GCSE Combined Science tutors
Showing 24 of 62 UK tutors who teach Combined Science at GCSE. £15–£150/hr · median £43
Combined Science (also called Trilogy at AQA, or Double Award) is the GCSE route most state-school students take: two GCSE grades covering biology, chemistry and physics, with reduced content versus the separate triple sciences. Tutoring helps most with the breadth: students often arrive solid in one science and shaky in another, and the grade covers all three. The required practicals carry disproportionate weight in the questions. Boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR Gateway, OCR 21st Century, CIE) cover similar ground but differ on practical lists and paper structure. Match the tutor to the spec the school is teaching.
Combined Science is worth two GCSEs and covers roughly two thirds of the content of the three separate sciences. It is reported as a double grade such as 6-6 or 7-6, and the two grades are always the same or adjacent. AQA calls its version Trilogy. Students sit papers in all three sciences, which means the workload is spread thin rather than reduced, and the usual difficulty is that a weakness in one science drags a grade that covers all three. It keeps most A-level science routes open, though a few selective sixth forms prefer separate sciences for physics and chemistry.
GCSEs are sat in Year 11 (age 15-16), with most students taking 8-10 subjects. They're the main UK school qualification at 16: the 9-1 graded exams that drive sixth-form admission, apprenticeship eligibility, and (via maths and English at grade 4 or 5) university and many job prerequisites. Tutoring demand peaks here. The biggest grade gains tend to come from exam-paper technique rather than further content. Students often know more than they show. Boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, WJEC, CIE) diverge on content and assessment, so tutor familiarity with the specific spec is meaningful in most subjects.
58.3% got grades 4-4 or above in 2026 across the UK (JCQ). Exam boards, dates and past papers
Luke P.
Friendly GCSE Maths and Science tutor, 10+ years of experience. Experienced in helping students with neurodiversity and SEN, ADHD and ASD.
- Maths
- Combined Science
- Science
- +4 more
- SpLD
- Autism
- ADHD & EF
- +1 more
Dr Muhammad K.
PhD in Engineering | 15 years of Teaching Experience in Maths, Science & Engineering | Published Writer & Author | GCSE, A-Level, University
- Chemistry
- Maths
- Further Maths
- +7 more
Joseph M.
Qualified teacher with a first class master's in physics from Cambridge University and eight years' experience as a classroom teacher.
- Physics
- Further Maths
- Maths
- +9 more
About the GCSE Combined Science exam
Which exam board?
Your child's school will know which board they sit.
Which AQA specification?
AQA Combined Science: Trilogy · 8464
Exam dates, summer 2027
- Tuesday, 11 May 2027 Paper 1: Biology, morning
- Monday, 17 May 2027 Paper 1: Chemistry, morning
- Tuesday, 25 May 2027 Paper 1: Physics, morning
- Thursday, 10 June 2027 Paper 2: Biology, morning
- Tuesday, 15 June 2027 Paper 2: Chemistry, morning
- Friday, 18 June 2027 Paper 2: Physics, morning
Past papers, June 2025
Higher tier
- Paper 1: Biology Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report
- Paper 1: Chemistry Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
- Paper 1: Physics Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
- Paper 2: Biology Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report
- Paper 2: Chemistry Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
- Paper 2: Physics Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
Foundation tier
- Paper 1: Biology Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report
- Paper 1: Chemistry Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
- Paper 1: Physics Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
- Paper 2: Biology Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report
- Paper 2: Chemistry Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
- Paper 2: Physics Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
Grade boundaries, every series
Grade boundaries
| Series | Tier | Grades 4-4 | Grades 7-7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | Higher | 111/420 26% | 228/420 54% |
| June 2026 | Foundation | 238/420 57% | Not on this tier |
| June 2025 | Higher | 96/420 23% | 228/420 54% |
| June 2025 | Foundation | 231/420 55% | Not on this tier |
The total marks needed across all the papers. From AQA GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026 and AQA GCSE grade boundaries, June 2025.
How students do
Share of UK entries who got grades 4-4 or above, and who got grades 7-7 or above, all boards.
- 2019 55.9%·7.8%
- 2020 64.7%·10.8%
- 2021 65.1%·12.7%
- 2022 61%·10.8%
- 2023 57.1%·8.9%
- 2024 57.3%·9.1%
- 2025 57.8%·9.3%
- 2026 58.3%·9.4%
2020 and 2021 were teacher-assessed grades, which is why they run higher. Combined science awards two grades, so JCQ counts each student twice. All ages, including students resitting. From GCSE (full course) results summer, all UK candidates.
Read up before you book
Plain-English guides
About GCSE
Year groups, exam timing, and how GCSE fits into the UK qualification ladder.
Exam boards
AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA, SQA (now Qualifications Scotland) and Cambridge International: what each is known for.
Parent guides
Cost benchmarks, online vs in-person, when to start, choosing a tutor, and knowing if it's working.
Also explore