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 4 and 7 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 8136, Economics.
Grade 4 needed 82 out of 160 marks (51%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 47% (2022) to 51% (2023).
June 2026 out of 160
- 9
- 136 85%
- 8
- 128 80%
- 7
- 120 75%
- 6
- 107 67%
- 5
- 94 59%
- 4
- 82 51%
- 3
- 61 38%
- 2
- 40 25%
- 1
- 19 12%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 49%, June 2022 47%, June 2023 51%, June 2024 48%, June 2025 51%, June 2026 51%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 71%, June 2022 72%, June 2023 74%, June 2024 72%, June 2025 74%, June 2026 75%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 13685% | 12880% | 12075% | 10767% | 9459% | 8251% | 6138% | 4025% | 1912% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 13383% | 12578% | 11874% | 10666% | 9459% | 8251% | 6038% | 3824% | 1610% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 13081% | 12276% | 11572% | 10264% | 8956% | 7748% | 5836% | 3924% | 2013% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 13383% | 12578% | 11874% | 10566% | 9358% | 8151% | 6038% | 4025% | 2013% |
| June 2022 | 160 | 13383% | 12478% | 11572% | 10163% | 8855% | 7547% | 5534% | 3623% | 1711% |
| November 2021 | 160 | 12276% | 11270% | 10364% | 8956% | 7648% | 6339% | 4830% | 3321% | 1811% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 12478% | 11471% | 10566% | 9258% | 8050% | 6843% | 5132% | 3421% | 1811% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 12981% | 12176% | 11471% | 10264% | 9056% | 7949% | 6138% | 4327% | 2616% |
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 GCSE grade boundary documents: June 2026, June 2025, June 2024, June 2023, June 2022, November 2021, November 2020, June 2019.
OCR
OCR past papersSpecification J205, Economics.
Grade 4 needed 66 out of 160 marks (41%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 32% (2022) to 43% (2019).
June 2026 out of 160
- 9
- 126 79%
- 8
- 115 72%
- 7
- 104 65%
- 6
- 91 57%
- 5
- 78 49%
- 4
- 66 41%
- 3
- 51 32%
- 2
- 37 23%
- 1
- 23 14%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 43%, June 2022 32%, June 2023 38%, June 2024 36%, June 2025 39%, June 2026 41%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 64%, June 2022 57%, June 2023 63%, June 2024 61%, June 2025 62%, June 2026 65%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 12679% | 11572% | 10465% | 9157% | 7849% | 6641% | 5132% | 3723% | 2314% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 12176% | 11069% | 9962% | 8654% | 7446% | 6239% | 4830% | 3421% | 2113% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 11874% | 10767% | 9761% | 8453% | 7144% | 5836% | 4428% | 3119% | 1811% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 12478% | 11270% | 10163% | 8754% | 7446% | 6138% | 4629% | 3119% | 1711% |
| June 2022 | 160 | 11673% | 10364% | 9157% | 7748% | 6440% | 5132% | 3924% | 2818% | 1711% |
| November 2021 | 160 | 11572% | 10364% | 9157% | 7849% | 6641% | 5434% | 3924% | 2516% | 117% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 11773% | 10566% | 9459% | 8151% | 6843% | 5534% | 4025% | 2516% | 117% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 12377% | 11371% | 10364% | 9157% | 8050% | 6943% | 5635% | 4327% | 3019% |
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 GCSE grade boundary documents: June 2026, June 2025, June 2024, June 2023, June 2022, November 2021, November 2020, June 2019.