Maths Higher — Grade 9
258/300
86% of total marks
OCR · Oxford Cambridge and RSA · GCSE
OCR GCSE Grade Boundaries 2026
Verified against official OCR releases. Updated: 26 May 2026
Dedicated grade boundary calculator for OCR exams. Enter your raw mark to instantly see your exact 9 to 1 grade. Covers Maths (out of 300 marks), English, Sciences, Computer Science and more. Showing official 2025 boundaries, the most recent available. 2026 boundaries published 20 August 2026.
2025 data -- official OCR2026 boundaries: 20 Aug 2026
Exam BoardOCR
Tier
Note: OCR Maths totals 300 marks (3x 100-mark papers)
0300
Jump to boundary
🔬
Select an OCR subject and enter your raw mark
Based on official 2025 OCR grade boundaries
Check what a GCSE in Maths can get you
Explore A-Level requirements, university degrees, and career pathways.
→
Key facts about OCR GCSE grade boundaries 2025
Maths Higher — Grade 5
86/300
28.6% — strong pass
Maths Higher — Grade 4
47/300
15.6% — standard pass
English Lang — Grade 9
120/160
75% of total marks
OCR Results Day 2026 — Thursday 20 August 2026
OCR publishes all 2026 GCSE grade boundaries at 8:00am on Thursday 20 August 2026. GradesNova updates this calculator with live OCR 2026 data the moment the official boundary documents are released.
Why OCR Maths grade boundaries look different (The 300-Mark Rule)
If you compare OCR GCSE Maths boundaries to AQA or Edexcel, you will notice the raw mark numbers are significantly higher. This is not because OCR is harder or grades more harshly—it is simply because the exams are structured differently.
OCR Maths Structure
- 3 Papers × 100 marks each
- Total Max Mark: 300
- Example: Grade 4 requires ~47/300
AQA & Edexcel Structure
- 3 Papers × 80 marks each
- Total Max Mark: 240
- Example: Grade 4 requires ~60/240
Because of this difference in maximum marks, you must convert the raw mark into a percentage before comparing boards. A grade 9 represents the exact same national standard regardless of the board.
OCR GCSE grade boundaries 2025 -- all subjects
Official OCR grade boundaries for all major GCSE subjects, June 2025. 2026 boundaries update live on 20 August 2026. Verified against official OCR documents.
| Subject | Tier | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5* | 4+ | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maths | Higher | 258 | 212 | 166 | 126 | 86 | 47 | 300 |
| Maths | Foundation | -- | -- | -- | -- | 182 | 134 | 300 |
| English Language | Higher | 120 | 110 | 100 | 90 | 81 | 71 | 160 |
| English Literature | Higher | 134 | 120 | 106 | 90 | 75 | 60 | 160 |
| Biology | Higher | 152 | 136 | 120 | 100 | 80 | 60 | 200 |
| Biology | Foundation | -- | -- | -- | -- | 138 | 118 | 200 |
| Chemistry | Higher | 155 | 138 | 121 | 96 | 71 | 46 | 200 |
| Chemistry | Foundation | -- | -- | -- | -- | 130 | 107 | 200 |
| Physics | Higher | 153 | 138 | 123 | 104 | 85 | 66 | 200 |
| Physics | Foundation | -- | -- | -- | -- | 142 | 128 | 200 |
| History | Higher | 145 | 133 | 121 | 108 | 96 | 83 | 168 |
| Geography | Higher | 153 | 140 | 127 | 113 | 100 | 86 | 200 |
| Religious Studies | Higher | 186 | 168 | 151 | 131 | 111 | 91 | 252 |
| Computer Science | Higher | 150 | 137 | 124 | 106 | 88 | 70 | 180 |
| Physical Education | Higher | 158 | 148 | 138 | 125 | 112 | 100 | 200 |
| Design Technology | Higher | 172 | 158 | 144 | 127 | 110 | 93 | 200 |
Source: OCR June 2025 grade boundary document, published 21 August 2025. * Grade 5 = strong pass. + Grade 4 = standard pass.
OCR GCSE grading system explained -- grades 9 to 1
OCR uses the standard 9 to 1 grading scale. Grade 4 is the standard pass. Grade 5 is the strong pass. Grade 9 is awarded to roughly the top 4 to 5 percent of students nationally.
New 9 to 1 grades vs old A* to G grades
| New grade | Old grade |
|---|---|
| 9 | A* (top) |
| 8 | A* |
| 7 | A |
| 6 | B (high) |
| 5 | B/C |
| 4 | C (low) |
| 3 | D |
| 2 | E/F |
| 1 | F/G |
OCR GCSE Maths grade boundaries 2022–2025
Four-year trend for OCR GCSE Maths Higher tier (out of 300). The 2026 boundary will be confirmed on Results Day.
| Year | Grade 9 | Grade 7 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 258 | 166 | 86 | 47 | 300 |
| 2024 | 242 | 154 | 78 | 40 | 300 |
| 2023 | 235 | 148 | 72 | 35 | 300 |
| 2022 | 220 | 135 | 65 | 30 | 300 |
OCR vs AQA vs Edexcel grade boundaries 2025
Because OCR Maths is out of 300 marks and AQA/Edexcel are out of 240, we calculate the percentage of total marks required to accurately compare the difficulty.
| Subject / Board | Grade 9 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCR Maths Higher | 258 (86%) | 86 (29%) | 47 (16%) | 300 |
| AQA Maths Higher | 219 (91%) | 96 (40%) | 63 (26%) | 240 |
| Edexcel Maths Higher | 217 (90%) | 87 (36%) | 53 (22%) | 240 |
| OCR English Language | 120 (75%) | 81 (51%) | 71 (44%) | 160 |
| AQA English Language | 119 (74%) | 82 (51%) | 73 (46%) | 160 |
| Edexcel English Language | 122 (76%) | 83 (52%) | 73 (46%) | 160 |
OCR GCSE grade boundaries 2026 — frequently asked questions
Common questions about OCR grade boundaries, raw marks, Results Day, and the 300-mark Maths rule.
Why is OCR GCSE Maths out of 300 marks?
Unlike AQA and Edexcel (which sum three 80-mark papers for a total of 240), OCR designs their GCSE Maths assessment using three 100-mark papers. Therefore, the total raw mark for OCR GCSE Maths is 300. You must never compare an OCR raw mark directly to another board without calculating the percentage first.
When are the OCR GCSE grade boundaries for 2026 released?
OCR 2026 GCSE grade boundaries will be officially published at 8:00am on Thursday 20 August 2026 (GCSE Results Day). The 2025 OCR boundaries shown on this page are the most recent official data available. GradesNova updates immediately when 2026 data is released.
What is the OCR grade 9 boundary for GCSE Maths 2026?
In 2025, the OCR GCSE Maths Higher grade 9 boundary was 258 out of 300 (86%). The 2026 OCR Maths boundary will be confirmed on Results Day 20 August 2026. Given the year-on-year trend, boundaries may shift slightly based on paper difficulty.
What is the OCR GCSE Maths grade 4 pass mark?
In 2025, the OCR GCSE Maths Higher grade 4 (standard pass) boundary was 47 out of 300 raw marks (15.6%). For Foundation tier it was 134 out of 300 (44.6%). Students falling below grade 4 must resit post-16.
What is a grade 9 in OCR Computer Science?
In the 2025 series, a grade 9 in OCR GCSE Computer Science (which is marked out of 180 total raw marks) required 150 raw marks. A grade 4 required 70 marks.
Will OCR 2026 grade boundaries be higher or lower than 2025?
This depends entirely on the difficulty of the 2026 OCR papers. Ofqual uses a comparable outcomes process to ensure grading remains fair year-on-year. If the 2026 exams are harder, the boundaries will drop. If they are easier, the boundaries will rise.