Foundation and Higher tier boundaries (grades 9–1 (Foundation and Higher tier)). Years available: 2024, 2023.
AQA GCSE English Language has two papers — Paper 1 (80 marks) and Paper 2 (80 marks). Your raw mark is the total of both papers: maximum 160 marks.
| Grade | Min. mark | % of 120 |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 101 marks | 84% |
| 8 | 88 marks | 73% |
| 7 | 75 marks | 63% |
| 6 | 64 marks | 53% |
| 5 | 52 marks | 43% |
| 4 | 41 marks | 34% |
| 3 | 28 marks | 23% |
Use the Past Paper Score Tracker to log each past paper and see your score % trend — then compare it to these boundaries.
AQA GCSE English Language has two papers — Paper 1 (80 marks) and Paper 2 (80 marks). Your raw mark is the total of both papers: maximum 160 marks.
Yes — your raw mark is the sum of your marks from all papers in the subject. For example, if English Language has two papers and you scored 65/100 on Paper 1 and 72/100 on Paper 2, your total raw mark is 137/200. Enter 137 in the tool to see your grade.
Foundation tier covers grades 1–5 and is designed for students expected to achieve up to grade 5. Higher tier covers grades 4–9 and includes harder content. Make sure you select the correct tier — your school will have entered you for one or the other.
This tool has grade boundary data for the following years: 2024, 2023. All data is from the May/June examination series, which is the main series for most students.
Grade boundaries are adjusted each year so that students who performed as well as an average student from a previous year receive the same grade, regardless of whether that year's paper was harder or easier. This process is called grade protection (Cambridge) or comparable outcomes (Ofqual). A harder paper will have lower boundaries; an easier paper will have higher ones.
If your mark is within 2–3 marks of the next grade boundary, it may be worth asking your school about an Enquiry About Results (EAR) or a clerical check. One mark can sometimes be the difference between grades. Note that mark reviews can result in grades going up, staying the same, or going down — discuss with your teacher before requesting one.
These boundaries are sourced from published Pearson Edexcel grade threshold documents and are provided for reference only. Boundaries for 2026 exams are not yet published — they will be released on results day. Always verify at the official Pearson Edexcel website.
The terms are used interchangeably. A grade threshold (Cambridge terminology) or grade boundary (AQA/Edexcel terminology) is the minimum raw mark needed to achieve a particular grade in that examination series.
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