Maths Higher — Grade 9
219/240
91% of total marks
AQA · GCSE · Grades 1–9 · England
AQA GCSE Grade Boundaries 2026
Official AQA GCSE grade boundaries for all subjects. Enter your raw mark to find your grade instantly. Covers Maths, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography and more. Showing AQA June 2025 boundaries — the most recent available. 2026 boundaries published 20 August 2026 at 8:00am.
📅 Results Day: 20 Aug 2026Source: AQA official boundary documentsVerified: 26 May 2026
AQA GCSE 2025 key boundaries at a glance
Maths Higher — Grade 5
96/240
40% — strong pass
Maths Higher — Grade 4
63/240
26% — standard pass
English Lang — Grade 9
119/160
74% of total marks
AQA Results Day 2026 — Thursday 20 August 2026
AQA publishes all 2026 GCSE grade boundaries at 8:00am on Thursday 20 August 2026. GradesNova updates with live 2026 AQA data the moment boundaries are released. Bookmark this page and return on Results Day for instant, accurate grade checking with official 2026 data.
AQA GCSE grade boundaries calculator
Select your subject and enter your raw mark to instantly find your AQA GCSE grade based on the latest 2025 boundaries.
Exam board
Tier
Using 2025 official boundaries — updates on 20 Aug 2026
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Select a subject, board, and enter your raw mark
Based on official 2025 grade boundaries — AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC
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AQA GCSE grade boundaries 2025 — all subjects
Complete official AQA grade boundaries from the June 2025 examination series, published 21 August 2025. These are the most recent AQA GCSE boundaries available. 2026 boundaries are published on Results Day 20 August 2026.
| Subject | Tier | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5★ | 4+ | 3 | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Higher | 219 | 191 | 164 | 130 | 96 | 63 | 46 | 240 |
| Mathematics | Foundation | — | — | — | — | 188 | 160 | 119 | 240 |
| English Language | Higher | 119 | 109 | 100 | 91 | 82 | 73 | 54 | 160 |
| English Literature | Higher | 136 | 122 | 108 | 92 | 77 | 62 | 46 | 160 |
| Biology | Higher | 141 | 127 | 113 | 94 | 75 | 56 | 46 | 200 |
| Biology | Foundation | — | — | — | — | 140 | 121 | 87 | 200 |
| Chemistry | Higher | 150 | 132 | 115 | 90 | 66 | 42 | 30 | 200 |
| Chemistry | Foundation | — | — | — | — | 132 | 109 | 80 | 200 |
| Physics | Higher | 152 | 139 | 126 | 107 | 88 | 70 | 61 | 200 |
| Physics | Foundation | — | — | — | — | 144 | 131 | 95 | 200 |
| History | Higher | 146 | 134 | 123 | 110 | 98 | 86 | 65 | 168 |
| Geography | Higher | 154 | 141 | 129 | 115 | 102 | 89 | 65 | 200 |
| Religious Studies | Higher | 188 | 170 | 153 | 133 | 113 | 93 | 70 | 252 |
| Computer Science | Higher | 155 | 142 | 130 | 111 | 92 | 74 | 55 | 180 |
| Physical Education | Higher | 163 | 153 | 143 | 130 | 118 | 106 | 80 | 200 |
| Design Technology | Higher | 179 | 165 | 152 | 134 | 117 | 100 | 73 | 200 |
| Drama | Higher | 179 | 169 | 160 | 146 | 132 | 119 | 89 | 200 |
| Music | Higher | 170 | 160 | 150 | 137 | 124 | 112 | 91 | 200 |
| Food & Nutrition | Higher | 230 | 210 | 190 | 168 | 146 | 125 | 94 | 300 |
★ Grade 5 = strong pass. + Grade 4 = standard pass. Source: AQA official grade boundary documents, June 2025. Not affiliated with AQA. Verified: 26 May 2026.
AQA GCSE Maths grade boundaries 2022–2025
Four-year trend for AQA GCSE Maths Higher tier. Boundaries have risen consistently since 2022, reflecting improved cohort performance post-pandemic. Use this range to estimate where 2026 boundaries might fall — though only the 20 August 2026 release confirms exact figures.
| Year | Grade 9 | Grade 7 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025latest | 219 | 164 | 96 | 63 | 240 |
| 2024 | 213 | 144 | 93 | 58 | 240 |
| 2023 | 210 | 142 | 90 | 59 | 240 |
| 2022 | 198 | 133 | 84 | 55 | 240 |
AQA GCSE Mathematics Higher tier, June series 2022–2025. Source: AQA official documents.
AQA GCSE grade boundaries by subject — 2025
Detailed grade 9, 5 and 4 boundaries for the most searched AQA GCSE subjects.
Mathematics
Higher Tier (out of 240)
219
Grade 9
96
Grade 5★
63
Grade 4+
Foundation Tier (out of 240)
188
Grade 5 (max)
160
Grade 4+
Higher tier required for grade 6–9. Foundation max is grade 5.
English Language
Higher Tier (out of 160)
119
Grade 9
82
Grade 5★
73
Grade 4+
Grade 4 is legally required. Single tier in most cases.
Biology
Higher Tier (out of 200)
141
Grade 9
75
Grade 5★
56
Grade 4+
Foundation Tier (out of 200)
140
Grade 5 (max)
121
Grade 4+
Separate science. Combined Science boundaries differ.
Chemistry
Higher Tier (out of 200)
150
Grade 9
66
Grade 5★
42
Grade 4+
Foundation Tier (out of 200)
132
Grade 5 (max)
109
Grade 4+
Separate science. Chemistry Higher has a relatively low grade 4 boundary.
Physics
Higher Tier (out of 200)
152
Grade 9
88
Grade 5★
70
Grade 4+
Foundation Tier (out of 200)
144
Grade 5 (max)
131
Grade 4+
Separate science. Physics Foundation grade 4 is high at 131/200.
History
Higher Tier (out of 168)
146
Grade 9
98
Grade 5★
86
Grade 4+
Single tier. High boundaries reflect essay-based assessment.
Geography
Higher Tier (out of 200)
154
Grade 9
102
Grade 5★
89
Grade 4+
Single tier. Grade 9 requires 77% of total marks.
Computer Science
Higher Tier (out of 180)
155
Grade 9
92
Grade 5★
74
Grade 4+
Single tier. Programming knowledge heavily tested.
Source: AQA official grade boundary documents, June 2025. ★ = strong pass. + = standard pass.
How AQA sets GCSE grade boundaries
AQA does not decide grade boundaries before your exam. Boundaries are set after all papers are marked, in a process involving senior examiners and statistical models. Here is how it works step by step.
01
Papers are marked
All AQA GCSE papers are marked by trained examiners, producing a raw mark for every student. For Maths Higher, the maximum raw mark is 240 across three papers.
02
Grade setting meeting
Senior AQA examiners review a sample of actual student scripts from across the mark range. They make professional judgements about what standard of work represents each grade.
03
Statistical modelling
AQA uses Ofqual's comparable outcomes methodology. It compares this year's cohort prior attainment data with previous years to determine where boundaries should sit to maintain consistent national grade distributions.
04
Boundaries are locked
Final boundaries are agreed and embargoed. AQA submits them to Ofqual for approval. They are not released until exactly 8:00am on Results Day — 20 August 2026 for the 2026 series.
05
Results are issued
Your raw mark is looked up against the AQA boundary table for your specific subject and tier. Your grade is determined automatically — no human discretion is applied to individual results.
AQA GCSE grade boundaries 2026 — FAQs
The most common questions about AQA grade boundaries, raw marks, and Results Day 2026.
What are the AQA GCSE grade boundaries for 2026?↓
AQA 2026 GCSE grade boundaries are published at 8:00am on Thursday 20 August 2026. Until then, the 2025 boundaries shown on this page are the best available reference. The grade 9 boundary for AQA Maths Higher was 219/240 in 2025; expect the 2026 figure to fall within ±10 marks of this depending on paper difficulty.
What is the AQA Maths grade 9 boundary for 2026?↓
The 2026 AQA Maths Higher grade 9 boundary will be confirmed on 20 August 2026. In 2025 it was 219/240 (91%). In 2024 it was 213/240. In 2023 it was 210/240. The 4-year trend shows a gradual rise. A realistic working target for 2026 is around 210–225 out of 240, but only the official release confirms the exact figure.
How do I use AQA raw mark boundaries?↓
AQA boundaries are always in raw marks — the actual total marks you score across all papers for a subject. For Maths Higher (3 papers, 80 marks each = 240 total), add your marks from all three papers and compare to the boundary table. A raw mark of 63 or more was grade 4 in 2025; 219 or more was grade 9.
What is the AQA grade 4 boundary for English Language?↓
In 2025, the AQA GCSE English Language grade 4 boundary was 73 out of 160. Grade 9 required 119 out of 160 (74%). English Language grade 4 is legally significant — students who do not achieve it must resit the subject in post-16 education.
Are AQA and Edexcel grade boundaries the same?↓
No. AQA and Edexcel set boundaries independently. In 2025 for Maths Higher, AQA grade 4 was 63/240 while Edexcel grade 4 was 53/240 — a difference of 10 marks. Never apply AQA boundaries to an Edexcel paper. Always check which board your school uses.
What percentage do I need for grade 9 in AQA GCSE Maths?↓
In 2025, you needed 219 out of 240 (91.25%) for grade 9 in AQA Maths Higher. For English Language, grade 9 needed 119/160 (74.4%). For Biology Higher, 141/200 (70.5%). The percentage required varies significantly by subject — Maths typically requires the highest percentage.
Will AQA 2026 grade boundaries be lower than 2025?↓
This depends on paper difficulty. If 2026 AQA papers are harder than 2025, boundaries will fall. Ofqual's comparable outcomes process prevents large swings. Based on 2022–2025 trends, Maths Higher grade 4 has ranged from 55–63. A dramatic drop below 55 would be unusual unless the paper was significantly harder.