Loading page…
GCSE Maths Grade Boundaries 2025-2026
Published on
GCSE maths grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks needed to achieve each numbered grade (9 to 1). They change every year based on how hard the exam papers are. Harder tests have lower boundaries, and easier tests have higher boundaries to keep grading fair. On Higher Tier, out of 240 marks, a grade 4 needed 63 marks with AQA, 53 marks with Edexcel, and 27 marks with Eduqas. OCR marks its papers out of 300 rather than 240, and a grade 4 there needed 47 marks. Boundaries for the 2026 series are not released early. Every board publishes its 2026 boundaries on results day itself, in August, at the same time as everyone else. Until then, the 2025 figures below are the most useful guide for planning revision.
Every exam board sets its own boundaries, and every year they move. Here are the full GCSE Maths grade boundaries for AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas, by tier.
Why GCSE Maths grade boundaries move every single year
If you compare this year's grade boundaries to last year's, you will notice the numbers are never quite the same. That is not a mistake, and it is not exam boards making things harder or easier on purpose. It comes down to one simple idea: exam papers are never exactly the same difficulty from one year to the next.
Exam boards deliberately shift the mark needed for each grade so that the standard of work required to earn a grade 4, or a grade 7, or a grade 9, stays roughly consistent every year, even though the papers themselves change. A slightly harder paper gets a slightly lower boundary. A slightly easier paper gets a slightly higher one.
AQA GCSE Maths grade boundaries 2025
AQA is the largest exam board for GCSE Maths in England, and its June 2025 boundaries give a useful benchmark for the wider national picture. Both tiers are marked out of 240.
Grade | Higher Tier | Foundation Tier |
9 | 219 | – |
8 | 191 | – |
7 | 164 | – |
6 | 130 | – |
5 | 96 | 188 |
4 | 63 | 160 |
3 | 46 | 119 |
2 | – | 79 |
1 | – | 39 |
June 2025 series, out of 240 marks. Source: AQA official grade boundary documents.
Notice how much ground grade 4 covers relative to full marks. A student comfortably working through the method as well as final answers can reach a standard pass without needing anywhere near a perfect paper.
Edexcel GCSE Maths grade boundaries 2025
Edexcel, run by Pearson, is another of the most widely used boards for GCSE Maths. Its June 2025 boundaries, also out of 240 marks on both tiers, look like this.
Grade | Higher Tier | Foundation Tier |
9 | 217 | – |
8 | 186 | – |
7 | 156 | – |
6 | 121 | – |
5 | 87 | 175 |
4 | 53 | 144 |
3 | 36 | 105 |
2 | – | 67 |
1 | – | 29 |
June 2025 series, out of 240 marks. Source: Pearson Edexcel official grade boundary documents.
Edexcel's Higher Tier boundaries in 2025 sat a little below AQA's at almost every grade, which is a useful reminder that boards are never perfectly aligned, even when covering the same content and grading scale.
OCR GCSE Maths grade boundaries 2025
OCR structures its GCSE Maths papers a little differently. Instead of three papers worth 80 marks each, OCR uses three papers worth 100 marks each, giving a total of 300 rather than 240. This changes how the raw numbers look, even where the underlying standard is similar.
Grade | Higher Tier (out of 300) |
9 | 258 |
8 | 212 |
7 | 166 |
6 | 126 |
5 | 86 |
4 | 47 |
June 2025 series, Higher Tier, out of 300 marks. Source: OCR official grade boundary documents.
Eduqas GCSE Maths grade boundaries 2025
Eduqas, run by WJEC, is used by a smaller number of schools in England but remains a significant board for GCSE Maths, particularly for schools with strong ties to Wales. Its papers are marked out of 240 on both tiers.
Grade | Higher Tier | Foundation Tier |
9 | 196 | – |
8 | 155 | – |
7 | 115 | – |
6 | 85 | – |
5 | 56 | 141 |
4 | 27 | 111 |
3 | – | 81 |
2 | – | 51 |
1 | – | 21 |
June 2025 series, out of 240 marks. Source: WJEC Eduqas official grade boundary documents.
Eduqas's Higher Tier grade 4 boundary of 27 out of 240 looks strikingly low compared with AQA's 63, and this is exactly why raw marks alone can be misleading. As a percentage, the two are closer together than the raw numbers suggest, once the difficulty and structure of each board's papers is taken into account.
GCSE Maths TUITION
Don't just scrape a grade, beat it
Our GCSE Maths tutors build a genuine safety margin above the boundary, so results day never comes down to a single mark.
What are the GCSE Maths grade boundaries for 2026
This is the question we get asked most as results day approaches, and the honest answer is straightforward. GCSE grade boundaries for the 2026 series are not released early, by any board, for any subject. They are published on results day itself, in August, at the same time across AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas.
Once published, boundaries typically stay reasonably close to the previous year unless that year's papers were noticeably harder or easier, so the 2025 figures in this guide remain a sensible benchmark for planning revision right up until the 2026 results are confirmed.
How to use grade boundaries in revision
Grade boundaries are genuinely useful for planning, but only if they are used the right way. Here is how we help students turn a shifting number into something they can actually work with.
1. Aim for a percentage, not last year's exact mark
Since boundaries move a little every year, treating a fixed number as your target is risky. Aim for a comfortable percentage above the typical range instead, so a slightly tougher paper does not put your grade at risk.
2. Practise under timed, realistic conditions
Working through past papers under proper exam conditions is one of the best ways to see where marks are genuinely being lost. Our GCSE tuition programme builds this kind of structured, timed practice into every stage of preparation.
3. Focus revision time where boundaries are tightest
Some grade gaps are wider than others, and identifying where marks are hardest to pick up makes revision far more efficient. Our GCSE Maths tuition is built around exactly this kind of targeted, mark scheme aware preparation.
4. Do not let boundaries distract from other subjects
Grade boundaries move in every GCSE subject, not just Maths. We also offer GCSE English tuition, GCSE Science tuition and GCSE Languages tuition, so students get the same structured, boundary aware support across their whole subject list. For wider subject guides and results day advice across every GCSE subject, our sister site Pass GCSE is dedicated entirely to GCSE preparation.
If you are not sure where to start, our GCSE tutors can assess exactly where a student sits against these boundaries right now, and build a plan to move them safely above the line well before results day.
Final thoughts
The GCSE Maths grade boundaries above give a clear, honest picture of where each exam board set the line in June 2025, and why raw marks alone do not always tell the full story between boards. Until the 2026 series is published on results day, these figures remain the most reliable guide available.
The best protection against a shifting boundary is not trying to predict the exact number. It is revising with enough of a margin that the boundary, wherever it lands, is never the reason a grade slips away. We would love to help your child build exactly that margin. Get in touch with us today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are GCSE Maths grade boundaries?
GCSE Maths grade boundaries are the minimum number of raw marks a student needs on their exam papers to achieve each grade, from grade 1 up to grade 9. They are set separately by each exam board, for each tier, after every exam series, based on how the whole national cohort performed that year.
What are the Edexcel GCSE Maths grade boundaries?
For the June 2025 series, Edexcel Higher Tier GCSE Maths required 217 out of 240 marks for a grade 9, 156 for a grade 7, and 53 for a grade 4. Foundation Tier required 175 out of 240 for a grade 5 and 144 for a grade 4. These figures change slightly with every exam series, so always check Pearson's official grade boundary documents for the most current year.
What are the AQA GCSE Maths grade boundaries?
For the June 2025 series, AQA Higher Tier GCSE Maths required 219 out of 240 marks for a grade 9, 164 for a grade 7, and 63 for a grade 4. Foundation Tier required 188 out of 240 for a grade 5 and 160 for a grade 4. AQA publishes updated boundaries on its website every results day.
What are the OCR GCSE Maths grade boundaries 2025?
For the June 2025 series, OCR Higher Tier GCSE Maths, marked out of 300 rather than 240, required 258 marks for a grade 9, 166 for a grade 7, and 47 for a grade 4. OCR's papers carry a higher total mark than AQA or Edexcel, which is why the percentage needed for each grade can look different even when the standard is the same.
What are the Eduqas GCSE Maths grade boundaries?
For the June 2025 series, Eduqas Higher Tier GCSE Maths required 196 out of 240 marks for a grade 9, 115 for a grade 7, and 27 for a grade 4. Foundation Tier required 141 out of 240 for a grade 5 and 111 for a grade 4. As with every board, these are worth double-checking against the official WJEC Eduqas grade boundary documents each year.
What is the grade boundary for GCSE Maths 2026?
GCSE grade boundaries for the 2026 series are published on results day itself, in August, at the same time by every exam board. They are never released in advance, so the safest approach before then is to use the 2025 figures as a general planning guide and check each board's official website on the morning results are published.
Mr Singh
Founder, Pass 11 Plus Grammar
Mr Singh is the founder of Pass 11 Plus Grammar, with over 30 years of teaching experience. Having overcome academic setbacks himself, he is passionate about ensuring no child struggles alone. His approach focuses on personalised support, strong foundations, and building confidence. He has helped students achieve outstanding results in 11+ and GCSE examinations
Loading related posts…
