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 8572, Media Studies.
Grade 4 needed 99 out of 240 marks (41%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 37% (2022) to 44% (2023).
June 2026 out of 240
- 9
- 184 77%
- 8
- 170 71%
- 7
- 156 65%
- 6
- 137 57%
- 5
- 118 49%
- 4
- 99 41%
- 3
- 73 30%
- 2
- 47 20%
- 1
- 21 9%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 40%, June 2022 37%, June 2023 44%, June 2024 43%, June 2025 41%, June 2026 41%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 65%, June 2022 62%, June 2023 68%, June 2024 68%, June 2025 65%, June 2026 65%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 240 | 18477% | 17071% | 15665% | 13757% | 11849% | 9941% | 7330% | 4720% | 219% |
| June 2025 | 240 | 18678% | 17171% | 15665% | 13657% | 11749% | 9841% | 7230% | 4619% | 219% |
| June 2024 | 240 | 18979% | 17573% | 16268% | 14259% | 12351% | 10443% | 7632% | 4820% | 219% |
| June 2023 | 240 | 19280% | 17874% | 16468% | 14460% | 12552% | 10644% | 7833% | 5121% | 2410% |
| June 2022 | 240 | 18175% | 16569% | 14962% | 12853% | 10845% | 8837% | 6728% | 4619% | 2611% |
| November 2021 | 168 | 12373% | 10965% | 9657% | 8048% | 6438% | 4829% | 3420% | 2113% | 85% |
| November 2020 | 168 | 12373% | 10965% | 9557% | 7947% | 6438% | 4929% | 3521% | 2113% | 85% |
| June 2019 | 240 | 18979% | 17272% | 15565% | 13556% | 11548% | 9640% | 7130% | 4720% | 2310% |
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 J200, Media Studies.
Grade 4 needed 99 out of 200 marks (50%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 43% (2022) to 50% (2025).
June 2026 out of 200
- 9
- 167 84%
- 8
- 156 78%
- 7
- 145 73%
- 6
- 129 65%
- 5
- 114 57%
- 4
- 99 50%
- 3
- 73 37%
- 2
- 48 24%
- 1
- 23 12%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 46%, June 2022 43%, June 2023 47%, June 2024 47%, June 2025 50%, June 2026 50%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 70%, June 2022 69%, June 2023 70%, June 2024 71%, June 2025 74%, June 2026 73%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 200 | 16784% | 15678% | 14573% | 12965% | 11457% | 9950% | 7337% | 4824% | 2312% |
| June 2025 | 200 | 16884% | 15779% | 14774% | 13166% | 11558% | 10050% | 7437% | 4824% | 2312% |
| June 2024 | 200 | 16382% | 15276% | 14171% | 12563% | 10955% | 9447% | 6935% | 4422% | 2010% |
| June 2023 | 200 | 16382% | 15176% | 13970% | 12462% | 10955% | 9447% | 7035% | 4623% | 2312% |
| June 2022 | 200 | 16080% | 14874% | 13769% | 12060% | 10352% | 8643% | 6533% | 4422% | 2312% |
| November 2021 | 140 | 10776% | 9769% | 8762% | 7352% | 6043% | 4734% | 3324% | 2014% | 75% |
| November 2020 | 140 | 10978% | 9971% | 8964% | 7554% | 6144% | 4734% | 3324% | 2014% | 75% |
| June 2019 | 200 | 16482% | 15276% | 14070% | 12462% | 10854% | 9246% | 6633% | 4121% | 168% |
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.
Eduqas
Eduqas past papersSpecification C680, Media Studies.
Grade 4 needed 90 out of 200 marks (45%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 43% (2019) to 47% (2024).
June 2026 out of 200
- 9
- 162 81%
- 8
- 150 75%
- 7
- 138 69%
- 6
- 122 61%
- 5
- 106 53%
- 4
- 90 45%
- 3
- 66 33%
- 2
- 43 22%
- 1
- 20 10%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 43%, June 2022 45%, June 2023 46%, June 2024 47%, June 2025 47%, June 2026 45%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 67%, June 2022 69%, June 2023 69%, June 2024 70%, June 2025 69%, June 2026 69%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 200 | 16281% | 15075% | 13869% | 12261% | 10653% | 9045% | 6633% | 4322% | 2010% |
| June 2025 | 200 | 16181% | 14975% | 13869% | 12362% | 10854% | 9447% | 7035% | 4623% | 2211% |
| June 2024 | 200 | 16181% | 15075% | 13970% | 12462% | 10955% | 9447% | 7136% | 4824% | 2513% |
| June 2023 | 200 | 16181% | 14975% | 13869% | 12261% | 10754% | 9246% | 6834% | 4422% | 2111% |
| June 2022 | 200 | 16382% | 15075% | 13869% | 12261% | 10653% | 9045% | 6734% | 4523% | 2312% |
| November 2020 | 140 | 10172% | 9165% | 8158% | 6849% | 5539% | 4331% | 3324% | 2417% | 1511% |
| June 2019 | 200 | 15779% | 14573% | 13367% | 11759% | 10151% | 8643% | 6432% | 4221% | 2111% |
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, June 2022, November 2020, June 2019.