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What are grade boundaries?
A grade boundary is the lowest mark that gets a particular grade. If the grade 4 boundary is 75 out of 160, a total of 75 or more gets you at least a 4.
You get one grade for the whole subject, worked out from your total mark across all its papers. AQA also publishes "notional" boundaries for individual papers, but says these are for illustration only: there are no official grades for single papers.
How are GCSE grade boundaries set?
The process is called awarding. Ofqual, the exams regulator in England, describes it like this:
- Marking is almost complete. Boundaries are set only at this point, so exam boards can see how students actually found the paper.
- Data suggests provisional boundaries. Boards compare data about this year's students with those who took the qualification before. AQA says it uses Key Stage 2 results for GCSE. For English Language and Maths, Ofqual's National Reference Test, sat each year by a sample of Year 11 students, adds more evidence.
- Senior examiners check real work. They look at scripts on and around the provisional boundaries and compare them with work from students on the same boundaries the year before.
- Boundaries are confirmed. Pearson says boundaries are then compared with other exam boards' in a process overseen by the regulator.
Your grade then depends only on your marks and where they fall against the boundaries.
Why do grade boundaries change every year?
Each year's papers are slightly easier or harder than the last. Boundaries move to make up for that, so that, in Ofqual's words, it is "no easier or harder to get any grade in any subject each year, or with any particular exam board".
A higher boundary doesn't mean a harder grade. Ofqual says that when a boundary goes up, it just reflects that the paper was easier. Pearson adds that boundaries can also move when it changes a paper to make it more accessible.
Real example: AQA GCSE boundaries, June 2026
Raw marks needed for each grade in two of the biggest subjects. These are last summer's figures: June 2027's will be different.
| Tier | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher tier | 240 | 219 | 192 | 166 | 131 | 97 | 63 | 46 | – | – |
| Foundation tier | 240 | – | – | – | – | 187 | 154 | 115 | 76 | 38 |
| Tier | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Untiered | 160 | 122 | 112 | 103 | 93 | 84 | 75 | 55 | 35 | 16 |
So a grade 4 needed about 26% on Higher tier Maths, 64% on Foundation tier Maths and 47% in English Language. On AQA's tiered papers, Foundation tier covers grades 1 to 5 and Higher tier grades 3 to 9.
Source: AQA, Grade boundaries – June 2026 exams, GCSE (published 20 August 2026). A dash means the grade is not available on that tier.
Where to find grade boundaries
Each exam board publishes its own, for every subject:
- AQA grade boundaries, published at 8am on results days
- Pearson Edexcel grade boundaries
- OCR grade boundaries
Check which board and specification code your subject is (your school can tell you, or see our GCSE 2027 timetable). For more on how grades work, see GCSE grades 9 to 1 explained and Ofqual's grading toolkit.
Questions people ask
What are GCSE grade boundaries?
Grade boundaries are the minimum number of marks you need for each grade. Exam boards set them after the papers have been marked.
When are GCSE grade boundaries 2027 published?
On GCSE results day, Thursday 19 August 2027. AQA publishes its boundaries at 8am on results days. Pearson Edexcel and OCR publish theirs on their grade boundaries pages.
Can you know grade boundaries before the exam?
No. Boundaries are set only when marking is almost complete, because only then can exam boards see how hard students found the paper compared with previous years.
Why do grade boundaries change every year?
Papers vary slightly in difficulty from year to year. Ofqual says that when a boundary goes up, it does not mean the grade was harder to get: it means the paper was easier. The aim is that it is no easier or harder to get any grade, in any subject, in any year or with any exam board.
What percentage is a grade 4 at GCSE?
There is no fixed percentage. It depends on the subject, the tier and the year. For example, in AQA's June 2026 exams, a grade 4 needed 63 out of 240 on Higher tier Maths (about 26%), 154 out of 240 on Foundation tier Maths (about 64%), and 75 out of 160 in English Language (about 47%). The 2027 boundaries will be different.
Do I get a grade for each paper?
No. You get one overall grade for the subject, based on your total mark across all papers. Some boards publish "notional" boundaries for each paper, but AQA says these are for illustration only.
What grades can I get on Foundation and Higher tier?
In AQA's June 2026 tables, Foundation tier has boundaries for grades 1 to 5 and Higher tier for grades 3 to 9. Check your board's tables for your subject.