AQA GCSE grade boundaries Summer 2025
The minimum whole-subject marks AQA set for each GCSE grade in the Summer 2025 series, covering Mathematics, English Language, English Literature and 8 more subjects. Subjects link to their past papers, so you can see the exams these boundaries applied to.
AQA GCSE · Summer 2025 · minimum whole-subject totals
Official AQA boundaries| Subject | Out of | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MathematicsHigher 8300 | 240 | 219 | 191 | 164 | 130 | 96 | 63 | 46 | – | – |
MathematicsFoundation 8300 | 240 | – | – | – | – | 188 | 160 | 119 | 79 | 39 |
8700 | 160 | 119 | 109 | 100 | 91 | 82 | 73 | 54 | 35 | 16 |
8702 | 160 | 136 | 122 | 108 | 92 | 77 | 62 | 46 | 30 | 15 |
BiologyHigher 8461 | 200 | 141 | 127 | 113 | 94 | 75 | 56 | 46 | – | – |
BiologyFoundation 8461 | 200 | – | – | – | – | 140 | 121 | 87 | 53 | 19 |
ChemistryHigher 8462 | 200 | 150 | 132 | 115 | 90 | 66 | 42 | 30 | – | – |
ChemistryFoundation 8462 | 200 | – | – | – | – | 132 | 109 | 80 | 52 | 24 |
PhysicsHigher 8463 | 200 | 152 | 139 | 126 | 107 | 88 | 70 | 61 | – | – |
PhysicsFoundation 8463 | 200 | – | – | – | – | 144 | 131 | 95 | 59 | 24 |
8035 | 252 | 199 | 180 | 161 | 142 | 124 | 106 | 77 | 48 | 20 |
8145 | 168 | 119 | 107 | 96 | 84 | 72 | 60 | 43 | 26 | 10 |
8525 | 180 | 155 | 142 | 130 | 111 | 92 | 74 | 55 | 36 | 18 |
8062 | 204 | 167 | 154 | 142 | 126 | 110 | 94 | 70 | 46 | 22 |
Combined Science · double award, grades come in pairs
| Subject | Out of | 9-9 | 9-8 | 8-8 | 8-7 | 7-7 | 7-6 | 6-6 | 6-5 | 5-5 | 5-4 | 4-4 | 4-3 | 3-3 | 3-2 | 2-2 | 2-1 | 1-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8464 | 420 | 299 | 281 | 263 | 245 | 228 | 206 | 184 | 162 | 140 | 118 | 96 | 85 | – | – | – | – | – |
Combined Science: TrilogyFoundation 8464 | 420 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 271 | 251 | 231 | 202 | 173 | 145 | 117 | 89 | 61 |
* History, Religious Studies A: One option shown; other options vary by a few marks. Check the official document for yours.
Boundaries are set after each series, once the boards have seen how everyone did, so they move year to year. Confirm against the official AQA document before relying on a number.
AQA GCSE grade boundary FAQs
- How many marks did you need for a grade 9 in AQA GCSE Maths in Summer 2025?
- A grade 9 in AQA GCSE Mathematics needed 219 of 240 marks on the Higher tier in Summer 2025, around 91%.
- What was the pass mark for AQA GCSE Maths in Summer 2025?
- A standard pass is grade 4. In AQA GCSE Mathematics that meant 160 of 240 marks on the Foundation tier and 63 of 240 marks on the Higher tier in Summer 2025.
- When are AQA grade boundaries published?
- Exam boards publish grade boundaries on results day, once every paper has been marked and grading is complete. A-Level boundaries appear in mid August and GCSE boundaries the week after.
- Why do grade boundaries change every year?
- Boundaries are set after each exam series so that grading standards stay consistent from year to year. If a paper turns out harder than usual the boundaries come down, and if it turns out easier they go up, so the marks needed for a grade reflect the difficulty of that year's papers.
- Are grade boundaries the same for every exam board?
- No. AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC each set boundaries for their own papers, so the marks needed for the same grade differ between boards and between specifications within a board. Always check the boundaries for the exact specification you sat.