Higher Biology grade boundaries 2026: A, B, C, D marks

Higher Biology grade boundaries 2026

The table is the Biology row of the Higher sheet in Grade boundaries 2026 (release 26GB, 4 August 2026); the counts are from the 2026 course report.

That puts A at 70.0%, B at 59.3%, C at 49.3% and D at 38.7%. The A boundary is exactly the 70% starting point. See the Higher Biology guide.

What the 150 marks are made of

This was the last series with two papers: Paper 1 with 25 multiple-choice marks in 40 minutes, Paper 2 with 95 marks in 2 hours 20 minutes, and the assignment (20 marks, scaled to 30). The papers carry 80% and the assignment 20%. From 2027 the two papers become one, with 20 plus 80 marks, and the total falls to 125.

How many candidates got each grade in 2026

The A rate rose from 29.1% in 2025 to 32.7%, 2,175 candidates, and 13.0% got No Award, 868, down from 14.0%. B was 20.4%, C 18.7% and D 15.2%. Entries were 6,660, down from 7,010.

Turning a mark into a grade

Suppose a candidate scores 16 on Paper 1 and 62 on Paper 2, which is 78 out of 120, and 12 of 20 on the assignment, which becomes 18 of 30. The total is 96. That is above B at 89, 9 short of A at 105, so it is a B.

The B and D lines come from A and C. The gap is 105 − 74 = 31, so B = 74 + ⌊63 ÷ 4⌋ = 74 + 15 = 89 and D = 74 − ⌈61 ÷ 4⌉ = 74 − 16 = 58.

2026 against earlier years

The 2026 lines moved down: A from 107 to 105, B from 91 to 89, C from 75 to 74 and D from 59 to 58, with the upper A at 127 (from 129). Compared with 2024, A is 3 marks higher and C 6 higher. The A line went 102, 107, 105 across three series, so the C line, 68, 75, 74, shows the same up-and-down pattern.

What Qualifications Scotland said about the 2026 papers

The report says Paper 1 performed as intended. Paper 2 was fair and balanced, but one question was more demanding than intended, and the boundaries took that into account. The assignment performed as intended. The small fall at every line fits that.

Few candidates calculated the metabolic rate of a human from calorimeter measurements (Paper 1, question 11). On Paper 2, few explained how a selective agent selects bacteria with a marker gene (7(c)), few explained why the concentration of RuBP stays constant in the light (10(c)(i)), and few explained why 3PG rises in the dark (10(c)(ii)). Few stated "vigour" as the term for improved characteristics (12(c)(i)). The more successful answers included describing cell differentiation (3(a)(i)) and identifying negative feedback in homeostasis (6(d)).

What the 2026 boundaries mean for you

The Calvin cycle questions on RuBP and 3PG were among the least successful, so practise explaining what happens to each molecule when light is on and off. The marks that candidates did gain were for describing cell differentiation, applying negative feedback and selecting information from graphs, and every one of them is a skill you can practise. The Natural Selection tool is useful for the evolution questions.

The previous series is Higher Biology grade boundaries 2025, and every course is in SQA grade boundaries 2026.

Check yourself with today's paper

Use today's Higher Biology paper, a short timed mock of 8 questions and 25 to 35 marks written by us, with no assignment. Divide your mark by the total: 21 out of 30 is 70%, matching the A share of 70.0%, and 15 out of 30 is 50%, above the C share of 49.3%.

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Scotland · HigherHigher Biology grade boundaries 2025: A, B, C, D marksHigher Biology grade boundaries 2025 from the SQA: A needed 107 of 150, B 91, C 75 and D 59, with 29.1% getting an A, and 2024 and 2019 compared.