Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
December 2025
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
December 2025
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
December 2025
Key takeaways
Table of contents
Students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will sit their first GCSEs between the ages of 14 and 16 and will receive a grade from 9 (highest grade) to 1 (lowest grade). The GCSE exams – officially known as the General Certificate of Secondary Education – are the first major qualifications young people take that genuinely influence their future education and employment opportunities.
That’s why understanding how GCSE exams are graded, especially the use of GCSE grade boundaries, is key to making sense of results and gives parents and students confidence during the exam season!
Read on to discover what GCSE grade boundaries are, what the latest boundaries are, and which GCSE grades count as a pass.
So, what exactly are the GCSE grade boundaries? Essentially, they are the cut-off marks used to determine grades awarded to each student. They differ from your child’s raw mark (the number of correct marks achieved) in that these grade boundaries are adjusted each year to level the playing field for reasons such as:
This approach to GCSE grading means that students are not unfairly punished if their exam is harder, and ensures that their grade reflects their true ability and performance.
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The GCSE grade boundaries for 2026-27 haven’t yet been released, with exam boards making them available in August, either on or just ahead of GCSE results day 2026.
While we don’t have this academic year’s GCSE grade boundaries, we can give you a good idea of what to expect based on previous years’ boundaries. As a guide, if your child is aiming for the top grades of 8 or 9, they should aim for at least 70-80% in their papers. Typically, for a standard pass at Grade 4, students would generally need anywhere from 40-60%.
As an example, here are the GCSE grade boundaries for the AQA English and Maths exams. You can see the total of marks required in each exam to achieve the GCSE grades between 9 and 4 in the table below.
| Subject & Total Available Marks | Total Marks | GCSE Grade | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | ||
| English Language | 160 | 119 | 109 | 100 | 91 | 82 | 73 |
| English Literature | 160 | 136 | 122 | 108 | 92 | 77 | 62 |
| Maths (H) | 240 | 219 | 191 | 164 | 130 | 96 | 63 |
AQA GCSE Grade Boundaries June 2025
Generally speaking, the boundaries don’t tend to move massively; there will be slight adjustments from year to year, but no wild jumps. Similarly, there will be variances across different examination boards due to the variation in the content of their papers.
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We have covered how the different GCSE grades are achieved, but the big question on our learners’ minds is really: what counts as a pass? Here are the GCSE Grades explained!
Congratulations! You’ve passed! In old terms, a GCSE Grade 4 is roughly equivalent to a C, which is usually the minimum grade you’d require for employment or further study.
A Grade 5 is often referred to as a “strong pass” and is the equivalent of a high C or low B grade. It’s the next step up from a Grade 4 pass and can give learners’ applications for sixth form, college or apprenticeships a little more weight.
Grade 9 is the highest grade that a student can achieve in their GCSE exams. These upper grades correspond to old letter grades roughly as in the table below:
| Current number grades | Old letter grades |
|---|---|
| 9 | A* |
| 8 | |
| 7 | A |
| 6 | |
| 5 | B |
| 4 | C |
Unfortunately, a result of GCSE grades 1, 2 or 3 is not a pass. In particular, if students don’t achieve a Grade 4 in English or maths, they’ll likely need to resit the following year, especially if they are under 16. These GCSEs are essential for many careers or further education routes.
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Mhairi Sim
Mhairi is an experienced teacher, freelance writer and parent. After completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she graduated as a teacher from the University of Strathclyde. She then built experience teaching across KS1 and KS2 throughout the UK. In addition to working in mainstream education, Mhairi specialised in the additional support needs sector, including social, emotional, and behavioural support.
Mhairi
Mhairi is an experienced teacher, freelance writer and parent. After completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she graduated as a teacher from the University of Strathclyde. She then built experience teaching across KS1 and KS2 throughout the UK. In addition to working in mainstream education, Mhairi specialised in the additional support needs sector, including social, emotional, and behavioural support.
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