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.
Higher tier
Foundation tier
The same figures as a table
| Board | Tier | Out of | Grade 4 | Grade 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | Higher | 160 | 3522% | 8352% |
| AQA | Foundation | 160 | 7648% | Not on this tier |
| Pearson Edexcel | Higher | 160 | 2717% | 8251% |
| Pearson Edexcel | Foundation | 160 | 6641% | Not on this tier |
AQA
AQA past papersSpecification 8382, Statistics.
Grade 4 needed 35 out of 160 marks (22%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 23% (2022) to 34% (2019).
June 2026 out of 160
- 9
- 114 71%
- 8
- 98 61%
- 7
- 83 52%
- 6
- 67 42%
- 5
- 51 32%
- 4
- 35 22%
- 3
- 27 17%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 34%, June 2022 23%, June 2023 25%, June 2024 26%, June 2025 24%, June 2026 22%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 71%, June 2022 51%, June 2023 59%, June 2024 61%, June 2025 59%, June 2026 52%.
Grade 4 needed 76 out of 160 marks (48%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 43% (2022) to 53% (2024).
June 2026 out of 160
- 5
- 92 58%
- 4
- 76 48%
- 3
- 57 36%
- 2
- 38 24%
- 1
- 20 13%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 51%, June 2022 43%, June 2023 47%, June 2024 53%, June 2025 51%, June 2026 48%.
Every mark, every series
Higher tier
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 11471% | 9861% | 8352% | 6742% | 5132% | 3522% | 2717% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 12981% | 11270% | 9559% | 7648% | 5736% | 3824% | 2818% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 13584% | 11673% | 9861% | 7949% | 6038% | 4226% | 3321% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 12880% | 11169% | 9559% | 7648% | 5836% | 4025% | 3119% |
| June 2022 | 160 | 11371% | 9761% | 8251% | 6641% | 5132% | 3623% | 2818% |
| November 2021 | 160 | 12981% | 11471% | 9962% | 8050% | 6138% | 4226% | 3220% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 13484% | 11974% | 10465% | 8251% | 6038% | 3924% | 2818% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 13987% | 12679% | 11471% | 9459% | 7446% | 5534% | 4528% |
Foundation tier
| Series | Out of | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 9258% | 7648% | 5736% | 3824% | 2013% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 10666% | 8251% | 6138% | 4025% | 2013% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 10868% | 8553% | 6541% | 4629% | 2717% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 9861% | 7547% | 5534% | 3522% | 159% |
| June 2022 | 160 | 8754% | 6943% | 4931% | 3019% | 117% |
| November 2021 | 160 | 8453% | 7144% | 5333% | 3623% | 1912% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 8654% | 6943% | 5031% | 3119% | 128% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 9358% | 8151% | 5836% | 3623% | 149% |
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.
Pearson Edexcel
Edexcel past papersSpecification 1ST0, Statistics.
Grade 4 needed 27 out of 160 marks (17%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 15% (2022) to 19% (2019).
June 2026 out of 160
- 9
- 129 81%
- 8
- 105 66%
- 7
- 82 51%
- 6
- 63 39%
- 5
- 45 28%
- 4
- 27 17%
- 3
- 18 11%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 19%, June 2022 15%, June 2023 17%, June 2024 18%, June 2025 15%, June 2026 17%. Grade 7 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 55%, June 2022 51%, June 2023 53%, June 2024 54%, June 2025 50%, June 2026 51%.
Grade 4 needed 66 out of 160 marks (41%) in June 2026; in the June series from 2019 to 2025 it ranged from 43% (2025) to 48% (2019).
June 2026 out of 160
- 5
- 83 52%
- 4
- 66 41%
- 3
- 48 30%
- 2
- 30 19%
- 1
- 12 8%
Grade 4 as a share of the maximum: June 2019 48%, June 2022 48%, June 2023 44%, June 2024 44%, June 2025 43%, June 2026 41%.
Every mark, every series
Higher tier
| Series | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 12981% | 10566% | 8251% | 6339% | 4528% | 2717% | 1811% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 12176% | 10063% | 8050% | 6138% | 4226% | 2415% | 159% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 12578% | 10666% | 8754% | 6742% | 4729% | 2818% | 1811% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 12075% | 10264% | 8453% | 6541% | 4629% | 2717% | 1711% |
| June 2022 | 160 | 12176% | 10163% | 8251% | 6239% | 4327% | 2415% | 149% |
| November 2021 | 160 | 10868% | 8956% | 7044% | 5434% | 3824% | 2314% | 159% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 11471% | 9559% | 7648% | 5736% | 3924% | 2113% | 128% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 12276% | 10566% | 8855% | 6843% | 4931% | 3019% | 2013% |
Foundation tier
| Series | Out of | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 160 | 8352% | 6641% | 4830% | 3019% | 128% |
| June 2025 | 160 | 8754% | 6843% | 4931% | 3019% | 128% |
| June 2024 | 160 | 9258% | 7044% | 5031% | 3119% | 128% |
| June 2023 | 160 | 8956% | 7144% | 5132% | 3119% | 117% |
| June 2022 | 160 | 9459% | 7648% | 5635% | 3723% | 1811% |
| November 2021 | 160 | 8251% | 6541% | 4830% | 3119% | 149% |
| November 2020 | 160 | 8251% | 6239% | 4428% | 2616% | 96% |
| June 2019 | 160 | 9559% | 7748% | 5736% | 3723% | 1711% |
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, June 2022, November 2021, November 2020, June 2019.