A grade boundary is the lowest total mark that earns a grade. Exam boards set them after the exams, once marking is nearly complete, and they change from year to year with how demanding the papers were (Ofqual). To use them with a past paper, add up your child's marks across all of that year's papers and compare the total with that year's row, which is out of the same maximum. Each year links to its papers.
June 2026, board by board
The marks needed for grade C and A in June 2026, as a share of each board's maximum. Each board writes its own papers and sets boundaries for them, so a lower boundary doesn't mean a board's exam is easier to pass.
AQA
AQA past papersSpecification 7702, English Language.
Grade C needed 290 out of 500 marks (58%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2017 to 2025 it ranged from 52% (2017) to 57% (2019).
June 2026 out of 500
- A*
- 432 86%
- A
- 397 79%
- B
- 343 69%
- C
- 290 58%
- D
- 237 47%
- E
- 184 37%
Grade C as a share of the maximum: June 2017 52%, June 2018 55%, June 2019 57%, June 2022 52%, June 2023 53%, June 2024 57%, June 2025 57%, June 2026 58%. Grade A as a share of the maximum: June 2017 75%, June 2018 76%, June 2019 81%, June 2022 74%, June 2023 78%, June 2024 80%, June 2025 79%, June 2026 79%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 500 | 43286% | 39779% | 34369% | 29058% | 23747% | 18437% |
| June 2025 | 500 | 43387% | 39779% | 34168% | 28557% | 22946% | 17435% |
| June 2024 | 500 | 43387% | 39980% | 34268% | 28657% | 23046% | 17435% |
| June 2023 | 500 | 43086% | 39178% | 32966% | 26753% | 20541% | 14429% |
| June 2022 | 500 | 41282% | 37274% | 31663% | 26052% | 20441% | 14930% |
| November 2021 | 400 | 32882% | 29273% | 24862% | 20451% | 16140% | 11830% |
| November 2020 | 400 | 33684% | 29875% | 25564% | 21253% | 16942% | 12632% |
| June 2019 | 500 | 44689% | 40381% | 34369% | 28357% | 22345% | 16333% |
| June 2018 | 500 | 43387% | 38176% | 32866% | 27555% | 22244% | 16934% |
| June 2017 | 500 | 42685% | 37375% | 31663% | 25952% | 20240% | 14529% |
Raw marks for the whole qualification, with the share of the maximum.The chart shows June series only; November and January sittings, mostly resits, are in the table.No exams were sat in 2020 or 2021, when grades were assessed by teachers, so those years are blank. From AQA's A level grade boundary documents: June 2026, June 2025, June 2024, June 2023, June 2022, November 2021, November 2020, June 2019, June 2018, June 2017.
Pearson Edexcel
Edexcel past papersSpecification 9EN0, English Language.
Grade C needed 103 out of 250 marks (41%) in June 2022, against 52% in June 2017.
June 2022 out of 250
- A*
- 171 68%
- A
- 151 60%
- B
- 127 51%
- C
- 103 41%
- D
- 79 32%
- E
- 56 22%
Grade C as a share of the maximum: June 2017 52%, June 2022 41%. Grade A as a share of the maximum: June 2017 70%, June 2022 60%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2022 | 250 | 17168% | 15160% | 12751% | 10341% | 7932% | 5622% |
| November 2021 | 200 | 11859% | 10251% | 8744% | 7236% | 5729% | 4221% |
| November 2020 | 200 | 12462% | 10653% | 8945% | 7236% | 5528% | 3920% |
| June 2017 | 250 | 19879% | 17470% | 15261% | 13052% | 10843% | 8634% |
Raw marks for the whole qualification, with the share of the maximum.The chart shows June series only; November and January sittings, mostly resits, are in the table.No exams were sat in 2020 or 2021, when grades were assessed by teachers, so those years are blank. From Pearson Edexcel's A level grade boundary documents: June 2022, November 2021, November 2020, June 2017.
OCR
OCR past papersSpecification H470, English Language.
Grade C needed 103 out of 200 marks (52%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2017 to 2025 it ranged from 51% (2022) to 57% (2019).
June 2026 out of 200
- A*
- 168 84%
- A
- 149 75%
- B
- 126 63%
- C
- 103 52%
- D
- 80 40%
- E
- 58 29%
Grade C as a share of the maximum: June 2017 56%, June 2018 55%, June 2019 57%, June 2022 51%, June 2023 54%, June 2024 51%, June 2025 52%, June 2026 52%. Grade A as a share of the maximum: June 2017 77%, June 2018 77%, June 2019 80%, June 2022 73%, June 2023 78%, June 2024 75%, June 2025 76%, June 2026 75%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 200 | 16884% | 14975% | 12663% | 10352% | 8040% | 5829% |
| June 2025 | 200 | 17286% | 15276% | 12864% | 10452% | 8141% | 5829% |
| June 2024 | 200 | 16985% | 15075% | 12663% | 10251% | 7940% | 5628% |
| June 2023 | 200 | 17588% | 15578% | 13166% | 10754% | 8442% | 6131% |
| June 2022 | 200 | 16382% | 14673% | 12462% | 10251% | 8040% | 5829% |
| November 2021 | 160 | 13081% | 11371% | 9459% | 7547% | 5736% | 3924% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 13584% | 11673% | 9761% | 7849% | 5937% | 4126% |
| June 2019 | 200 | 18090% | 16080% | 13769% | 11457% | 9246% | 7035% |
| June 2018 | 200 | 17487% | 15477% | 13266% | 11055% | 8945% | 6834% |
| June 2017 | 200 | 17789% | 15477% | 13367% | 11256% | 9146% | 7035% |
Raw marks for the whole qualification, with the share of the maximum.The chart shows June series only; November and January sittings, mostly resits, are in the table.No exams were sat in 2020 or 2021, when grades were assessed by teachers, so those years are blank. From OCR's A level grade boundary documents: June 2026, June 2025, June 2024, June 2023, June 2022, November 2021, November 2020, June 2019, June 2018, June 2017.
Eduqas
Eduqas past papersSpecification A700, English Language.
Grade C needed 205 out of 400 marks (51%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2017 to 2025 it ranged from 47% (2018) to 53% (2024).
June 2026 out of 400
- A*
- 330 83%
- A
- 294 74%
- B
- 249 62%
- C
- 205 51%
- D
- 161 40%
- E
- 117 29%
Grade C as a share of the maximum: June 2017 49%, June 2018 47%, June 2019 48%, June 2022 48%, June 2023 51%, June 2024 53%, June 2025 53%, June 2026 51%. Grade A as a share of the maximum: June 2017 72%, June 2018 70%, June 2019 71%, June 2022 70%, June 2023 73%, June 2024 76%, June 2025 77%, June 2026 74%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 400 | 33083% | 29474% | 24962% | 20551% | 16140% | 11729% |
| June 2025 | 400 | 33985% | 30677% | 25865% | 21153% | 16441% | 11729% |
| June 2024 | 400 | 33885% | 30576% | 25865% | 21153% | 16441% | 11729% |
| June 2023 | 400 | 33584% | 29273% | 24862% | 20451% | 16140% | 11830% |
| June 2022 | 400 | 32080% | 27970% | 23459% | 19048% | 14637% | 10226% |
| November 2021 | 320 | 22871% | 19360% | 16150% | 13041% | 9931% | 6821% |
| November 2020 | 320 | 23072% | 19360% | 16251% | 13241% | 10232% | 7223% |
| June 2019 | 400 | 33283% | 28271% | 23659% | 19148% | 14637% | 10125% |
| June 2018 | 400 | 33484% | 27970% | 23459% | 18947% | 14536% | 10125% |
| June 2017 | 400 | 33283% | 28972% | 24361% | 19749% | 15138% | 10627% |
Raw marks for the whole qualification, with the share of the maximum.The chart shows June series only; November and January sittings, mostly resits, are in the table.No exams were sat in 2020 or 2021, when grades were assessed by teachers, so those years are blank. From Eduqas's A level grade boundary documents: June 2026, June 2025, June 2024, June 2023, June 2022, November 2021, November 2020, June 2019, June 2018, June 2017.
WJEC
Specification 1700, English Language.
WJEC awards this qualification on its uniform mark scale (UMS), so there is no raw-mark total for the whole qualification. Its documents give the raw marks for each unit.
WJEC, June 2026 · WJEC, June 2024 · WJEC, June 2023 · WJEC, June 2022