A-level grade boundaries 2026: what each exam board needed
A-level Maths: Algebra & Functions
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A-level grade boundaries June 2026 by exam board
A boundary is the lowest total mark that earns a grade, set after marking, so it changes every year. The figures here come from each board's own document for June 2026: AQA (version 1.0, published 13 August 2026), Pearson Edexcel, OCR (version 1.2, published 14 September 2026) and Eduqas. For each board's other subjects, use our own page for it:
- AQA A-level grade boundaries 2026, with pages for Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science
- Edexcel A-level grade boundaries 2026
- OCR A-level grade boundaries 2026
- Eduqas A-level grade boundaries 2026
- CCEA A-level grade boundaries 2026
The sections below put the three subjects students ask about most side by side. Always read the total in each row, because a boundary means nothing without it.
A-level Maths grade boundaries 2026
| A-level Maths, June 2026 | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA (7357), out of 300 | 260 | 219 | 182 | 145 | 108 | 72 |
| Edexcel (9MA0), out of 300 | 254 | 210 | 173 | 136 | 100 | 64 |
| OCR Maths A (H240), out of 300 | 250 | 208 | 172 | 136 | 100 | 65 |
The A boundary was 73% of the marks with AQA, 70% with Edexcel and 69% with OCR. At A* the figures were 87%, 85% and 83%. All three boards total 300. AQA and OCR both build it from three papers of 100 marks. The question for a candidate is the board's own table, not another board's percentage.
A-level Physics grade boundaries 2026
| A-level Physics, June 2026 | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA Astrophysics (7408A), out of 250 | 191 | 162 | 136 | 111 | 86 | 61 |
| AQA Medical Physics (7408B), out of 250 | 186 | 157 | 132 | 107 | 82 | 57 |
| Edexcel (9PH0), out of 300 | 239 | 215 | 182 | 149 | 117 | 85 |
| OCR Physics A (H556), out of 270 | 207 | 178 | 151 | 124 | 97 | 70 |
| Eduqas (A420QS), out of 320 | 265 | 237 | 199 | 161 | 123 | 85 |
Physics totals are very different: AQA is out of 250, OCR Physics A out of 270, Edexcel out of 300 and Eduqas out of 320. A at 65% (AQA Astrophysics) to 74% (Eduqas) of the marks shows how wide the range is. AQA has five Section B options, and two are shown here. The full set is in the AQA Physics page.
A-level Chemistry grade boundaries 2026
| A-level Chemistry, June 2026 | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA (7405), out of 300 | 255 | 220 | 181 | 142 | 104 | 66 |
| Edexcel (9CH0), out of 300 | 246 | 212 | 176 | 140 | 104 | 68 |
Both boards total 300. AQA's A* was 255 and Edexcel's was 246, so the top grade sat 9 marks apart. At A, AQA needed 220 and Edexcel 212. OCR and Eduqas have their own Chemistry boundaries on their pages.
How 2026 compares with 2025
Beside the 2025 documents (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas), the A boundary changed like this:
| Subject and board | A, 2025 | A, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maths, AQA | 221 | 219 | −2 |
| Maths, Edexcel | 214 | 210 | −4 |
| Maths, OCR | 196 | 208 | +12 |
| Physics, AQA Astrophysics | 152 | 162 | +10 |
| Physics, Edexcel | 199 | 215 | +16 |
| Physics, OCR Physics A | 179 | 178 | −1 |
| Physics, Eduqas | 234 | 237 | +3 |
| Chemistry, AQA | 197 | 220 | +23 |
| Chemistry, Edexcel | 207 | 212 | +5 |
Nothing moves in step. OCR's Maths A rose by 12 marks while AQA's fell by 2 and Edexcel's by 4. In Physics, Edexcel's A rose by 16 and OCR's fell by 1. AQA's Chemistry A rose by 23. A boundary only describes that board's papers in that summer.
The same share of the marks, different grades
Take a total equal to 70% of the Maths marks:
| Board | Total | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| AQA | 210 out of 300 | B |
| Edexcel | 210 out of 300 | A |
| OCR Maths A | 210 out of 300 | A |
The same 70% is grade B with AQA, grade A with Edexcel and grade A with OCR. This is the strongest reason not to use a percentage from a forum or a friend at another school.
How marks become an A-level grade
Add your marks across all the papers, and any coursework or NEA, then find the highest boundary your total reaches. A total equal to a boundary earns that grade. Below the E boundary is a U. Each board also publishes notional paper boundaries, which are for illustration. Your grade comes from the total.
For a worked example in each AQA subject, see the AQA pages above. For how A* to E convert to UCAS points, see A-level grades explained.
Maths paper by paper: AQA and OCR in 2026
Both AQA and OCR publish notional boundaries for each of their three Maths papers, "for illustrative purposes only". They are not used to grade you, but they show how the papers behaved in 2026 (each paper is out of 100):
| Paper, June 2026 | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA Paper 1 | 86 | 71 | 58 | 46 | 34 | 22 |
| AQA Paper 2 | 86 | 72 | 59 | 46 | 34 | 22 |
| AQA Paper 3 | 88 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 40 | 28 |
| OCR Paper 1, Pure Mathematics | 90 | 75 | 63 | 50 | 37 | 24 |
| OCR Paper 2, Pure Mathematics and Statistics | 83 | 69 | 57 | 45 | 33 | 22 |
| OCR Paper 3, Pure Mathematics and Mechanics | 77 | 64 | 52 | 41 | 30 | 19 |
The two boards' papers behaved differently. AQA's Paper 3 had the highest notional A (76 out of 100) and OCR's had the lowest (64). Across the three papers the totals come out within 11 marks of each other at A (219 and 208 out of 300), and no one paper tells you your grade.
Use today's paper to estimate your grade
Sit today's paper in your subject: Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Computer Science. Each is a short timed paper of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, written by us and not by any board. Mark it, turn it into a share, and compare it with your board's share. 22 out of 30 is 73%, which is above the 2026 A share for Edexcel Maths (70%) and OCR Maths (69%), and level with AQA's (73%). Average several days with the Mean, Median and Mode Calculator, and read A-level predicted grades for how the result is used.
Mistakes to avoid
- Applying one board's boundary to another. Maths totals are all 300, yet the A boundary ranges from 208 to 219.
- Using last year's boundary. It moved by up to 23 marks.
- Ignoring the options. Physics and Further Maths have option-specific rows.
Common questions
What are the A-level grade boundaries for 2026?
What mark is an A* in A-level Maths 2026?
What mark is an A in A-level Physics 2026?
What mark is an A in A-level Chemistry 2026?
When were the 2026 A-level boundaries published?
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UK · A-levelEdexcel A-level grade boundaries 2026: marks for each gradeThe official Edexcel A-level boundaries for June 2026 in Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, with 2024 and 2025 for comparison.