In 2017, letter grades were replaced with a new 9-1 grading system. Grades range from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest. Grade boundaries and equivalences are as follow
- 9 = High A* (roughly 85%)
- 8 = Low A* or high A grade (roughly 70%)
- 7 = Low A grade (roughly 55%)
- 6 = High B grade (roughly 45%)
- 5 = Low B or high C grade (roughly 30%). This is considered a "strong pass."
- 4 = Low C grade (roughly 25%). This is considered a "pass."
- 3 = D or high E grade (roughly 20%)
- 2 = Low E or high F grade (roughly 15%)
- 1 = Low F or G grade (roughly 10%)
- U = Ungraded
GCSE's are offered in two tiers, foundation or higher level. The highest grade you can obtain for a foundaton tier course is 5. The foundation tier is designed for students who are aiming for grades 1-5, and Higher tier is designed for students who are looking for grades 4-9. So, in the higher tier you can only get grades 4 to 9 or a U, which is ungraded . If a student is doing the higher tier and only just misses a grade 4 then they may be awarded a 3 which means a “nearly a pass” grade. A student should only take higher if they can confidently expect get at least a grade 4, but are really aiming for 6 or above. Approximately 50% of the marks on the higher paper are aimed at grade 7 and above (this is the usual requirement for entry to an A-level Maths course), so most of a higher paper will be too difficult to someone who’s doubtful of achieving Grade 4. Tiers cannot be mixed, so one must either take foundation or higher.

2017-2023 GCSE Grade Boundaries Higher Tier:
Pearson GCSE |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
Summer 2017 |
240 |
190 |
157 |
124 |
96 |
68 |
41 |
27 |
Summer 2018 |
240 |
202 |
170 |
139 |
109 |
79 |
50 |
35 |
Summer 2019 |
240 |
198 |
167 |
130 |
108 |
80 |
52 |
38 |
Summer 2022 |
240 |
194 |
165 |
137 |
104 |
71 |
38 |
21 |
Summer 2023 |
240 |
203 |
174 |
145 |
112 |
79 |
47 |
31 |
Note: 2020 and 2021 are missing since exams were not taken due to Covid. Papers were still written anyway and you can find the grade boundaries by clicking the pdfs below. Grade boundaries for individual papers for all years can also be found by clicking the pdfs below.
AQA GCSE |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
Summer 2017 |
240 |
189 |
157 |
125 |
98 |
72 |
46 |
33 |
Summer 2018 |
240 |
201 |
169 |
138 |
107 |
77 |
47 |
32 |
Summer 2019 |
240 |
206 |
171 |
136 |
105 |
74 |
43 |
27 |
Summer 2022 |
240 |
214 |
185 |
156 |
121 |
86 |
51 |
33 |
Summer 2023 |
240 |
214 |
186 |
158 |
125 |
92 |
59 |
42 |
OCR GCSE |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
Summer 2017 |
300 |
248 |
203 |
159 |
121 |
83 |
46 |
27 |
Summer 2018 |
300 |
256 |
210 |
164 |
129 |
94 |
60 |
43 |
Summer 2019 |
300 |
256 |
213 |
171 |
136 |
102 |
68 |
51 |
Summer 2022 |
300 |
1242 |
200 |
158 |
120 |
82 |
45 |
26 |
Summer 2023 |
300 |
242 |
193 |
144 |
109 |
74 |
39 |
21 |
2017-2023 iGCSE Grade Boundaries Higher Tier:
Pearson iGCSE A |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
June 2018 |
200 |
149 |
125 |
102 |
81 |
60 |
39 |
28 |
Jan 2019 |
200 |
155 |
127 |
100 |
79 |
58 |
38 |
28 |
June 2019 |
200 |
150 |
125 |
101 |
81 |
61 |
41 |
31 |
Jan 2020 |
200 |
159 |
131 |
104 |
83 |
62 |
41 |
30 |
Jan 2022 |
200 |
136 |
111 |
86 |
64 |
41 |
21 |
10 |
June 2022 |
200 |
142 |
117 |
92 |
69 |
47 |
25 |
14 |
Jan 2023 |
200 |
142 |
117 |
92 |
69 |
47 |
25 |
14 |
June 2023 |
200 |
152 |
123 |
95 |
75 |
55 |
35 |
25 |
Pearson iGCSE A (R) |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
June 2018 |
200 |
160 |
131 |
103 |
81 |
60 |
39 |
28 |
Jan 2019 |
200 |
153 |
125 |
97 |
77 |
57 |
38 |
28 |
June 2019 |
200 |
159 |
129 |
100 |
79 |
58 |
37 |
26 |
Jan 2020 |
200 |
158 |
130 |
103 |
82 |
61 |
41 |
31 |
Jan 2022 |
200 |
136 |
111 |
86 |
64 |
42 |
21 |
10 |
June 2022 |
200 |
143 |
113 |
84 |
63 |
42 |
21 |
10 |
Jan 2023 |
200 |
149 |
124 |
99 |
75 |
52 |
29 |
17 |
June 2023 |
200 |
160 |
131 |
103 |
80 |
58 |
36 |
25 |
'R; stands for regional as these papers were specifically designed to cater for the different time zones. The 'R' papers are used by centers in the Asian/Pacific regions (countries that are between 5 and 9 hours ahead of the UK). This is done so that none of the papers get leaked. Otherwise, due to time difference of countries someone who already had their exam can simply leak the paper to a person in another country.
Pearson iGCSE B |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
June 2018 |
300 |
216 |
190 |
165 |
132 |
99 |
67 |
51 |
Jan 2019 |
300 |
216 |
190 |
165 |
133 |
101 |
69 |
53 |
June 2019 |
300 |
245 |
204 |
164 |
134 |
104 |
74 |
59 |
Jan 2020 |
300 |
244 |
210 |
177 |
144 |
111 |
78 |
61 |
Jan 2022 |
300 |
196 |
155 |
114 |
84 |
55 |
26 |
11 |
June 2022 |
300 |
185 |
146 |
108 |
87 |
66 |
46 |
36 |
Jan 2023 |
300 |
185 |
146 |
108 |
87 |
66 |
46 |
36 |
June 2023 |
300 |
231 |
189 |
148 |
122 |
96 |
71 |
58 |
Pearson iGCSE B (R) |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
June 2018 |
300 |
230 |
198 |
166 |
133 |
101 |
69 |
53 |
Jan 2019 |
300 |
231 |
199 |
167 |
134 |
101 |
69 |
53 |
June 2019 |
300 |
245 |
211 |
177 |
143 |
109 |
75 |
58 |
Jan 2020 |
300 |
241 |
208 |
175 |
142 |
109 |
77 |
61 |
Jan 2022 |
300 |
196 |
157 |
118 |
87 |
56 |
26 |
11 |
June 2022 |
300 |
227 |
181 |
136 |
110 |
85 |
60 |
47 |
Jan 2023 |
300 |
189 |
150 |
112 |
90 |
68 |
46 |
35 |
June 2023 |
300 |
231 |
189 |
148 |
122 |
97 |
72 |
59 |
Pearson iGCSE B Further Pure |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
June 2019 |
200 |
184 |
168 |
152 |
125 |
98 |
71 |
57 |
Jan 2020 |
200 |
183 |
166 |
149 |
122 |
95 |
68 |
54 |
Jan 2022 |
200 |
149 |
110 |
72 |
59 |
47 |
35 |
29 |
June 2022 |
200 |
135 |
105 |
76 |
60 |
45 |
30 |
22 |
Jan 2023 |
200 |
136 |
106 |
77 |
61 |
46 |
31 |
23 |
June 2023 |
200 |
165 |
145 |
126 |
99 |
72 |
46 |
33 |
Pearson iGCSE B Further Pure (R) |
Max |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
June 2019 |
200 |
169 |
153 |
138 |
116 |
94 |
72 |
61 |
Jan 2020 |
200 |
184 |
168 |
152 |
124 |
97 |
70 |
56 |
Jan 2022 |
200 |
149 |
110 |
72 |
59 |
46 |
34 |
28 |
June 2022 |
200 |
167 |
141 |
116 |
92 |
69 |
46 |
34 |
Jan 2023 |
200 |
140 |
110 |
81 |
66 |
51 |
36 |
28 |
June 2023 |
200 |
170 |
150 |
131 |
104 |
78 |
52 |
39 |
2017-2023 GCSE Grade Boundaries Foundation Tier:
Pearson GCSE |
Max |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Summer 2017 |
240 |
158 |
122 |
90 |
58 |
26 |
Summer 2018 |
240 |
169 |
136 |
101 |
66 |
31 |
Summer 2019 |
240 |
184 |
149 |
111 |
73 |
36 |
Summer 2022 |
240 |
173 |
135 |
100 |
66 |
32 |
Summer 2023 |
240 |
182 |
147 |
109 |
71 |
33 |
AQA GCSE |
Max |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Summer 2017 |
240 |
156 |
124 |
91 |
59 |
27 |
Summer 2018 |
240 |
161 |
125 |
92 |
59 |
27 |
Summer 2019 |
240 |
157 |
122 |
89 |
57 |
25 |
Summer 2022 |
240 |
172 |
135 |
101 |
57 |
33 |
Summer 2023 |
240 |
189 |
158 |
117 |
76 |
35 |
OCR GCSE |
Max |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Summer 2017 |
300 |
174 |
126 |
99 |
60 |
28 |
Summer 2018 |
300 |
187 |
146 |
105 |
64 |
24 |
Summer 2019 |
300 |
189 |
144 |
104 |
64 |
24 |
Summer 2022 |
300 |
170 |
119 |
85 |
52 |
19 |
Summer 2023 |
300 |
178 |
129 |
92 |
56 |
20 |
2017-2023 iGCSE Grade Boundaries Foundation Tier:
Pearson iGCSE A |
Max |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
June 2018 |
200 |
136 |
110 |
80 |
51 |
22 |
Jan 2019 |
200 |
137 |
113 |
83 |
53 |
23 |
June 2019 |
200 |
134 |
114 |
84 |
54 |
24 |
Jan 2020 |
200 |
145 |
120 |
88 |
56 |
24 |
Jan 2022 |
200 |
119 |
90 |
66 |
43 |
20 |
June 2022 |
200 |
130 |
100 |
74 |
48 |
23 |
Jan 2023 |
200 |
128 |
98 |
73 |
48 |
23 |
June 2023 |
200 |
140 |
117 |
86 |
55 |
24 |
Note: June 2020, Jan 2021 and June 2021 are missing since exams were not taken due to Covid. Papers were still written anyway and you can find the grade boundaries by clicking the pdfs below. Grade boundaries for individual papers for all years can also be found by clicking the pdfs below
Pearson iGCSE A (R) |
Max |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
June 2018 |
200 |
136 |
109 |
80 |
51 |
22 |
Jan 2019 |
200 |
141 |
111 |
81 |
52 |
23 |
June 2019 |
200 |
140 |
114 |
84 |
54 |
24 |
Jan 2020 |
200 |
141 |
112 |
83 |
54 |
25 |
Jan 2022 |
200 |
118 |
89 |
66 |
43 |
20 |
June 2022 |
200 |
122 |
87 |
65 |
43 |
21 |
Jan 2023 |
200 |
135 |
104 |
78 |
52 |
26 |
June 2023 |
200 |
137 |
108 |
78 |
48 |
18 |
For boundaries by paper click on the relevant document below