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 8192, Sociology.
Grade 4 needed 98 out of 200 marks (49%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 37% (2019) to 47% (2025).
June 2026 out of 200
- 9
- 164 82%
- 8
- 153 77%
- 7
- 143 72%
- 6
- 128 64%
- 5
- 113 57%
- 4
- 98 49%
- 3
- 71 36%
- 2
- 44 22%
- 1
- 18 9%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 37%, June 2022 37%, June 2023 42%, June 2024 45%, June 2025 47%, June 2026 49%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 58%, June 2022 60%, June 2023 66%, June 2024 68%, June 2025 70%, June 2026 72%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 200 | 16482% | 15377% | 14372% | 12864% | 11357% | 9849% | 7136% | 4422% | 189% |
| June 2025 | 200 | 16382% | 15176% | 14070% | 12462% | 10854% | 9347% | 6734% | 4121% | 158% |
| June 2024 | 200 | 15879% | 14774% | 13668% | 12060% | 10553% | 9045% | 6432% | 3819% | 126% |
| June 2023 | 200 | 15779% | 14472% | 13266% | 11658% | 10050% | 8442% | 5930% | 3518% | 116% |
| June 2022 | 200 | 14372% | 13166% | 12060% | 10452% | 8844% | 7337% | 5327% | 3317% | 137% |
| November 2021 | 200 | 12764% | 11558% | 10352% | 8844% | 7337% | 5829% | 4121% | 2513% | 95% |
| November 2020 | 200 | 13367% | 12161% | 10955% | 9246% | 7638% | 6030% | 4221% | 2513% | 84% |
| June 2019 | 200 | 13869% | 12663% | 11558% | 10151% | 8744% | 7337% | 5226% | 3116% | 105% |
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.
Eduqas
Eduqas past papersSpecification C200, Sociology.
Grade 4 needed 94 out of 200 marks (47%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 45% (2022) to 53% (2023).
June 2026 out of 200
- 9
- 159 80%
- 8
- 148 74%
- 7
- 137 69%
- 6
- 122 61%
- 5
- 108 54%
- 4
- 94 47%
- 3
- 69 35%
- 2
- 44 22%
- 1
- 20 10%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 50%, June 2022 45%, June 2023 53%, June 2024 51%, June 2025 49%, June 2026 47%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 73%, June 2022 68%, June 2023 73%, June 2024 74%, June 2025 72%, June 2026 69%.
Every mark, every series
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 200 | 15980% | 14874% | 13769% | 12261% | 10854% | 9447% | 6935% | 4422% | 2010% |
| June 2025 | 200 | 16583% | 15477% | 14372% | 12764% | 11256% | 9749% | 7035% | 4422% | 189% |
| June 2024 | 200 | 17085% | 15980% | 14874% | 13266% | 11658% | 10151% | 7337% | 4523% | 189% |
| June 2023 | 200 | 16784% | 15678% | 14673% | 13266% | 11859% | 10553% | 7638% | 4724% | 189% |
| June 2022 | 200 | 15980% | 14774% | 13668% | 12060% | 10553% | 9045% | 6533% | 4121% | 179% |
| November 2021 | 200 | 15477% | 14372% | 13367% | 11658% | 9950% | 8241% | 6231% | 4322% | 2412% |
| November 2020 | 200 | 16382% | 15075% | 13869% | 11960% | 10050% | 8241% | 6131% | 4020% | 2010% |
| June 2019 | 200 | 17085% | 15879% | 14673% | 13065% | 11457% | 9950% | 7437% | 5025% | 2613% |
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 2021, November 2020, June 2019.