Skip to the tool

GCSE grade calculator

Tier
I know

Edexcel Maths Higher

Enter your mark

Working on Maths? Practise the marks between you and the next grade

Questions people ask

What percentage is a grade 9 in GCSE Maths?

There is no fixed percentage. In June 2026, grade 9 in Maths Higher needed 219 out of 240 at AQA (91%), 208 out of 240 at Pearson Edexcel (87%) and 264 out of 300 at OCR (88%). Each board sets new boundaries every series.

Why does Higher tier give a U for a low mark instead of a 1 or 2?

Higher tier papers award grades 9 to 4, with an allowed grade 3 just below. In June 2026 the lowest Higher Maths boundary was a 3 at 46 (AQA), 34 (Edexcel) and 38 out of 300 (OCR). Below that is a U.

What is the highest grade on Foundation tier?

Grade 5 (5-5 in Combined Science). In June 2026 a 5 in Foundation Maths needed 187 out of 240 at AQA, 181 at Edexcel and 183 out of 300 at OCR.

Can I work out my grade from each paper's grade?

No. Boards grade the total. Their paper-by-paper (notional) marks are only a guide and need not add up: at AQA in June 2026 the three Maths Higher notional grade 8 marks added up to 191, but grade 8 overall needed 192.

Keep going

How we work this out

What it does

Turn a GCSE mark into its grade with the board's own boundaries, for Maths, English and every Science, 2018 to 2026.

GCSE (9-1) Maths, English Language, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Combined Science from AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR, in England. Summer series 2018, 2019 and 2022 to 2026, and November 2023 to 2025 for Maths and English Language resits. There were no summer exams in 2020 or 2021.

Method

  1. We read the board's qualification table for the series you choose: the lowest total mark for each grade.
  2. Your grade is the highest grade whose boundary your total reaches. A mark exactly on the boundary gets that grade; one mark below does not.
  3. With paper marks, we add them up first. Grades come from the total, never from averaging paper grades.
  4. Combined Science gives one paired grade such as 6-5 from the total of all its papers, not three separate science grades.

Published figures

June 2026 GCSE grade boundaries, every subject here

The lowest total mark for each grade, from the boards’ own tables. Higher tier starts at grade 3; Foundation stops at 5.

Out of each qualification's maximum. Checked 26 September 2026.
Subject and tierMax9876543
AQA Maths Higher (8300)240219192166131976346
AQA Maths Foundation (8300)240––––187154115
Edexcel Maths Higher (1MA1)240208177146114825034
Edexcel Maths Foundation (1MA1)240––––181151110
OCR Maths Higher (J560)300264217170132945738
OCR Maths Foundation (J560)300––––18313396
AQA English Language (8700)16012211210393847555
Edexcel English Language (1EN0)160132123115105968767
Edexcel English Language 2.0 (1EN2)160137127117106958564
OCR English Language (J351)16013212111098867558
AQA English Literature (8702)16014212711397816649
Edexcel English Literature (1ET0)160136126116102887556
OCR English Literature (J352)16013511910485664735
AQA Biology Higher (8461)20013312010788705243
AQA Biology Foundation (8461)200––––14412791
Edexcel Biology Higher (1BI0)2001701581471261058473
Edexcel Biology Foundation (1BI0)200––––13211584
OCR Biology A (Gateway) Higher (J247)180141131121103866960
OCR Biology B (Twenty First Century) Higher (J257)18013812411091725343
OCR Biology A (Gateway) Foundation (J247)180––––1129368
OCR Biology B (Twenty First Century) Foundation (J257)180––––1129171
AQA Chemistry Higher (8462)20015513712094684330
AQA Chemistry Foundation (8462)200––––13211081
Edexcel Chemistry Higher (1CH0)200165146127103795543
Edexcel Chemistry Foundation (1CH0)200––––13711888
OCR Chemistry A (Gateway) Higher (J248)180163151139118977665
OCR Chemistry B (Twenty First Century) Higher (J258)18013812411193755748
OCR Chemistry A (Gateway) Foundation (J248)180––––12010076
OCR Chemistry B (Twenty First Century) Foundation (J258)180––––1078766
AQA Physics Higher (8463)200157142128107876757
AQA Physics Foundation (8463)200––––14112692
Edexcel Physics Higher (1PH0)200163148134113927160
Edexcel Physics Foundation (1PH0)200––––13511888
OCR Physics A (Gateway) Higher (J249)180152141131114978071
OCR Physics B (Twenty First Century) Higher (J259)180141130119103877163
OCR Physics A (Gateway) Foundation (J249)180––––12310880
OCR Physics B (Twenty First Century) Foundation (J259)180––––12110684