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.
The same figures as a table
| Board | Out of | Grade 4 | Grade 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 160 | 6641% | 11371% |
| Pearson Edexcel | 160 | 7547% | 11673% |
| OCR | 160 | 4729% | 10465% |
| Eduqas | 200 | 8844% | 12864% |
AQA
AQA past papersSpecification 8702, English Literature.
Grade 4 needed 66 out of 160 marks (41%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2017 to 2025 it ranged from 36% (2023) to 43% (2019).
June 2026 out of 160
- 9
- 142 89%
- 8
- 127 79%
- 7
- 113 71%
- 6
- 97 61%
- 5
- 81 51%
- 4
- 66 41%
- 3
- 49 31%
- 2
- 33 21%
- 1
- 17 11%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2017 41%, June 2018 38%, June 2019 43%, June 2023 36%, June 2024 36%, June 2025 39%, June 2026 41%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2017 71%, June 2018 66%, June 2019 71%, June 2023 65%, June 2024 66%, June 2025 68%, June 2026 71%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 14289% | 12779% | 11371% | 9761% | 8151% | 6641% | 4931% | 3321% | 1711% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 13685% | 12276% | 10868% | 9258% | 7748% | 6239% | 4629% | 3019% | 159% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 13786% | 12176% | 10666% | 9056% | 7446% | 5836% | 4226% | 2717% | 128% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 13584% | 11974% | 10465% | 8855% | 7245% | 5736% | 4226% | 2717% | 128% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 13886% | 12377% | 10968% | 9358% | 7748% | 6138% | 4327% | 2616% | 96% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 14188% | 12779% | 11371% | 9861% | 8352% | 6843% | 5031% | 3321% | 1610% |
| June 2018 | 160 | 13584% | 12075% | 10666% | 9157% | 7648% | 6138% | 4528% | 2918% | 149% |
| June 2017 | 160 | 14188% | 12779% | 11471% | 9861% | 8251% | 6641% | 4931% | 3220% | 1610% |
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, November 2020, June 2019, June 2018, June 2017.
Pearson Edexcel
Edexcel past papersSpecification 1ET0, English Literature.
Grade 4 needed 75 out of 160 marks (47%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2017 to 2025 it ranged from 42% (2018) to 46% (2025).
June 2026 out of 160
- 9
- 136 85%
- 8
- 126 79%
- 7
- 116 73%
- 6
- 102 64%
- 5
- 88 55%
- 4
- 75 47%
- 3
- 56 35%
- 2
- 37 23%
- 1
- 18 11%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2017 43%, June 2018 42%, June 2019 43%, June 2023 42%, June 2024 44%, June 2025 46%, June 2026 47%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2017 72%, June 2018 68%, June 2019 68%, June 2023 69%, June 2024 70%, June 2025 72%, June 2026 73%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 13685% | 12679% | 11673% | 10264% | 8855% | 7547% | 5635% | 3723% | 1811% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 13584% | 12578% | 11572% | 10163% | 8754% | 7346% | 5434% | 3522% | 1711% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 13383% | 12276% | 11270% | 9861% | 8453% | 7044% | 5132% | 3321% | 159% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 13283% | 12176% | 11069% | 9559% | 8151% | 6742% | 4931% | 3119% | 138% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 12981% | 11773% | 10666% | 9157% | 7748% | 6339% | 4528% | 2717% | 96% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 13283% | 12075% | 10968% | 9559% | 8251% | 6943% | 5132% | 3421% | 1711% |
| June 2018 | 160 | 13383% | 12176% | 10968% | 9559% | 8151% | 6742% | 4931% | 3119% | 138% |
| June 2017 | 160 | 14088% | 12779% | 11572% | 9962% | 8453% | 6943% | 4830% | 2717% | 64% |
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 GCSE grade boundary documents: June 2026, June 2025, June 2024, June 2023, November 2020, June 2019, June 2018, June 2017.
OCR
OCR past papersSpecification J352, English Literature.
Grade 4 needed 47 out of 160 marks (29%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2017 to 2025 it ranged from 30% (2017) to 34% (2018).
June 2026 out of 160
- 9
- 135 84%
- 8
- 119 74%
- 7
- 104 65%
- 6
- 85 53%
- 5
- 66 41%
- 4
- 47 29%
- 3
- 35 22%
- 2
- 24 15%
- 1
- 13 8%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2017 30%, June 2018 34%, June 2019 34%, June 2022 33%, June 2023 31%, June 2024 30%, June 2025 31%, June 2026 29%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2017 66%, June 2018 69%, June 2019 66%, June 2022 65%, June 2023 64%, June 2024 64%, June 2025 63%, June 2026 65%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 13584% | 11974% | 10465% | 8553% | 6641% | 4729% | 3522% | 2415% | 138% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 13383% | 11773% | 10163% | 8352% | 6641% | 4931% | 3723% | 2516% | 138% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 13383% | 11874% | 10364% | 8453% | 6641% | 4830% | 3623% | 2415% | 138% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 13484% | 11874% | 10364% | 8553% | 6742% | 4931% | 3723% | 2516% | 138% |
| June 2022 | 120 | 10083% | 8974% | 7865% | 6554% | 5243% | 3933% | 2823% | 1815% | 87% |
| November 2021 | 120 | 9983% | 8672% | 7462% | 6151% | 4840% | 3630% | 2723% | 1815% | 98% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 13584% | 11874% | 10264% | 8453% | 6641% | 4931% | 3623% | 2415% | 128% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 13685% | 12176% | 10666% | 8956% | 7245% | 5534% | 4226% | 2918% | 1610% |
| June 2018 | 160 | 14289% | 12679% | 11069% | 9157% | 7346% | 5534% | 4226% | 2918% | 1610% |
| June 2017 | 160 | 14088% | 12276% | 10566% | 8654% | 6742% | 4830% | 3723% | 2616% | 159% |
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, June 2018, June 2017.
Eduqas
Eduqas past papersSpecification C720, English Literature.
Grade 4 needed 88 out of 200 marks (44%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2017 to 2025 it ranged from 41% (2024) to 46% (2018).
June 2026 out of 200
- 9
- 151 76%
- 8
- 139 70%
- 7
- 128 64%
- 6
- 114 57%
- 5
- 101 51%
- 4
- 88 44%
- 3
- 66 33%
- 2
- 45 23%
- 1
- 24 12%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2017 44%, June 2018 46%, June 2019 43%, June 2023 43%, June 2024 41%, June 2025 43%, June 2026 44%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2017 66%, June 2018 67%, June 2019 63%, June 2023 65%, June 2024 62%, June 2025 63%, June 2026 64%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 200 | 15176% | 13970% | 12864% | 11457% | 10151% | 8844% | 6633% | 4523% | 2412% |
| June 2025 | 200 | 15075% | 13869% | 12663% | 11256% | 9849% | 8543% | 6332% | 4121% | 2010% |
| June 2024 | 200 | 14874% | 13668% | 12462% | 11055% | 9648% | 8241% | 6030% | 3819% | 179% |
| June 2023 | 200 | 15377% | 14171% | 12965% | 11457% | 9950% | 8543% | 6533% | 4523% | 2613% |
| November 2020 | 200 | 14774% | 13467% | 12161% | 10653% | 9146% | 7739% | 5628% | 3518% | 158% |
| June 2019 | 200 | 15075% | 13769% | 12563% | 11156% | 9849% | 8543% | 6633% | 4724% | 2814% |
| June 2018 | 200 | 15980% | 14673% | 13467% | 12060% | 10653% | 9246% | 7236% | 5226% | 3317% |
| June 2017 | 200 | 16080% | 14673% | 13266% | 11759% | 10251% | 8744% | 6332% | 3920% | 158% |
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 GCSE grade boundary documents: June 2026, June 2025, June 2024, June 2023, November 2020, June 2019, June 2018, June 2017.
WJEC
Specification 3720, English Literature GCSE.
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 paper.
WJEC, June 2026 · WJEC, June 2025 · WJEC, June 2024 · WJEC, June 2023
CCEA
CCEA past papersSpecification 493, English Literature.
CCEA 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.
CCEA, June 2026 · CCEA, June 2025 · CCEA, June 2024 · CCEA, June 2023