — Thursday 20 August 2026.
The largest GCSE exam board in England. View all AQA subject boundaries.
Pearson Edexcel boundaries for all GCSE subjects.
Oxford, Cambridge and RSA exam board boundaries.
Wales exam board boundaries for GCSE and Eduqas specifications.
Official grade boundaries, mark projections & multi-paper strategy planner
Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks a student must achieve in order to be awarded each grade. They are not fixed — they change every year based on two key factors:
This process is called "comparable outcomes" and is managed by Ofqual, the exams regulator for England.
Here is a worked example to help you understand:
Example: If you scored 67 out of 100 on your GCSE Maths Paper 1, and the grade 6 boundary is 62 while the grade 7 boundary is 72, you have achieved a grade 6 on that paper.
Remember that most GCSE subjects have multiple papers. Your final grade is based on the total marks across all papers, not just one. Check the GCSE grading system guide for a full explanation.
⚠️ Grade boundaries will be updated live at 8:00am on 20 August 2026.
| Subject | Board | Grade 9 | Grade 7 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maths | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| English Language | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| English Literature | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Biology | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Chemistry | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Physics | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Combined Science | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| History | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Geography | AQA | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Bookmark this page — we will update all grade boundary tables live as soon as they are published at 8:00am on 20 August 2026.
Ensure you hit your target grade boundaries with official past-paper practice packs:
The UK's gold standard GCSE Maths guide. Clear topic explanations, worked step-by-step examples, and quick-check recall tests.
Struggling with grade boundaries or aiming for Grade 8/9? Connect with experienced UK GCSE teachers for personalized weekly sessions.
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Grade boundaries are published by all exam boards at 8:00am on GCSE Results Day — Thursday 20 August 2026.
Boundaries change because they depend on the difficulty of the exam papers and how the entire cohort performed. Harder papers typically result in lower boundaries.
Compare your raw mark (total marks scored) against the boundary for each grade. If you scored 67/100 and the grade 6 boundary is 62, you achieved a grade 6.
